Avoid Meltdowns With These Top 3 Tips for Flying with a Baby

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Emily:   I’ve already taken a couple of flights with sweet Arya.  And because lots of folks get into the miles & points hobby to visit or vacation with their family, I wanted to share what I’ve learned about traveling with a baby so far!

Tips for Flying With a Baby

If you’re just starting in the miles & points hobby, consider these tips to help achieve your family travel goals!

Just remember, every baby is different.  This post shares what worked best for our baby and our family. 😉

1.   Be Prepared

Many airlines require a copy of the baby’s first certificate or passport in order to issue a boarding pass.  Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork in place well before your trip begins.  Call the airline to ensure you have all you need to travel with your baby!

For the actual flight, have bottles handy or be ready to nurse.  The air pressure can hurt a baby’s ears, and making sure they swallow often during takeoff and landing helps prevent any painful pressure from building up.

I packed ~50 ounces of frozen milk in a cooler along with 3 ready-to-drink milk bottles.  TSA had no issues with me bringing the bottles or the frozen milk!

2.   Travel Light

I’m not one of those “travel with only a backpack” kind of people, but I do try to travel with only what I need.  You can go crazy packing lots of baby clothes and gear, but here are the necessities that we found to be helpful:

• Car seat
• Compact travel stroller (only if you are going to do a lot of walking and don’t want to carry the baby).  I LOVE the Babyzen YOYO+ because it folds down to the size of a large shoebox!
• Small baby bed.  We packed our car seat and Snuggle Me baby bed in the same oversize bag.  The bed also helped protect her car seat from being tossed around and getting damaged by the baggage handlers.
• Baby carrier like the ErgoBaby or the Líllé Baby.  We wore Arya while walking around the airport and while on the plane.

3.   Be Excited!

I was excited about our first trip, and I think babies can pick up on our energy.  Rather than be worried about flying with her, we treated it as a new adventure.  We thought she might cry a lot and that we’d have to manage a meltdown on the plane, but it turned out to be a non-issue.

Bottom Line

As always, make sure you are well prepared for your travels with baby by having the necessary paperwork and contacting the airline.  Travel light if possible, and most importantly, have FUN!