After our recent flights with Ruby, many of you asked about any tips or things I learned from the experience. So, for those of you who are interested, here are a few things I learned and what I'd do differently next time. {And if you're so not into this baby stuff, I'll keep it all below the jump, so you can move onto the other posts!}
10 Tips on Flying with a {Non-Walking} Baby…
01. Apologize to your flying partner in advance. The stress of traveling with a baby, all of the gear you'll need, screwing with sleeping and feeding schedules, and having a cranky baby among all this can make you go a little nuts. Ruby had a serious breakdown on our flight home to Philly where she screamed at the top of her lungs for 15 minutes straight {it felt like 4 hours}, and I totally snapped at Bob more than once. You're anxious, stressed, over-heated, and trying to calm a baby that is in unfamiliar territory. Unless you are the calmest person of all time {in which case I could use your advice!}, it's likely you'll have a moment of your not-so-sweet side come through to whomever is with you as you both try and calm the situation. Whether it's your husband or wife, mom or friend…whomever is helping you on the flight, let them know you've still got lots of love for them regardless of the whatever manifests during your travels.
02. If you have a travel partner, book the window and aisle seats near the back of the plane. We chose not to buy a seat for Ruby to save money and instead we chanced it with hopes of getting a middle seat if the flight wasn't totally full. By booking the ends of a row, there's less chance the middle seat will be taken since they're the last to fill. For our flight to Philly, we flew Virgin, and they were so great about blocking off seats for lap infants when there was space. Both times, Ruby got to hang out, play, and sleep in that middle seat. It was so, so nice to have the extra room.
03. If you're traveling alone with the baby, bring a baby carrier and maybe a car seat on the plane. I haven't had to fly with Ruby alone yet, but have watched both moms and dads fly solo on our flights. When you don't have two sets of hands at your disposal, check absolutely every bag minus the baby bag. Carry the baby in a carrier through security so you have your hands free. If your baby is smaller and sleeps well in the car seat, you can either buy a seat or wait and see if there is an extra seat and bring the car seat on if so {Otherwise, check it at the gate}.
04. Check as much baggage as you can. With a stroller and baby bag, and an actual baby in addition to all of your luggage, you'll have more stuff than you ever thought possible. Now I use a jumbo suitcase even for short trips {the one I haven't used since my honeymoon!}, and I pack Ruby's stuff and my stuff in one big suitcase. And then Bob will pack a smaller carry-on bag for his clothes. We usually check the big suitcase and her car seat, bring Bob's carry-on, and then check the stroller plane side.
05. Bring a baby carrier. A baby carrier is my number one travel accessory. Ruby is always calm in it and loves watching people and her surroundings. No matter what her mood, it's a guaranteed pick-me-up. There are so many times in the airport that you need all of your hands available while taking off your shoes, presenting your boarding pass, folding and shoving your stroller through security, and pulling out laptops and toiletry bags and "baby fluids"—as well as taking the airport shuttle, checking bags, and waiting for cabs and rides. We'll still bring the stroller plane-side to use if she needs to nap while we wait for our flight to board, but the carrier ends up getting used most of the time.
06. Dress for flying with a baby. If you're nursing, button down shirts and an easy-to-access nursing cover are a must. I love the Dria cover because you can keep it on throughout the flight without it looking like you're wearing a nursing cover. Also, whether you're nursing or not, bring an extra shirt for you and some extra clothes for baby, should one of you get peed on at some point during the flight!
07. Feed at take-off and landing. Whether you nurse, use a bottle, or a pacifier, give baby something to suck on at take-off and landing. The swallowing help their ears regulate to the change in pressure. Even if you're nursing, I'd recommend bringing a bottle in case you're in a situation where whipping out the goods just isn't possible or comfortable—you always have the bottle as back up.
08. Bring a couple new or much loved toys. We kept the number of toys we brought on the plane minimal and brought two things that we knew she liked that didn't have a million pieces and could easily be recovered if it drops on the floor. Turns out though, an empty water bottle and empty cracker box were Ruby's favorite distractions during the trip. Also, these Baby MumMum's kept her happy for long periods of time.
09. Try overnight diapers. For short flights {less than a few hours}, an overnight diaper mights help you get away with not having to change a diaper if your baby doesn't have a big accident or doesn't get fussy with a little wetness. We didn't have to change any diapers for our flight to San Francisco, but had to change half a dozen or so during the flight to Philly. Even though Ruby is used to wearing her overnight diaper for 10-12 hours straight during the night, that's while she's sleeping and not aware of it. When she's awake, she's not a fan of having a wet diaper for very long at all.
10. Say sorry with earplugs & lollipops. For the above mentioned breakdowns on the plane, should it ever get really bad, it's nice to offer a peace offering to your nearby passengers. We handed out foam earplugs and lollipops. Most people are really nice and understanding, but we always want fellow passengers to know we appreciate their patience and understanding…and that babies sometimes cry on planes. It is what it is, and all we can do is our best to keep them happy and calm during the flights and hope no on gets too upset!
I'm sure some of these things might change once Ruby is walking as there's a whole other set of issues to deal with once they are mobile. So, these are my musts for a non-walking baby. Any other tips you parents out there have discovered when flying with your kids? — Joy
{iPhone photos by Oh Joy. Gear shown includes: Stokke MyCarrier, Stokke Xplory, Orbit stroller with color pack.}
Those are all very great tips for traveling with a baby. I travelled with my baby with my husband and I also have travel with them along on a 15hour flight more than once, it is a lot easier when they are not mobile. But the tips are very similar. All the buttons on the plane are way more interested than the new toys you have to offer. But one thing I would like to add is that I do a complete Wet Ones wipe down as soon as I get to my seat. I wipe everything. I might look crazee but those little fingers like to touch everything especially all the cracks and nasty places that no one thinks to clean. EWWW.
P.S. – DId you bring 2 different strollers with you on this trip?
For long-haul (12+ hour) flights…
Ensure a bassinet seat, whether you use it or not.
Carry on enough clothes for baby AND you (people tend to forget about themselves!); more diapers than you think you’ll need (pressure does something to their bowels, especially on the descent); your breast pump, if breastfeeding (not something you want to get lost with your luggage).
Do make a point to ensure your baby is eating (especially if they are pre-solids). They dehydrate faster than we do.
Baby jet-lag isn’t fun and requires a little patience. It generally takes an day for each hour of time difference. Sleep when he/she sleeps!
I’ve yet to muster the courage to take our one/two/three year olds on a 9 hour flight to Hong Kong. Will let you know if I ever do! 🙂
Thanks for sharing these tips Joy.
Ronnie xo
I had never heard of Dria! Totally brilliant! Thanks for sharing your great tips. 🙂
Thanks for the great tips! We are expecting our first in October. I see you have the Stokke baby carrier. Any tips on why you like that one or do you have other favorites? Trying to give something to my husband for his first Father’s Day coming up next weekend.
Thanks!
Ronnie. You can so do it! I have done the 15 hour flight to HKG with my son at 15 months and when he was 2 years old by myself. And I just did it with my 16 month girl last week. Its not as scary as it seems. I know you have 3 boys but it wont be so bad if you go with your husband and you can get the bulk head bassinet seat and you will have the whole row to yourself. My husband and I did it with our 2 kids and it worked out well (except for the eye bleeding but thats another story). BTW, Ive added you on my daily read. bestbest | Queenie
Great tips! We always fly @ night although some people might think that is strange, we prefer this, as during the day a young baby wants to explore and gets frustrated if he is not allowed. During the night we put them in a carrier and get them asleep, then when they do, I know at least it will be for a couple of hours. And you will never see me on a plain without a carrier. I can say we have some experience, living abroad with five children under the age of 8 (under which a set of twins). My last flight was an 8 hour flight all alone with all five of them (youngest just under 1 year old). I survived! And the fellow passengers as well!
http://curlupkids.blogspot.com
earplugs, what a great idea!
Great ideas – i love that you passed out lollipops!
Thanks for posting this! I’m due in July with our first baby and we’re flying from Barcelona to Miami in December for the holidays and a wedding. I’m super intimidated about taking a six month old on such a long flight especially when I’m a terrible flyer myself (I get really motion sick and I’m paranoid about crashes). But there’s no way around it, so your tips and advice are HUGELY appreciated 🙂
Great list Joy! We’ve taken a handful of flights with our now almost 3 year old and these tips are the way to go. Also, for slightly older babies (ones who need more toys) we created toy bags in gallon ziplocks, 1 for the flight out and one for the flight back (dont’ forget the flight back!)
In them we put lots of new (way more exciting to kiddos!) toys and activities + a few special snacks like
*stickers
*coloring book
*new crayons
*special art supplies (like markers which we rarely use due to their messiness)
*gummy bunnies from Annie’s (a super duper special treat)
*big beads (age appropriate) and a long piece of twine to make a necklace
Do the same for the flight back!
Great places to pick up cheap treats are Target (the dollar section!), the party store (the party favor aisle) and Michaels Art Supply
Other than that, a carrier would be my #1 tip for little ones, we used the Ergo everytime, she slept like a champ in it too.
xx
Lindsay
An overnight diaper on a flight is a great idea! My son and I flew to Miami when he was 3 months old and while he was a DREAM on the flight, the diaper changing was definitely a challenge. Luckily our plane had a changing table. But, he found the bathroom to be a bit scary (he’s very sensitive to sounds and it was noisy in there!)
Hi Queenie!
No we didt bring two. These photos are a mix from two different trips! We used the Orbit for when we were driving and the Stokke for when we didnt have a car.
Joy
Great reading this today because we’re taking a 3 hours flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow. Great advice on taking some extra clothes for me, hadn’t thought about it. Tks!
Hi Julie,
Weve had a bunch of carriers, heres my quick summary:
-Used the Boba Wrap and Sakura Bloom during the first couple months when Ruby is tiny and didnt have head control. However, Bob would not wear any of them bc they were too girly!
-We got the Baby Bjorn as a hand-me-down and he would use that. But I didnt like it cause it didnt have a ton of support for my back which I needed as Ruby got bigger.
-When we got the Stokke Carrier, it was the best of both worlds. The back support is amazing, and both of us can wear it. And it goes from newborn to toddler. Its more pricey than others, but so worth it because its so versatile.
Hope that helps!
Joy
Curl-Up,
OMG! All 5 kids by yourself? Amazing! You go mama!
Joy
I traveled without my husband when my son was 3 months old and it was an adventure. Luckily I had my mom and dad with me but it’s not the same as having someone who knows your schedule and your baby’s quirks. We took a stroller and never even used it! He wanted to be in the carrier all the time and I actually lost 4 pounds walking around San Francisco with him in tow 🙂 I’m anxious to see how he travels now that he is older and isn’t as sleepy and is much louder and alert.
great tips and we use many of them as well. a couple on our end:
– we always fly at night where possible
– lots of water for everyone: for you, have a bottle of water in your bag so that you don’t have glasses spill etc
– sit in bulkhead when possible
– take as little gear as possible (we don’t mess around w/ car seats etc, we rent them when we get there – it’s a trade off)
– have extra milk/food – you’ll go through more than you think
– ziploc bags or the arm/hammer baggies for poopy diaper and any other small debacles
– be either the absolute first on the plane (esp if you are first) or be the absolute last on plane (esp if you’ve got your stuff pared down and don’t need a lot of overhead space) -the older the child gets, the more you should go last since they need to be more and more entertained on the plane – avoid boarding in the middle, it’s a no man’s land
you did great! first one is the toughest 😉
Don’t do this, but someone suggested to my sister-in-law to give their kids allergy medicine so they sleep the entire way. Yikes, yeah drug your kids. That’s teaching great mothering skills. (laugh and groan).
Personally, I’m impressed with mom’s who brave flying with their kids. It bothers me when people on the flight start to groan and make comments about parents on flights. If anything I get after those people for their comments. I have heard that the more flights you take, the more your kids get used to it. Who knows?
Thanks for the great post and comments. We are expecting our first in October and every little bit of advice helps!
great tips. i’ve only flown with my son, atticus, once but he was an angel. very curious about his surroundings (read nosy!) and ate at take off and landing worked like a charm.
I love the idea of handing out ear plugs as a peace offering! When we flew with our then 12 month old, we made sure the toys, blankie and sippy/bottles were all tethered because we were told that once they roll onto the floor, it would be really difficult to retrieve.
Did you fly with the stokke stroller? We also have one and I just find it so big to bring on a trip away from home. It also takes up a lot of space in the trunk. What was your experience like traveling with the stokke xplory?
My 26 month old has made the cross country flight (LA to Newark) 17 times in her young life! Started at two months old. Most of those flights are just her and me. You’re right, each age has it challenge. When we first started traveling, I read so many “must-have” lists for traveling with a baby and they were super helpful. But what I’ve definitely learned – and I guess this the ongoing lesson of motherhood – is that you just have to know your child. For us, a baby carrier worked when she was an infant and from about four months on, she hated it. Also, we would never fly at night. I have one of those kids who only sleeps in her crib, not even in the car for the love of all things holy, so a night flight for her would be a party for her and a nightmare for everyone else 🙂
The one tip that I do think could help people is that if you do get a seat for your little one (which I have to say I really recommend between 6-12 months if you can swing it), get a nice, lightweight, travel-only car seat. We use the Cosco Scenera and I use it to transport her through the airport (I bungee it to my old Graco Snap n Go) and then she sits in it on the plane. For her, once she’s in her car seat, it’s like she’s in the car so she knows that’s pretty much where she has to stay. The car seat is only about 10 pounds. It’s no-frills but highly rated safety-wise. The bonus is we then have a car seat for her on the other end of our journey. Just my two cents!
Oh.My.God.
And here I’ve been proud of myself for flying tons w our son, and starting to feel nervous about adding another baby to the mix right when he turns 2! You’re a brave woman.
We have flown a ton w our son (now 21 months)–cross-country at 7 weeks, 6 months (that was me alone and was the hardest I think, because we only had one seat and I had to hold him the entire time), 10 months, 15 months, and 20 months, as well as trans-atlantic at 8.5 months and tons of shorter trips in between. Everything got 100% harder once he was crawling and cruising, since he was desperate to move, and now that he’s a very active toddler, our strategies have shifted a bit. I agree w the heroic mom of 5 about flying overnight when possible, since the more time he spends sleeping, the better it is for everyone. When he was in an infant sleep, it was a homerun to bring that on the plane. Unfortunately he’s still rear-facing in his convertible seat, and when we faced him front on a plane it was so upright he refused to sleep. We also have the CARES harness, which turns the lap belt into a chest harness, but he’s a bit small for it so our best success has been just the lap belt and making him a nest of pillows and our laps.
We nearly always lucked into an extra seat when booking window/aisle as recommended by Joy, but now we buy his seat to make sure, because there is no way we could hold him in our laps for 6 hours.
For the most recent trip, I bought a stack of new paperback books about airports, planes, and construction vehicles (things he loves), and got a few new toys, as well. My mom used to fly cross-country with me and my brother every year, and once I was old enough to get it (3, maybe?) she’d wrap a bunch of cheap new toys like presents and I’d get to pick one every hour. Half an hour of play, half an hour of being good to earn the new one!
FYI, you can take baby food pouches (bigger than 3 oz.) through security, you just have to explain what they are. I keep the Plum Organics purees in a separate ziplock so it’s easy to show them to the TSA people.
great tips! i especially love the earplugs and lollipops strategy.
quick question about the dria cover: are you finding it to be too big or does it look as good/proportional on you as it does on the website’s model? i know it’s one-size-fits-all, but i’m pretty petite like you (actually, i bought a dress from you from copious and we are the exact same size!) so i’ve been wondering if it will be a giant tent on me. i’ve considered trying to make something that is slightly smaller, but i’d rather just buy it if you say it fits you well. thanks in advance for your style advice! 🙂
Thanks Kristina!
So helpful re: the car seat! And I agree every child is different. 17 times – amazing!
Joy
Thanks Kate! Love those tips and that unwrapping of presents things is pretty genius!
Joy
Hi April,
It is big but not too big I think. It looks like a very thin poncho when you wear it. And I dont usually wear it much past feeding, but I do leave it on the whole time while flying. Its definitely not too big and if anything I like the extra coverage so theres no accidental exposure!
Joy
Once they are walking – bring Robeez to change into, bc they WILL walk all over your lap and real shoe soles dig into your thighs!
Agreed with extra food/pouches/milk – you never know if you will be delayed or stuck on tarmac!
And for my toddler son who is obsessed w planes, we drew a giant picture of a cockpit (w LOTS of buttons and switches) and he can pretend to be the pilot for long periods of time.
I used to tut and moan whenever i saw children on my flights (pre baby) now I completely understand why the parents of these children looked scared to death and how difficult it is to stay in control!
thanks for the tips
I flew with my daughter for the first time last week (solo). Now this was from Baltimore to Cleveland, nothing like your trip! I couldn’t believe how kind so many strangers were. When my kids are old and moved away, I’m going to borrow people’s babies to fly with just so people will be nice to me. 😉
Great tips 🙂
Here’s some of my tips – my three year old has been on about 40 flights (some 9.5 hours long) so far! We’re about to take our two kids (3.5, 1.5) on a 9.5 hour flight in two weeks’ time.
#1 Go into it with confidence: *believe* that your kids are good travellers and get them started early. Talk about the trip to them, praise their good behavior – no matter what the age. Kids will adapt to the life you provide for them. (They’ll also pick up on your insecurities.)
* When booking a short flight, don’t automatically book the flight time based on the lowest price: choose a sensible one for your child (e.g. not around their nighttime bedtime or most fussiest times of the day). The few dollars extra you spend on the flight time is so worth it! If you live a decent drive away from the airport, factor that into how they’ll be feeling too.
* The trickiest time to travel is when they can crawl but not walk: they want to be mobile but crawling isn’t allowed on the flight. They need lots of things to keep them entertained at this age.
* Take little (non-messy) things from a $2 shop which are new which you can bring out when needed. Things you can lose and you won’t care about later on. Stickers and art gear are good for toddlers.
* Ergo baby carrier is so wonderful for the transit periods and all the walking in the airport.
if you can book a flight overnight so they will be sleepy when they are on the plane.
Once they are walking, wear them out before they get on the plane – I make my son run up and down the terminal before boarding, he is that tired he is happy to sit down once on the plane.
again, when they are a bit older, buy some little toys/books and wrap each one up as a present, only let them open one at a time.
glow-sticks and mini torches are fun for little ones under the blanket.
extra food, my son is not a picky eater but he turned his nose up at the crappy kids menu, on the return flight I asked if they had a spare adults menu for him.
don’t be afraid to ask for help, when my son was younger I always asked the staff to keep an eye on him when I needed the bathroom.
and the best advice… enjoy it, don’t stress, if there is an accident or something goes wrong, laugh, the more stressed you are the more the child picks up on it. I have done several long haul flights with my son, all of them on my own.
SO great! Thanks Rachel!
Joy
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Please check out jetwithkids.com. Has lots of helpful info about traveling with baby and gears. Also read about lap babies and why everything else has to be safely stowed away except our most precious cargo! I use to not buy a seat for my little ones, but now always, no matter how much the ticket is.
Hi Joy! Great tips, and great tips by the other commenters. We’ve gone on a handful of cross-country trips with our now 2.5 year old daughter, and this fall when she is 3 and her baby brother is 1, we will be taking a 17-hr long flight (with layover in Tokyo) to Korea. Eeek!
We won’t be utilizing these for our international flight, but:
1) The GoGo Babyz Kidz Travelmate is helpful for getting the car seat through the airport, should you be carrying the car seat onto the plane. It has wheels and straps onto the car seat, effectively turning it into a temporary stroller your child can sit in. (The only downside is that it doesn’t fit into security x-ray machines, but you can ask the TSA for a handcheck so that it doesn’t have to be uninstalled and reinstalled at the checkpoint.)
2) Have you heard of lugless.com? (I am in no way affiliated with the site – just thought it was a cool concept!) They will pick up your luggage from your home and deliver it to your destination from $39 – $59. (International is more, which is why we won’t be using them in the fall.) After all of our struggles with gear to, at, and from the airport, I read about it and thought it was ingenious. I can’t wait to try it on our next domestic flight.
Have a lovely weekend!
My kids are older now and can entertain themselves for long flights (thank you ipad). But I’ve traveled extensively with them as infants/toddlers both domestically and internationally. Commenters are definitely right, what works for some kids doesn’t work for others. My daughter was easy to entertain but my son was a human octopus with a loud cry. Everyone has great ideas that we’ve also used. In addtion I’d like to throw in:
1)A change of clothes for the kids and yourself too. I learned this the hard way when my infant son “firehosed” all over both of us. Expectedly, I had a change of clothes for him. As for me, I didn’t smell so great for the rest of the flight and afterwards too. Ick.
2) When they were a bit older, I’d create a special snack mix for them in ziplock bags. In addition to healthful items they enjoyed, I would also mix in foods they weren’t normally allowed, such as Lucky Charms, gummies, m-n-m’s or jelly bellies. The idea was to have a huge array of different things and shapes. The kids would spend quite a bit of time picking and choosing as they fished inside the bags. And as they grew, they looked forward to their “special airplane snack mix” because they were treated to forbidden foods.
3) Pack cheap, tiny toys, wrapped extensively. It takes time to unwrap (when older, they can be challenged to do it in one piece). A pinwheel was always a great hit with the toddlers because they can hold it up to the air fan and see it go.
4) Be flexible with typical restrictions. For example, my children usually have a daily limit with electronics but on the plane, I let that slack. We all need a little peace…the kids, the parents and our neighboring passengers!
Great advice!
I’ve traveled solo with my eldest daughter 3 times on long haul flights (12 hours), the first was when she was 4 months, then 6.5 months, and 10 months. The best time to travel is really before they’re mobile. It makes life so much easier. I very much recommend requesting a bassinet for long flights.
I would also recommend feeding them or giving them the pacifier at take-off and landing. It helps them avoid the backlash of cabin pressure on their ears and any crankiness that might be associated with it.
Also, if you have your baby in the bassinet and turbulance begins, be ready to have to take your napping little one out of the bassinet, manuvear the infant belt through your own belt and then around baby. Yes – the flight attendants actually expect you to move that sleeping baby.
Bring a thick small comforter or super soft and fluffy jacket to pad the bassinet with for the flight. Airlines bassinets are super firm and provide no cushion – plus the only blankets the attendants will give you are the super scratchy ones everyone gets. On that note: airline bassinets are not ‘baby-proof’. There are exposed hard metal edges and if you’ve got a roller or a baby that is sitting up you’ll need to soften those edges. I used muslin burp clothes and wrapped them around all the exposed metal which did the trick. So bring extras.
I formula fed my daughter and so bringing a thermos of hot water was a life saver. You have warm bottles on demand at any moment versus having to wait for the flight attendant – which may only take a few minutes but with a screaming baby and all eyes on you, its great to know you don’t have to rely on anyone else.
Our next long haul is in September – my eldest daughter will be almost 2 and our newborn will be 4 months. I’ll keep you posted on the lessons I’ll learn on that trip I’m sure.
I just took my ten month old on a cross-country flight by myself. The best trick in by bag was a roll of painter’s tape. I ripped off pieces and stuck them to the tray table, she spent hours pulling them off and on!
thanks for the tips, joy! we bought a go go kidz travelmate, which makes carting my daughter around in her car seat in the airport a breeze. it comes together and collapses really easily.
i think i might take issue with bribing your seatmates with treats, though, and am interested if anyone else feels similarly. when i fly, baby in tow or not, i expect a moderately inconvenient to downright miserable experience. inevitably, the person in front of me will recline into my lap, someone’s elbow will end up in my ribs, there’s no food, it will be too hot or too cold or too stuffy … and a baby or small child will get fussy. such is life. is it too much to expect fellow passengers to be decent, tolerant human beings, especially when it is clear that you are frazzled and doing your very best to keep your baby happy?
Hi Anne!
Ha, no its not too much to expect from people at all…for us, its not really a bribe, more like a thank you!
Joy
Thanks, Joy. That makes sense. I guess I initially bristled at the thought of apologizing for my “bad” baby, when most of the adults on board are just as badly behaved! Travel is straight up hard on everyone!
Just went on our first flight with our baby when sh was 3 and a half months. Interesting to read through comments and tips. You definitely have to know your baby like some people commented. Putting my baby in her car seat on the plane would never happen without a crying-fest (she hates it!) The best thing for us was to be able to hold and bounce her so spent a large amount of the flight standing in the empty flight attendant stand! Flight attendants seemed understanding!
A lot of children can do well with an antihistamine like Benedryl to sedate them safely. However, many children exhibit a paradoxical effect to the sedative effect of antihistamines and actually get more agitated! One of my partners at the hospital had this happen to her child during a long flight and they vowed to never do it again. Your mileage may vary 🙂
Hi Joy! I am planning our first big, flying family trip next spring to San Francisco and am curious about how you got around town with Ruby. Our kiddo will be 19 months when we travel and I’m curious to know how you figured out how to get into/out of the city juggling car seats and rental cars (if that was the case). Thanks for all the travel tips!
OK, I have one major question which does not appear to be addressed anywhere here, nor on the Stokke website. What is the situation concerning the metal support inserted in the Stokke MyCarrier when travelling through airport security?
Having travelled to and from China many times I have encountered many contradictory attitudes concerning what can and cannot be taken aboard a plane.
From London one lighter is fine, but is confiscated when travelling from Beijing to London. A metal laptop security cable similarly was confiscated by Beijing airport security as it was considered to be a ‘weapon’. Given the size of the metal back supporting rod I am concerned one may run into similar problems.
Has anyone encountered any problems in this regard?
Great advice! I personally use the DRIA cover for day to day as well as traveling. It is so soft and my baby loves it. I wish they made baby blankets tho.
Thanks for the tips, and I’m a big fan of #10 too. We handed out lollipops on my daughter’s first flight back in 2012.
In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have wasted time attaching little “thank you for excusing my crying” notes to each pop, but my fellow passengers did really appreciate the treats and I had an excuse to eat the extra candy in-flight and on our trip:) In other words, I’d do it again.
Wanted to let you know I linked to your helpful tips in this post on my take on plane thank you goodies: http://hintmama.com/2014/09/16/todays-hint-easy-plane-goodies-for-fellow-passengers/
This article brings me a lot of useful info. Travelling with baby is always quite hard so you have to be prepared for it. thank you for your post. Martin
Hai joy, can you give me advice about how you travel with stokke xplory? Is it convertible to go traveling with stokke explory? And how u manage it at the airpor? Thank you.
Hi! I would recommend an umbrella stroller for traveling. That stroller is better for at home!
Joy
Great advice! I personally use the DRIA cover for day to day as well as traveling. . I wish they made baby blankets tho.
babystroller