12 Tips for Flying with a Little One

Traveling and flying can be stressful, tiring, unpredictable and pretty uncomfortable.  Add a little one to that mix and you've got a potential recipe for disaster, but there are some simple steps you can take to make it a pleasant experience for all.  This is obviously not a fool-proof, 100% guarantee because let's face it- with babies and small children, that doesn't really exist.  You can, however, prepare yourself and your little one for the best possible outcome.  

Me on my first airplane with my parents around 3-4 months old!

My mom has been a flight attendant for almost 40 years, so I have been flying my entire life and almost always on stand-by.  If you don't know what that means, I only get on the plane if there are empty seats.  You can usually spot a stand-by passenger in the gate area looking a little anxious, praying quietly that last minute people don't show up and staring constantly at the seat map!  I literally have no idea how many airplanes I've been on or how many hours I've spent in airports, but I know it's a lot.  When I was young that meant playing tons of solitaire, reading countless books and packing lots of just-in-case-we-get-separated-or-don't-make-any-airplanes-today meals.  My sister, Stephanie, & brother-in-law, Kyle, are both pilots now and have graciously allowed me to be on their passes, so I'm still able to travel pretty frequently.  

Max's first flight from LAX to IAD!

Having Max definitely changed the way I travel, but I want to be able to go back to the East coast as much as possible, so I couldn't let having a baby keep me grounded.  Kyle & I took Max on his first airplane at 7 weeks old.  I took him alone on a plane for the first time around 4 months and before he was 13 months old, he had been on 20 airplanes.  (It will be 21 planes tomorrow!)  

(Don't forget to take photos!  Window shots are some of my favorites!)

So anyways, here are some tips and suggestions for how to fly with a little one without going crazy:

1.  Your carry-on should be a backpack.  

We've used and traveled with a variety of diaper bags and have found that a backpack is far and away the best choice.  Two words-hands free.  A backpack makes everything easier and is less stressful on your shoulders than other bags.  There are a lot of great options these days for backpack diaper bags, but we use a backpack that we found on Amazon that you can find here.  It has a lot of pockets which is key.  I wish the straps were a bit stronger because I have to tighten them quite frequently, but it's a great option for the price!  (Some diaper bags are crazy expensive, am I right?!)

2.  Dress comfortably & smart.

When flying, comfort is key.  I'm always amazed at the shoes and clothes that some people wear at airports, but to each his own I suppose.  When you're traveling with a little one, you're going to get tired and your feet are going to hurt, so you'll want to be as comfortable as possible.  If you're happy and comfortable, your child is more likely to be happy and comfortable.  My go-to airport outfit is:

• a loose, comfy shirt that is almost always from walk in love. & a back-up shirt packed in my carry-on in case Max gets some sort of bodily fluid or food on me (it happens.)
• comfortable, stretchy, high-waisted jeans (nobody wants to see too much while bending over, or putting your bag in the overhead bin, etc.)
• a light hoodie or jacket to layer up
• nursing tank top (I always wear a nursing tank and a nursing bra, so that my stomach is always covered!) 
• teething necklaces to entertain the little one (Mama & Little is my favorite!)
• Toms are my absolute favorite airplane shoe.  Taking them off to go through security while dealing with bags and babies are reason enough to go sans laces, straps or buckles.
• a mom-bun (obviously)

3.  Wear your baby.

I don't usually bring a stroller when I travel, so I wear Max in my Boba 4G!  (If you do bring a stroller, you can gate check it for free.  I've only traveled with mine once and had no problems, but I do know they can get damaged and cup holders and things can get lost.  I would remove any attachments before they put it in the cargo hold.)  Wearing your baby makes going through security simpler and maneuvering through crowded airports easier.  It is especially helpful when you're actually getting on the plane.  Unfortunately, moms don't have 8 arms for everything they need, so baby carriers are amazing.  You can't wear your baby during take-off or landing, but it's great for every other aspect of traveling, running around the airports, going on shuttle buses, etc.  

7 week old Max ready to board his first flight & 4 month old Max traveling home with just Mama!          (That's before we had our backpack & my messenger bag made it a little trickier to manage!)

4. Give yourself extra time for security.

Security times can be a gamble; some airports are a breeze while others are simply the worst.  (San Diego is the best!)  You will definitely take a bit longer when going through with a baby, especially if you bring a stroller or carseat.  Wearing or holding your baby, you won't go through the crazy body scans, so you'll walk through the metal detector & then they'll run a test on your palms.  It really isn't a big deal & the TSA agents are usually very sweet when you have a little one.  I was flagged once and had to go through a longer screening process which wasn't awesome, but we managed.  My bag gets checked fairly thoroughly almost every time, especially because I bring water & food for Max.  When you're flying with small children you don't have to follow the 3 ounce rule for them, but they will check your liquids in their machines.  When he was tinier, I brought frozen breastmilk, so they would take it out to test it.  My sister told me to kindly request that they put on new gloves when handling your milk and the TSA agent I worked with happily obliged.  (You want to keep your breastmilk sanitary!)  Plan ahead for this and know that you'll probably have to reorganize your diaper bag when they're done.  

5. Pack the essentials in an organized way.  (AKA- lots of Ziploc Bags!)

Babies need a lot of things, so it's important to pack what you need without going totally crazy.  I'll be honest, I've never used every diaper or extra outfit I've packed, but one day I could, so I like to be prepared.  Some of the following is very obvious, but I like to be thorough.  My carry-on usually consists of:

• more diapers than I think I'll need (especially because I fly stand-by)
• wipes (for everything)
• CJ's Butt Butter Stick 
• a changing pad 
• hand sanitizer
• a thin burp cloth or two (Aden & Anais burpy-bibs are my favorite)
• 2 bibs (Max pulls all his bibs off now, but he always wore one on the plane when he was little.)
• 1 pacifier clipped to him & 1 extra
• clips for pacifiers & toys & everything so it all doesn't fall on the airplane floor
• 2 extra outfits which I put in gallon size ziploc bags with a diaper in case I need to change Max's whole outfit.  (This way you don't have to take the whole diaper bag into the tiny bathroom or take forever to search for what you need.)
• 3-4 empty grocery bags to dispose of dirty diapers or keep soiled clothes
• Nursing Cover (Covered Goods is a serious life saver and one of my all time favorite baby items.)
• 2-3 little board books
• 3-4 small toys (I try to pick things that can clip to Max)
• Security blanket/toy 
• Snacks for Max & me (You can have a small food bag in addition to your two items if it doesn't fit in the carry-on)
• Water (If you fly with a CamelBak, like I do, be careful about opening it in the air.  The pressure build and it will squirt all over you!)
• Entertainment (headphones & iPad) if Max cooperates and sleeps well!

6. Get a Carseat Bag!

We travel a lot, so a car seat bag was a no-brainer, but I can't imagine traveling without it even if we didn't fly as frequently as we do!  We have the Brica Cover Guard Car Seat Travel Tote and it works really well!  It's not the smoothest thing to drag, but the fact that it has wheels is amazing.  I have handled a suitcase, backpack, Max & the carseat bag on my own quite a few times.  You can check it before your go through security for FREE!  I highly recommend this rather than gate checking so you can get through security way easier.  If you do have to take it through security, like I usually do just in case I don't make my flights, you have to take it out of the bag and remove any covers, etc. to put it through the scanner.  It's not that big of a deal, but it will take a little longer to get through security.  An added bonus & my best secret to traveling, is that I pack extra things in this bag and it doesn't count as one of my carry-ons or a checked bag that costs money!  Cha-Ching!  I usually stuff extra diapers or a small bag of clothes in there.  I have one precaution about that though: One time, I put my food in there just for getting to the airport so I had one less thing to grab while getting out of the car and shuttle and I forgot it in the carseat bag when I checked it.  Oops, so all that food I carefully planned and packed was in the cargo hold instead of our belly.  The consequence?  Buying an expensive, but delicious, airport pizza for Max & I to share.  

7. Nurse (or bottle feed) at take-off and landing.

The pressure of the ascent and descent can bother a little one's ears, so it helps them deal with it if they either nurse, drink from a bottle or sippy cup, or use a pacifier.  (If it bothers you as well, you can chew some gum!)  Nursing was not always easy for Max and me when he was really little, and one thing that really helped was our Covered Goods Nursing Cover!  This thing is seriously amazing.  It completely covers me, so I don't have to worry about fellow passengers getting a peek at something they shouldn't.  It also makes me feel much more comfortable when I'm sitting in the middle seat next to total strangers (Flying stand-by means I sit in the middle seat 95% of the time.)  Max has fallen asleep under my cover quite a few times on the plane too!  We did have one flight where the descent really bothered Max, but he wouldn't nurse or take his pacifier and he just cried.  The helpful lady in front of me turned around and said, "I think he's thirsty."  I smiled and said, "Thank you" and internally rolled my eyes.  Sometimes things just aren't going to work well, but know that this too shall pass and it will all be okay.

Max snoozing under our Covered Goods cover!  (He had a boo-boo on his nose on the left!)

8.  Feed them & feed them a lot.

This goes along with the nursing bit.  If your child eats for the entire 5 hour flight, that's totally fine.  I bring a few pouches (whoever invented those things deserves the Nobel Peace Prize), animal crackers, baby cookies, and anything that doesn't make a giant mess and can be eaten without forks or spoons.  I try to pack as much of this in ziploc bags as well to keep it all neat and organized.  

I don't have very many food photos from the airplane because I only have 2 hands, but Max enjoyed snacking on our apple during one flight with his Dad and me!

9.  Don't stress about their schedule.

Flying throws everyone off their schedule, so babies and littles are no different.  If you can keep them on their normal napping & eating schedule- that's fantastic, but don't worry too much.  If your baby is crying and nursing them will make them happy, just do it.  For them, for you & for your fellow passengers.  Follow their cues and your instincts.  You will get back on schedule eventually, I promise.

Sleeping wherever & whenever

10.  Entertain them in stages.

When you're flying with a baby who doesn't crawl or walk yet, this part is much easier.  Sleeping, eating, & staring at the fasten seat belt sign were Max's favorite activities on his first few flights.  Now that he's mobile, it's definitely trickier, but still manageable.  I bring out one or two toys at a time until he's over them and then I'll give him something different.  I always have little board books that he loves and a truck or two.  One of Max's favorite toys is the safety card in the seat pocket and we spend a lot of time looking at the airplanes!  He also loves the plastic cups after I finish my water!  If I'm lucky enough to be sitting next to my hubby or have an empty seat, I let Max "walk" around the huge leg room space, ha ha!  When I was growing up, my mom would wrap small toys and give us one every hour of the flight, so we had something new and fun to play with which I think is a genius idea.  When Max is older, I will definitely pull out that trick!

These are from a flight where we were lucky enough to have an empty seat next to us!

11. Smile, Be Gracious & Apologize when necessary.

When I'm traveling, I notice a lot of parents who look grumpy, annoyed and stressed out.  I know I'm not alone when I say I don't want to be sitting near them.  Your attitude goes a long way in life and in traveling.  People are typically very kind and helpful to me when I'm traveling with Max and I'm constantly told how cute he is!  I don't mean to toot my own horn, but we are usually smiling and having fun and I know that makes people less likely to hate sitting next to us.  Max is usually a great flier and people are always impressed with him, but occasionally he will fuss, cry, kick our neighbors or knock someone's drink over.  When that happens, I apologize and apologize profusely.  Most people are understanding and willing to help.  If they aren't, just be kind and remember- you won't be on that plane forever.  

Our happy little traveler

Having fun no matter where we are!  (We were lucky enough to fly home with Papou & YiaYia once!)

12.  Relax & Stay Calm.

I think this is the most important thing on this list.  Flying is stressful with or without a baby, but make the best of it.  Babies and children pick up on our moods all the time, so that doesn't exclude flying.  If you're calm, relaxed and easy-going, your little one is more likely to be calm, relaxed and easy-going.  If your baby isn't having a good flight, don't get too worried about it.  Yes, people might get annoyed and you might keep a few of them awake, but the flight will end and it will be okay.  I always remind myself that most people are wearing headphones and can't hear us anyways.  Flying with a baby really isn't that bad.  Even when I think about our worst flight, it's not that big of a deal now and it got us where we needed to go!

Don't be nervous!  It will be okay!  (This was Max's first flight & he & Kyle did an amazing job!)

I hope you found those tips helpful.  Some of them might seem obvious, but they have helped me fly successfully across the country with Max many times.  If you have any other flying with baby related questions, let me know!  In a year or so, after I've traveled multiple times with a toddler, I'll see how many changes I would make to this list!  

I'm pretty sure flying with a little one is like a bell curve.  It gradually gets a little harder as they get older and more mobile.  I think it will peak around 2-3 years old and then gradually become easier.  I'll let you know how that goes when we get there!

Happy Flying!