Traveling on an Airplane With a Baby: Tips for Flying with a Baby

If you’re a new parent, there is so much research to be done before flying with a baby. I remember when I was planning my first international trip with my daughter, I was gathering all the information I could find about tips for flying with a baby, and I was glad that I did.

You want to be prepared because if you leave something at home, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to purchase it at the destination you are traveling to, such as your baby’s favorite snacks, formula, and even diapers, especially if you’re traveling internationally.

For those of you looking to take your first flight with your baby, internationally or not, I hope some of these tips can help ease the burden of traveling with a baby and make the whole experience more enjoyable!

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Planning Your Trip with a Baby

Before flying with your baby, here are some questions you may have about traveling with a newborn before deciding to book your flight.

How soon should you travel with a newborn baby?

How soon you decide to travel after giving birth is up to you once you are given the okay by your ObGyn. It is typically 7 days after giving birth. But realistically, you may not even be in the mood to travel with a baby unless you absolutely need to for a family gathering or an important event.

In my experience, I was told to stay home for a month before venturing out too far. Some cultures believe that keeping the baby at home for a month helps with the baby’s immune system, perhaps by keeping the baby away from a lot of germs outside. As a Korean-American, this was a piece of advice that had circulated through the generations and eventually passed down to me.

I also heard this same thing from a former doctor of mine, who is from Greece, so I discovered that this newborn advice was not just specific to my culture. It was a precaution that was taken in the old days, but this one-month rule is no longer strictly adhered to, and moms are free to roam around as soon as they feel ready.

For me, travel was the last thing on my mind after I gave birth. I was too busy getting acclimated to the responsibility of taking care of another life!

After a month of firsts: feeding around the clock, wanting more sleep, and learning to breastfeed, I finally felt comfortable enough to venture out of my home with the baby — first in a baby car seat attached to a stroller, then to a local restaurant in my neighborhood, and eventually traveling beyond my city.

Our First Trips with our Baby

Our first travel experience with a baby was a road trip with my 3-month-old daughter because we were a bit nervous to fly. We drove from New York to Chicago since she was still only 3 months old.

She slept most of the way during our drive. I sat in the back seat in case she woke up and needed anything, but her sleeping most of the way made it a relatively easy first trip. We took breaks to match her feeding schedule, to change her, and to hold her so she could take a break from being in her car seat.

I was thankful that long drives have a way of lulling babies to sleep!

With my second baby, I already had so much experience traveling with my daughter as a baby, toddler, and young child that I was eager to travel as soon as I could after giving birth. For us, that meant flying when my son was 2 months old.

We took a flight to Bermuda from New York. We were looking for a short international flight to make our trip a bit easier since he was so young!

There was so much we learned from that first driving trip to flying internationally around the world with our children. I hope some of the things I learned throughout our travels can help you prepare for your travels with your baby.

Should you buy an airplane ticket for your baby?

One of the first questions you will probably have is whether you need to buy a ticket for your baby. Babies are not required to have their own seats and can travel on your lap under the age of 2.

Many parents take advantage of this and will try to fly as much as they can before they have to purchase another seat, but others like the comfort of having the baby in their own seat, securely strapped into their own car seat (secured with the seat belt).

I’ve personally never flown with my baby in a car seat, but I have seen some parents do this on flights. It really depends on how squirmy your baby is and if you think your baby will be much better in their own car seat. You know your baby best, so do what works for you.

Do you need a passport for your baby?

If you are planning an international flight, the answer is yes, babies need their own passports. For domestic travel, passports are not necessary.

Be sure to give yourself ample time to apply for your baby’s passport before you travel, as this can take some time.

We took our son to get his passport before he could lift his own head, so we wondered how the passport office would manage to take the photo, but they were prepared with an angled foam with a white cover that babies can lie in while they took the photo (this was in NYC).

You can find information on how to apply for your baby’s passport if you live in the U.S. here.

Tips For Flying With a Baby – Booking Your Flight

Let’s start with the tips for booking the best flight for your family so that you can have the best possible travel experience.

Tip #1 – Book Flights During Nap Time or Bed Time

If I were to list my #1 tip, it would be to be very strategic about the time of your flight. Paying a little more when your baby is very young can save you from a screaming baby on a flight. I learned this tip from a friend of mine and it helped me so much during those early years traveling with a baby.

If you book your flight right around your baby’s nap time, say for example, at noon or 12:30 pm or 1 pm, and you have a 2-hour flight to a domestic destination, that gives you potentially 2 hours of peace in the air if you are successfully able to get your baby to nap shortly after takeoff. The same timing of flights applies for morning nap times or late afternoon nap times if your baby is still taking those naps.

For long international flights, book flights that allow you to sleep overnight while adjusting to your destination’s time to minimize jet lag. For example, you don’t want to land at bedtime right after your baby just slept through the night.

Instead, if you plan to sleep through the flight, book a flight that will arrive during daylight hours to help you adjust your sleep and meal times. You may have to push off bedtime a bit in order to adjust your family’s time clock.

I’ve found that when in doubt, try to go to sleep when the flight dims the cabin lights. They do this to encourage people to sleep. That timing seems to always work for us and helps minimize jet lag. Sleep when they dim the lights and wake up and eat when they serve meals.

Tip #2 – Book direct flights

As much as possible, try to book direct flights. Since it’s best to time your takeoff and landing with your baby’s feeding schedule and sleep schedule, you’ll want to minimize the number of flights you take and the coordination this will require.

This will also help you minimize the amount of baggage you’ll have to move around with your baby.

If it’s not possible to fly direct, just be sure to time your layovers and flights so that you baby can feed during takeoff and landing.

If you gate checked your stroller, it won’t be available during your layover, so be prepared to use your baby carrier for the duration of your layover.

Tip #3 – Book a bulkhead seat with a bassinet for international flights

If you’re flying internationally with a baby, having a bassinet will allow you to sleep when the baby sleeps without worrying about your baby. Bassinets are usually free of charge and need to be reserved in advance.

Bassinets are small, so be sure to check for height and weight restrictions to make sure your baby meets them. Our baby’s head was almost touching the top when we used a bassinet for international travel, so that was the last time we were able to request a bassinet seat.

To request the seat, book your flight early to have the best chance of securing the bulkhead seat with a bassinet. Then, after booking, call your airline to reserve the seats with a bassinet. Also, be sure to check that your airline offers seats with a bassinet before booking.

The bassinet is installed once the plane is in the air, so you will have to hold your baby during takeoff and landing.

The great thing about the bulkhead seats is that you have so much more space than other seats, so your baby has room to walk around in front of you once they wake up (if your baby is of walking age). This provides extra comfort during your flight for long-haul flights.

The downside is that with bulkhead seats, there is no place to put your bags in front of you. All bags must be stored above and can be retrieved once your plane is in flight… a small price to pay for all the extra legroom.

Navigating the Airport with a Baby

Tip #4 – Use a baby carrier to carry your baby onto the plane

Using a baby carrier will save you. You can walk hands-free!

I see so many parents with no baby carriers, and I often wonder why they choose to struggle. I’ve even seen some that have baby carriers, but don’t use them. Carrying a baby already strapped to you is the easiest way to carry a baby on the plane. You can take it off when you get to your seat.

Have a collapsible bag ready or some bag you can store it in when you take it off.

There are some babies that are resistant to using baby carriers, but when babies are younger, they sleep so much that as long as you have a carrier that can hold an infant-sized baby, you should be good to go.

If you have one of those babies who truly are resistant to using it, unfortunately, you may have to hold your baby the entire time. If that’s you, remember, it is just a phase. This too shall pass.

Baby Carrier Recommendations

I used different baby carriers at different ages and stages of my baby’s development. When my daughter was super little (0-3 months), I used a Baby Bjorn carrier that had an insert that allowed her to sit up higher.

You can find the Baby Bjorn newborn carrier here or here for a light beige color.

Here is a baby carrier by Ergobaby that is made specifically for newborns.

I used the Ergobaby a lot during travels because it has very cushioned straps, making it easier as babies grow (shown above). I could have my baby on my back or facing me, and could cover her head when she was sleeping to keep it a little darker.

Be sure to purchase a mesh one if you are traveling internationally during the summer because it will be hot! We used a mesh Ergo Baby carrier while we were traveling during the summer.

Here are a couple of other options with a darker color mesh Ergo baby carrier and a lighter grey Ergo baby carrier with even more air flow for hotter weather.

As my daughter grew older, my favorite carrier was the Mai Tai carrier. I don’t think it’s popular anymore, but it was super easy for me to use once I figured out how to use it, and it took me all around the world. It was just a piece of padded cloth and long straps that you tied around the baby. I loved the simplicity and the design of it.

If you’re on a tight budget and need a very affordable carrier, this is a lightweight baby carrier I used during domestic travel (shown in the images below) that was easy to pack, and here is another affordable a baby carrier you can use in 6 different positions all the way from newborn to toddler.

All of these recommendations can be found here.

Tip #5 – Use a compact, collapsible travel stroller

When you go on road trips, it’s possible to bring a larger stroller, and we used a larger one for my daughter when we took flights domestically. These are great because they ride so smoothly, but when you want to travel internationally, you’ll want to consider the most travel-friendly stroller that you can find that fits your needs.

For us, that meant finding one that could collapse so that it could go in the back of any taxi anywhere, be easily collapsed if we had to walk up a lot of stairs, and could collapse enough to minimize space and fit in the trunk of a car with our luggage on our way to the hotel.

Our other criteria was one that could lay down pretty flat so that our baby could nap. It was also nice if there was some sort of leg extension so that our baby (or toddler) could nap with their legs comfortable. There are different colored ones to choose from now.

We’ve tried many different strollers. I had one that stood up when I lived in NYC, and I had to take the bus or train with my daughter and needed it to stand upright. That made it easy to collapse it and take it on a bus or subway.

But when I traveled to Korea and Japan, we needed a new solution that was even more compact. The stroller we used may not work for newborns unless you have a headrest, but once your baby is over 6 months old, I highly recommend the Yoyo stroller.

This stroller collapses into a compact size and can even be carried onto your flight and placed in the overhead bin. You can find the Yoyo stroller here. There is a new version called the YOYO3 and the complete YOYO pack that includes a bassient for newborns.

We were surprised to see that when we went to Korea, EVERY single mom used this stroller, but it makes sense. Korea is not all flat like the U.S. There are hills and stairways and trains. Even if you have access to a car, having something compact that lies flat is very useful.

We also purchased a headrest for the stroller in Korea that allowed the baby’s head to stay more in the center rather than flopping around while napping. It adds to the baby’s comfort. If you can find one, it’s super helpful.

You can find the currently available head supports for strollers here.

Tip #6 – Buy accessories for your stroller

I’m not sure if all parents do this, but we could not have survived without our accessories. From our cupholders to our stroller hooks, these little things allowed us to hang extra bags when we went shopping and gave us a place to put our drinks and phones while walking around for easy access. It’s also great to put an emergency burp cloth or hankie to catch the dribble!

Here are some options I’ve found for you:

• Stroller Hooks – Here’s a 2-pack of stroller hooks, a set of closed clips with cute straps, and a set of larger hooks.

• Stroller Organizer – This is the most popular stroller organizer on Amazon, an organizer with a separate area for diaper changing supplies, an organizer if you’re on a tight budget, and an organizer by Skip Hop.

Here are some items to keep handy and have inside your stroller organizer.

• Baby Hankies – Small cloths that mop up dribble and messes are super handy. These are baby hankies designed by me. Baby hankies are very popular in Korea, but not so readily available in the U.S., so I created my own version that turns a bit wrinkly after washing, making it more absorbent and is made with organic cotton.

• Burp Cloths – You probably already have some, but these muslin burp cloths in various colors are the most popular right now.

• Bandana Bibs – Bandana bibs are very handy when feeding your baby from a bottle to catch all the dribble. I have a few designs made of organic cotton and sold by my company. They prevent any wetness from drool or feeding from soaking your baby’s shirt. You can just change the bib and save yourself from a wardrobe change!

Tip #7 – Change Your Baby’s Diaper Before You Board

This is probably common sense to you, but just in case you didn’t think of it, make sure to change your baby’s diaper right before you board. Changing a diaper on the plane can be quite awkward and cramped in the airplane’s bathroom, so doing it at the airport when you have space will give you some time before you need to change it again.

I really like the all-in-one diaper changing pad. It was convenient to just carry one pad with a diaper and wipes all together into the bathroom.

Tip #8 – Gate Check Your Stroller

Even though this stroller can go in the overhead bin of the airplane, we opted to leave ours gate checked most of the time. Even if I was carrying my baby in a baby carrier, we used our stroller to carry all our “stuff” through this airport.

Just get a tag for your stroller at your gate when you are about to board, and leave it at the end of the jet bridge, and it will be picked up from there.

You can retrieve your stroller where you dropped it off when you deplane. Be sure to wait for it at the end of the jet bridge before walking all the way back to the gate.

If you care about your stroller getting scuffed up, there is a stroller bag you can place your stroller in. We used this when our baby was very young, and we really cared about the hygiene of our stroller since our baby touched everything.

Here are some options: a gate check stroller bag, an umbrella stroller gate check bag, and an extra large heavy duty stroller bag.

Caring For Your Baby in Flight

Tip #9 – Purchase an inflatable nursing pillow

Whether you are nursing or formula feeding, an inflatable nursing pillow was the BEST purchase I made for travel. We used it for every flight when my children were infants!

It looks just like a nursing pillow that you would use at home, except that it is inflatable, like a pool floatie, and it has a clasp that snaps around your waist so that it stays put. As soon as I got to my seat, I would have my husband hold our baby while I inflated this inflatable nursing pillow and snapped it around my waist.

You can find the inflatable nursing pillow here. This is also great for feeding your baby at your destination.

I placed a large burp cloth on top of it because babies sweat a lot when they are feeding. A little extra absorbing cloth was just what I needed to wick some of that sweat away, and it can be easily washed.

Be sure to also bring a nursing cover if you’re nursing. The nursing covers with the wire on top are great for being able to see your baby and offer some airflow. After I was done, I used mine as a little blanket for my baby. Here is a 2-pack in soft pink.

When I didn’t use the nursing cover, I used baby blankets. Check out the baby swaddle blankets that I designed and produced. The luxury ones are especially soft and are my favorite. These are also great for covering car seats when you want to block out some extra sun, and can also be used as a nursing cover by tying around your neck.

Tip #10 – Prepare your baby’s bottles beforehand

When you are traveling, you want everything to be ready. You’re already handling so much gear and luggage that the more you can prepare beforehand, the more you will thank yourself.

When we were using baby formula as a supplement to nursing, or if we needed to use formula because we were out and about and it would be difficult to find a place to nurse, we prepared bottles of formula already measured out and placed in the baby bottles.

Then, we carried water in water bottles and could pour it into the designated measurement and shake as needed to prepare it.

Our favorite baby bottles after trying so many for anti-colic were the Dr. Brown baby bottles and the Comotomo bottles.

To warm the bottle, we carried around a thermos that already had hot water filled 1/3 to halfway so that we could just pop the bottle inside and it would slowly warm up the bottle. This was our method before travel bottle warmers were a thing.

You can now buy travel bottle warmers, or you can use a thermos and get some hot water at a coffee shop once you pass security at the gate, and fill up your thermos to a level where it won’t overflow when you place your bottle inside. A thermos will work for thinner baby bottles, like the Dr. Brown baby bottles.

If your baby doesn’t finish drinking the formula, you can use an insulated bottle bag with ice. We always had one hanging off our stroller with a hook so that we could put it on ice for the next feeding to keep it refrigerated. Then, when the time was ready, we could again warm it up in our thermos.

This is the Skip Hop bottle cooler we used, but Dr. Brown also has a cooler, and one that can hold 6 bottles.

You can also have pre-measured formula in formula containers that are partitioned out for multiple feedings, so you don’t have to bring so many bottles. We did that with our son once this product came out.

If you need to carry a lot of formula, here’s a cute formula container with a measuring spoon.

Tip #11 – Have your baby drink or feed during takeoff and landing

During takeoff or landing, when the air pressure inside the cabin is changing, your baby’s sensitive ears can be affected. To minimize potential discomfort, having your baby feed or drink something during takeoff and landing can help.

I used to nurse during takeoff and landing using the inflatable nursing pillow and a nursing cover, or feed my baby some organic baby formula. We used a German brand called Hipp that came highly recommended by a friend as one of the cleanest brands due to its strict EU regulations. I thought I’d share in case you haven’t heard of it.

If your baby is screaming during a flight and nothing is helping (this can happen if your baby has an ear infection), try using cups to cover your baby’s ears. We had an incident on a flight where our baby had an ear infection and was screaming, and nothing would soothe the pain. Thankfully, a flight attendant knew this trick and brought us two cups to cover our baby’s ears with. It helps to ease the air pressure somehow.

Our baby stopped crying and was able to manage the discomfort until we landed. If your baby has an ear infection, know that your baby’s ears might be painful during that time, so avoid flying until it is healed if you can.

Tip #12 – Get your baby sleep during the flight

The methods to get your baby to nap differ depending on the age of your baby. For newborns, breastfeeding or feeding formula in your seat is often the easiest way to get them to fall asleep.

You can feed your baby in your seat, burp them afterwards, and hopefully they will go to sleep with all the ambient plane noise (it works like a sound machine).

If that doesn’t work, you can try rocking your baby to sleep in your seat or jiggling them over your shoulder.

If that still doesn’t work, once the plane is in the air, you can walk your baby up and down the aisle, using your baby’s harness for more ease, and your baby may fall asleep from the rhythmic movement of your walking. This is what we did for many international flights.

We used a little baby hankie or light burp cloth to cover their head to make it darker to encourage sleep.

Making shhhh-ing noises in their ear can also help act as an added sound machine.

Make sure your baby isn’t over-tired by planning the nap or sleep time appropriately, as an over-tired baby is more difficult to lull to sleep.

Tip #13 – Prepare Entertainment For Your Baby

If your flight is longer than your baby’s nap, come prepared with some entertainment for your baby. If you’re lucky, there might be some shows that are geared for babies and toddlers available on the plane.

But, just in case there isn’t, come prepared by downloading some shows that can be watched offline or some downloaded YouTube videos.

You should also prepare some toys or things for your baby to play with, such as:

• Silent toys
• Stickers with a sticker book
• Painter’s tape (older babies seem to be entertained by this, and it’s easily removable)

• Coloring with invisible markers (these don’t leave a mess)
  • Mess-Free Coloring with Paw Patrol, Dinos, or Bluey
  • Imagine Ink – Minnie Mouse, Sesame Street, or Hot Wheels

• Water marker coloring
  • Water Wow! Books
  • Aqua Art

• Baby soft books:
  • Activity Book
  • Soft Book
  • Crinkle Book
  • High Contrast Book

Sometimes you can entertain your baby with random objects that are already in your bag. Here, my baby seemed to enjoy looking at himself in a mirror!

Packing For Your Trip with a Baby

Tip #13 – Pack a change of clothes for the baby in your carry-on

You never know when your baby’s diaper will leak, have a blowout, when your baby will spill something on themselves, or if they might even get sick and throw up. I’ve had all of these things happen, so you can be sure that I come to tell you from experience… be prepared!

Packing some extra clothes for your baby in your carry-on will be a lifesaver! Bring an extra plastic bag to put any soiled clothes in, just in case.

If you want to be extra prepared, you can also pack a change of clothes for yourself. Hopefully, you won’t have to change, but spilling a drink can also get on you, too.

Tip #14 – Pack all the baby food and products you need for your trip

As much as it’s nice to pack light and buy what you need as you go, when it comes to baby products, brands may matter to you. From specific baby formula brands to certain snacks your baby loves, there’s no guarantee you will find them easily wherever you travel. Plus, trying to locate more supplies once you arrive is not always worth the hassle.

It could take you a few days if you’re in an international destination to really find what you need. That’s what happened to us. We were so glad that we packed everything we needed for our entire trip without needing to go hunt down items at our destination.

I recommend you pack an extra suitcase just with all of your baby supplies. Once our baby was old enough to eat real food, our baby suitcase was filled with veggie/fruit squeeze tubes, boxes of baby snacks, and TONS of diapers (and swim diapers). Especially when we traveled to Asia, we weren’t sure if we’d find what we needed.

Some things you might consider packing:

• Fruit or Veggie Squeeze Tubes by Happy Baby, Plum Organics, GoGo, or Gerber
• Baby Mum Mum Teething Crackers
• Baby Puffs: Here are some by Serenity Kids (Set), Serenity Kids (Single), Once Upon a Farm, and Plum Organics
• Teething Snacks by Earth’s Best, Little Bellies,
• Freeze Dried Yogurt Snacks
• Yogurt Pouches
• Diapers
• Baby Wipes – We used Water Wipes
• Swim Diapers
• Baby Placemats

I’m very glad we brought what we would use because during our trip, we ended up going through ALL the snacks and diapers. It was not easy to find the exact diaper size and where it was sold, and we didn’t have access to all the American organic brands that we do in the United States. They didn’t have any baby/kid squeeze tubes anywhere. Only sugary ones for adults.

Tip #15 – Book a hotel that can provide you with a crib

If you are traveling to the grandparents’ house, you might want to order a Pack n’ play for the baby to sleep there. Don’t forget to bring sheets and a blanket. You might also want to consider a baby lounger. We used to travel with a small one that folded up in a bag to take all around the world.

Crib

Hotels should have cribs available that can be placed in your room if you request it with your booking. Be sure to call the hotel and let them know you need a crib, or tell them when you check in so that they can bring one up to your room for you.

If you are staying at an Airbnb or Vrbo or other rental that doesn’t have cribs, there are companies that have baby equipment that you can rent that can be delivered to where you are staying.

Tip #16 – Rent equipment at your destination

There are baby equipment rentals that are available in many cities, and they can deliver to you. From cribs to strollers, rockers, and more, they can deliver all the gear you need directly to your hotel or vacation rental.

Car Seat

You can rent a car seat from your rental car company. Once our babies turned toddlers, we rented a car seat with our rental cars.

If you are traveling with an infant and are using an infant car seat that attaches to your stroller, you will already have your car seat handy, but if not, reserve one with your car rental, and they will have it ready with your car rental.

So there you have it. I know it’s a lot to keep in mind and prepare, but these are the tips I would tell a friend or family member if they wanted some advice about flying for the first time with a baby.

Start with a shorter flight to test the waters, and pretty soon you’ll be ready to travel around the world. There’s no limit to where you go, and even if your baby can’t remember all the places you might go to, they will see it later when they are older from your pictures.

Just be sure to relax, enjoy yourself, and know that all the preparation you do will be worth it to create new memories with your family!

To see all the items I recommended in this blog post all together, you can see this list in my Amazon Shop.

Happy travels!

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