Flying With Baby
For reference Banks is 9 months old! I will say that this is probably one of the tougher ages to fly with, because he’s not a newborn sleeping the whole time, yet he’s also not old enough to really entertain himself with a coloring book or activity..
When he wasn’t napping on the plane he was a mini terror 😂 he wants to grab anything and everything and had a hard time sitting still.
We packed lots of toys and worked to entertain him. Overall it wasn’t bad! Would I recommend a 4 hour flight? Nope, but we survived without any screen time!
So let’s talk details.
We flew American and booked him as my lap passenger
With that you are able to check their car seat for free (this is the cheap, light travel car seat we choose https://amzn.to/3CB8a9Z ) and this is the bag we carried and checked it in (https://amzn.to/3pTyAi5) plus they are allowed a diaper bag as a carry on!
We weren’t personally asked for it but it’s smart to keep a copy of their birth certificate with you in case it’s needed in the airport
We kept the travel stroller with us and checked it at the gate for free. I cannot say enough good things about this stroller. It is SO light, folds up incredibly easy (great for putting it through security) and even has a handle roller like a suitcase would. Plus you’re able to fully recline the seat if your baby will nap on the go and we utilized that to change his diapers. I am grossed out by changing tables in bathrooms 😅 so we just reclined him back and changed him where we were (https://amzn.to/3hTDTK1)
We fly first class because we are cardholders with them & my husband is 6’7 (anyone of that height isn’t comfortable on a plane, much less with a baby in tow also LOL) but this allowed us to pick the front seats on the plane. First on and first off, no stress of pushing through people and it helped Banks to be less distracted when going down for a nap because there wasn’t a million people for him to look around at. I think overall it made it less overwhelming for his senses.
These are the toys that he personally loved not just on the plane but while we were traveling in general
Spinners for the windows or any hard surface
These two additional suction toys
(https://amzn.to/3MArIQl + https://amzn.to/3CryvaB )
This quiet book is AMAZING, so many different simple activities for baby or toddler
I used these cups for him! One with a straw for water and one to hold a snack to occupy him. I went through security with them empty and filled them once we were by our gate (https://amzn.to/3Cvg8Br)
I nursed him during take off to help with his ears popping but if baby doesn’t nurse just make sure they have a bottle or sippy cup available for them. The sucking motion when they drink will un pop their ears for them
I worked to time his naps around the flights. Our first flight was at 6 am so we did wake up at 3:45 am (we put him down early the night before) so by the time we boarded he was ready for his first nap. I nursed him right to sleep during take off and when he woke up he was in a good mood ready to play. A rested baby makes ALL the difference with travel.
If baby wakes easily (ex. From the intercom, announcements and what not bring headphones like these https://amzn.to/3sWAb8M) but practice wearing them with baby before the flight so they are used to them. Banks can sleep through a Mack truck so the announcements and stewardess talking weren’t an issue but I know it can be for a lot of kids!
One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give you is to take things slow and calm. It can be overwhelming getting through security with bags and baby, but don’t feel rushed. Everyone else can wait because your baby feeds off of your energy. We took a long time packing and organizing everything so we felt at ease with checking bags and carrying everything through the airport, and it definitely paid off. There was no rushing or stressing, we gave ourselves plenty of time and made it fun for Banks
If it’s baby’s first time flying as the stewardess for a baby flight log! They gave one to Banks so every time he flies the pilot signs the book with details of the flight and leaves him a short little message. I know he will love looking back on it when he’s older
