I wasn’t sure what to expect on our first airport visit/plane ride with Ilah. While I was curious {but mostly confident} as to how little Ilah would behave on the plane, I think I was more questioning how things would go at the airport – the process of checking in, going through security, and how boarding and de-boarding the plane would go. I wasn’t sure if the process of flying with an infant would be stressful or easy. As I was prepare for our little adventure, I could envision it going either way. Ultimately, everything went great! I think it went so well mostly because Ilah was an EXCELLENT traveler – but also because of the things that I did in advance {this is going to be lengthy, but if you plan to travel with an infant, I think you will find this information helpful}:
- Prior to booking our flight {on DELTA}, we went to the airlines website to find out what was permitted on board {such as formula and if there was a quantity restriction}, what was considered free baggage allowance for the baby {car seat, stroller} and if there were any special privileges for flying with an infant {and there were – we didn’t have to wait in line to get to the security checkpoint and we boarded the plane early}. The airline website answered a lot of my questions and had valuable information on infant travel so I advise anyone traveling with an infant to visit the airline’s site first before actually calling the airline and potentially enduring grueling wait times to have your questions answered.
- After we booked our tickets, I called the airlines {per their online instructions} to let them know that we would be flying with an “infant in arms” – which means that we would literally be holding Ilah in our arms during the duration of the flight and not paying for her own individual seat {children under 2 generally fly free, except on international flights when you have to pay a certain percentage even if they do not have their own individual seat}. So I called the airline after we booked our tickets because the airline actually has to assign you your seats because infants can only sit on certain aisles of the plane for safety reasons. We easily secured great seats both going and coming back home.
- I had read on the airlines website to inquire at the gate if there was an open three seat row at the time of check in. If so, our seats could likely be modified and we could have a row to ourselves, thereby making it possible to bring Ilah’s car seat aboard and she could remain in it {free of charge, without us having to buy an additional seat for her}. Instead of inquired about this at the gate, I inquired at the time of check-in, and sure enough, they kindly blocked out a row for us - and Ilah remained safely in her car seat while flying. However, in the event that this option would not have went in our favor, I was prepared in advance to check Ilah’s car seat and stroller at the same time we would have to check our baggage {we previously purchased bubble wrap to secure Ilah’s car seat, and also intended to place it in a large garbage bag to hopefully prevent damage to it – same for her snap n’ go stroller …which was easier to travel with than her larger one; we purchased it for just $55 and will get lots of future use out of it}. So my advice for everyone traveling with an infant is not to immediately think that doing curbside check-in is the best route to go…consider keeping the car seat with you until you find out whether there is a free seat on the plane that your baby can occupy. On another note, checking the stroller at the gate was a breeze {I placed a fragile sticker on it and an airline tag with our information on it} and it was ready and waiting for us when we de-boarded. In the event that we would have had to check the car seat and stroller in advance, we brought along an infant carrier that my husband would have carried Ilah in.
- Check with your airline in advance about baggage allowance and restrictions for infant travel. DELTA allowed us to check a car seat and a stroller free of charge but that was it. DELTA charges $25 for your first checked bag, and the cost goes up from there, so my carryon was Ilah’s suitcase and I condensed her diaper bag and my purse into one large backpack {giving myself just one more thing to lug instead of two} – I put her things, and my things, in separate compartments – everything was organized and handy when I needed it. Aside from the “necessities” I also managed to fit in an entire outfit should my luggage not arrive {it’s happened to me a few times so I’ve learned to at least have a change of clothes on me!}. Additionally, bring on board items for the baby like nasal drops/nasal aspirator, gas drops, etc. – you never know how the altitude will affect your little one.
Pack a small bag with just a few diapers, some wipes, a few perfumed nappy sacks and a few other items that you think you might need {pacifier, an extra bib, gas drops, a few small toys, etc.} and place it in the seat pocket in front of you for easy access. You can also place in that bag a few rolled up large zip lock bags for wet bibs/clothes.
The toys hanging from Ilah's carseat kept her fascinated for a bit when she was awake....
- Being that Ilah takes formula, I had three empty bottles and three 8.5 ounce cans of ready-to-feed formula in my backpack {even though she technically would only need one feeding}. I placed the rest of the bottles and formula {that would be needed for our trip abroad} in her suitcase {that I carried on}. We gave Ilah a bottle during take-off, and gave her a pacifier during landing, to help alleviate the pressure in her ears that we all get when flying.
Mostly, Ilah slept on the plane - both going, and coming back home....
- Expect that your bags will be inspected if you are bringing aboard formula {whether it’s ready-to-feed or powder}. I packed everything in large see-through zip lock bags so that the security personnel didn't have to rummage through everything and contaminate pacifiers, nipples, toys, lotions, etc. when searching the contents within the bag.
- Change the baby's diaper right before you get on the plane, so hopefully you won't have to do it on board. In our case, our plane didn’t have a changing table on board {I asked the flight attendant when we boarded}; thankfully we were only in the air for 1 hour and 45 minutes. But in the event that a change was needed, I had perfumed bag(s) to dispose the diaper in and a change of clothes should a blowout occur!
- Speaking of clothes…I dressed Ilah in a 2 piece pant outfit to make diaper changes easy. It’s so much faster to pull down/up pants than to unsnap/re-snap a ton of buttons. Her change of clothes {if needed} was also a 2 piece pant outfit, and I also threw in an additional onsie outfit in case she went through both off them! It happens!
- If you are traveling to a destination where passports are required, consider also having with you other relevant/important travel documents such as baby’s birth certificate, immunization or medical records, and insurance card “just in case”.
- In some cases, it may be more convenient to wait until you arrive at your destination before buying a playpen, bouncy seat, etc. It’s one less thing to have to carry/travel with/keep track of. In our case, my Uncle and Aunt purchased these things for Ilah in advance and had them ready and waiting in their home when we arrived!
- Jot down a packing list in advance. That way you have time to make adjustments. Last minute packing tends to lead to forgotten necessities.
I hope this info helps!!
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