9 Tips for Successful Air Travel with Infants

By the time my son turned seven months, we traveled traveled together on eight different domestic flights to visit family and friends. Of all the flights, my husband was there to help me during four of them; the other four, it was just my son and I. Some were good, some were bad, and one was down right ugly (more about that at the end of this post).

After all these experiences I certainly don’t know everything, but I have learned a lot, and the one thing I know for sure is that air travel with infants is one of life’s true adventures. Air travel with an infant can be very manageable, and if you prepare ahead of time, there is great potential for a pleasant travel adventure. There are a few things we can all do to try and make air travel with infants more smooth and enjoyable.

1. Notify the airline

If you are traveling with an infant in arms, notify the airline when booking the ticket so they can account for the baby on the flight. If this isn’t documented ahead of time, the airline will need to change your boarding pass at the gate. Not a big deal really, but you can save yourself a step on the day of travel by doing this ahead of time. If you are not traveling with an infant in arms, and your baby will have his own seat, skip this step.

2. Rest the baby

Ensuring quality sleep overnight and during naps in the days leading up to a trip will make a world of difference. The baby will likely miss out on sleep during the actual travel day. No need to set ourselves up for failure here by starting out with a sleep debt. A well rested baby is more tolerant of new and unfamiliar situations.

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