Advice for flying with 8 month old?

Question

My husband's family is having a reunion in Florida this summer. Our son will be 8 months old at the time. We live in Idaho so we'll be flying, our closest airport only flies local so I know there will be a minimum of one layover. I would also like to bring the stroller and car seat. Does anyone have any advice for travelling with an 8 month old? We're also staying at a beach house so I'm not sure where to have our son sleep as we don't own a pack n' play. There's a slight chance we could borrow one of his siblings' pack n plays who is driving if any of them still have one leftover from their children but we haven't even asked yet. All advice welcome!

Answer

We flew with our daughter from CA to SD when she was 7 months. The best piece of advice I could give is, bite the bullet and buy the extra seat for baby. It makes everything SO much smoother. My daughter knocked out for most of the plane ride because she was comfy in her car seat. We used our stroller through the airport and checked it at the gate, free of charge. So when boarding the airplane unclip the car seat from stroller, fold and go. &The stroller was waiting for us when we got off. But the extra seat made all the difference for her to have her own space for such a long flight, and if I had to get up to go to the bathroom it didn’t disturb her napping.

Answer

Stroller to the gate, fold it up and drop it wherever they tell you ( JetBlue is usually right by the door to the plane at the end of the jetway). 
Change diaper right before you board so you minimize your in flight changes because the changing stations in the restrooms are tiny.
Buy a seat for the baby! It's so much easier when they have their own spot. It also means you get an extra carryon and potentially an extra checked bag depending how you purchase your tickets. We also get extra space seats and it makes nursing him way easier. 
Bring a bottle for take off and landing because it helps equalize their ears. Bring some small toys that don't make annoying noises. 
People debate about the best time of day to fly- we haven't seen any massively different behavior, so fly at night if you want them to possibly sleep, or during the day if you want them up. My guy took a nap at basically his regular time when we last flew during the day. 
He usually starts in his own bed and then ends up with us when he wakes to nurse at night. When we travel, we just keep him in bed with us the whole night. If yours sleeps in his own bed, it's not a bad idea to use a pack n play to keep that habit. You could even put one in a checked bag if want. We basically always travel with 2 huge duffel bags, and a pack n play would easily fit. 
Also, nobody asked me for any info or ID for the baby at all, but we brought his passport with us anyway. The minimum I've heard is a birth certificate. Good luck!

Answer

I would recommend getting a pack n play regardless. We use ours all the time, and they’re useful for a long time (not just when they’re infants). What I have found easiest is checking the car seat (it’s free) that way you’re only dealing with the stroller through security and at the gate. I wear baby through security that way I have 2 hands to do everything and they let you keep the carrier on. Most recently, I flew w mine at 7 months and he’s starting to get so busy. Bring toys, snacks, tablet, whatever baby likes for entertainment. Be patient, positive, and don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s easy to get stressed, but it’s not worth it.

Advice for flying with 8 month old?

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