10 Must-Know Tips for Flying With An Infant Or Toddler

When you plan to enjoy your vacation overseas, it’s natural to worry about your newly born child or toddler. But don’t take this load because we’ve compiled some useful tips and tricks here that will make your journey easier than ever.

So, if you clicked the title to get some tips for flying with an infant or toddler, here’s a summed-up answer for you.

Make sure you have plenty of time on your hands and as well as pick the right time of flight. After that, you need to decide on your boarding time and pick the right type of seat. Furthermore, you need to pick the essential items that will help you while flying with your infant.

TravellingApples can help you with a lot of situations like this and make travelling a breeze. So, don’t forget to have a trip to the site if you find anything difficult related to travelling.

To get to know more about the topic, read this article and believe that it’s going to be helpful!

What are Some Tips for Flying with an Infant or Toddler?

No matter how calm you want to be while flying with your baby, you will find things to worry about before your flight. And if you plan in a haphazard way, then things might get out of control. For this reason, you need to think about every step.

Let’s go through the following tips to make your flight safer and more enjoyable.

1. Arrive Early at the Airport

You may hear some new parents making arguments against coming too early to the airport as you might need to entertain your baby for a longer period of time.

But there are facts that prove arriving early at the airport is the best decision you can make while flying with a baby.

First of all, airport stress is determined by your departure time. So, the less time you give yourself to complete all the formalities, particularly while carrying a toddler, the more stress you would be putting on yourself.

Secondly, you will need more time while flying with a baby than travelling alone. If you reach the airport 90 minutes or two hours before your departure time then you will not have to fear missing your flight as well as not worry about slow check-in lines.

Even better, it allows parents to rest, order lunch, feed the baby and do other things in a calm manner.

2. Choose Evening Flights

Evening Flights

I think parents would agree that trips get easier if the toddler sleeps during the journey.

Although every child has their own sleeping schedule, it is safe to say that they sleep more during the night. And it is better to pick a flight where the baby might spend the majority of the time sleeping. That’s why booking an evening flight may become a lifesaver for many parents.

But it is important to make sure that the baby is comfortable enough to get sleep.

If for some reason the baby skips sleeping at night then the night flight may become a nightmare. Because the lack of sleep might result in grumpiness, which can also lead to sobbing and tantrums.

3. You are Not Bound to Board at Family Boarding Time

In normal circumstances, airlines give first-class passengers priority borders to board the plane. After them, they normally give families the opportunity to board before everyone else.

This opportunity might be great for you guys as it provides you access to the overhead compartments as well as you will have plenty of time to settle in your seats.

But, if your toddler is overactive, then having too much time inside the plane might have the opposite effect. This is because you might have to manage your baby for a long period of time.

So, depending on your baby you might pass the chance of family boarding time.

4. Pay for Additional Legroom

Seats in a plane are usually not too spicy which makes it difficult to hold on to your child. That’s why if you can manage to upgrade to a seat that offers more legroom, flying with a baby in your lap will become much more comfortable.

Furthermore, a seat with extra legroom can provide you with more ground for other things like bulky diaper bags.

Though airline regulations allow toddlers to stay on your lap till they are two years old, we recommend getting a seat for your child if they are above 18 months old, particularly if the flight is longer. This allows them to stay in their own seat, enjoy their toys, and if you’re lucky, snooze.

5. Make Sure The Baby is Wearing Comfortable Clothes

Make sure your children are dressed comfortably before you board the plane. Irrespective of flight time it is very important that the baby is comfortable. If your toddlers are comfortable in their clothing then they are more likely to keep calm.

I’d also suggest wearing or packing layers. Temperatures on the plane can fluctuate. Make sure your children are prepared to withstand a wide range of temperatures comfortably. It can have a HUGE impact on your flight!

6. Keep Toys to Keep The Baby Occupied.

Is there any item that kids love more than a toy? So if you’re flying with a lively toddler, you’ll need plenty of toys in your carry-on bag to keep them occupied. Of course, you’ll need the necessities to keep a toddler hydrated, clean, and healthy as well!

Make sure to pick toys that are multi-use and don’t require a battery. Toys with several functions can help you save space and weight in your travels. Also, make sure the toy is quiet, otherwise, you may have to deal with some grumpy neighbours.

7. Pack an Extra Pair of Clothes in Your Carry Bag

Pack an Extra Pair of Clothes in Your Carry Bag

You can not be over-prepared while travelling. You never know when your child may ruin their clothes. If your child feels sick during the journey, it can also ruin your clothes.

For these reasons, it is important to pack extra clothes for your child and for yourself as well. Then you’ll not need to worry about any unforeseen events while flying with your child.

8. Avoid Giving These Foods to Your Toddler

Avoid candies, lollipops, and chocolate, as a hyper child on a plane, is no fun! This is because a sudden sugar rush can make your toddler more proactive. The only exception is for older children who might feel the ear pressure bothersome.

Some airlines may declare that foods that contain nuts are not permitted because passengers may have nut allergies. So don’t carry them just in case.

On the other hand, the types of food that might clog like grapes, jelly cubes, or other things are obvious no!

9. Feed The Infant Before and After Flight and Landing

Toddlers often cannot cope with the plane pressure during takeoff and landing. For overcoming this obstacle there is a true and tried method.

To avoid this situation you need to nurse the baby or give them a milk bottle or water so that their ears may endure the plane pressure.

And if you find the pressure getting too much on your own ears, offer the baby something, even if it’s just a pacifier.

10. You are Not Bound to Board at Family Boarding Time

In normal circumstances, airlines give first-class passengers priority borders to board the plane. After them, they normally give families the opportunity to board before everyone else.

This opportunity might be great for you guys as it provides you access to the overhead compartments as well as you will have plenty of time to settle in your seats.

But, if your toddler is overactive, then having too much time inside the plane might have the opposite effect. This is because you might have to manage your baby for a long period of time.

So, depending on your baby you might pass the chance of family boarding time.

Conclusion

Taking long flights is always bothersome as there are many formalities that you need to take. And taking your infant with you can become stressful and you may make things worse by worrying too much about it. But the reality is that by planning the trip carefully you may make your flight more comfortable. And you will know a lot of useful information by reading this article, “Tips for flying with an infant or toddler”.

But at the end of the day, you need to understand the needs of your baby. Because every baby is different and they react differently to different situations. Although as long as you plan ahead you will be fine.

Chris Appleford is a Nomadic Traveler. He goes to different parts of the country and tries to share his experiences with others. Also, he assists people in selecting hotels to stay in, things to do in selected areas, and expressing arts and culture.

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