Once you decide on traveling via airplane for the first time with your baby, you quickly realize how many questions you have. You have a lot to consider in terms of packing entertainment, snacks and planning for the unexpected.

There are a lot of variables when it comes to flight travel. The age of your child (or children) will matter, as well as the climate, time of day, seat choice, luggage and so much more.

Flights open up the entire world of options, so it’s a risk (if you can call it that) worth perusing. Let’s take a look at flying with a baby.

Why take a trip with a flight when you have a baby?

We have quite a few reasons for opting to fly with your baby, for the vacation you’ve been waiting for as a family.

  • You can go farther than you would with a road trip! Flying has gotten us to other countries on other continents with our child.
  • You can do things like escape a cold winter by flying south for warm climates, if you choose to fly.
  • You can travel internationally and explore other cultures with your baby.
  • You can travel to places you really have been wanting to go to as a new family, without the constraints of the road trip radius from home.
  • For some families, it’s more of a question of “when,” not “if,” when it comes to taking the first flight with an infant!

What to consider about a flying trip (quick things to know)

Some families think flying is a breeze, and some families go over all the analytics of how to prepare and how to do it. I suggest something in the middle. Here’s what to consider about flying with a baby, before you leave home.

  • You’ll have to pare down your luggage to the airline allowance limits. Or, prepare for overweight baggage fees!
  • Learn how to change a diaper in a tiny airplane bathroom!
  • You’ll have to decide between booking a lap infant (free under 2 years old) or booking a seat for your baby.
  • Time of day to fly: Flights can be booked for nap times, or night time, to encourage sleeping on them.
  • You’ll have to plan feeding (transporting breastmilk or formula through TSA security for example), snacks, activities and ways to stay amused (and sane).
  • You might want to consider travel insurance for this flight.

Complications when flying with a baby

Half the time, flights go great: they leave on time, they arrive early and there’s not much turbulence. The other half of the time, your flight may be delayed, the plane may be old, the bathroom may be out of service or there may be rowdy passengers you can’t escape.

Think about the possible challenges that air travel with a baby presents:

  • Delays: No one wants to be delayed when flying with a baby. Unfortunately, it is possible. You can get delayed at the airport, either when departing for your destination, or return home. You can also get delayed on the runway, before taking off. Our best suggestion is to be prepared for all these scenarios when flying with babies.
  • Jet lag: When you fly and land in a new time zone with your baby, there may be the challenge of how to deal with jet lag. Most families quote that jet lag can be combatted within a few days, as long as you commit to un-jet-lagging your baby. Then, when you return home, do it all again!
  • Lost baggage: This won’t happen during a road trip! But with flying, when you check a bag, there is a small chance that piece of luggage may be lost and not make it to your final destination. This is why we suggest putting some non-negotiable essentials in a carry-on bag!

Benefits of flying with a baby

For us, flying with a baby under 24 months has gone well (most of the time). We’ve dealt with respectful airline staff, haven’t dealt with excessive delays and didn’t experience any messy diaper blowouts that required us to change our clothes. In our minds, the benefits of flying with a baby are (and we hope you agree):

  • Looking forward to an amazing family vacation all together.
  • Being able to go FAR!
  • Getting priority boarding because we have a small child with us!
  • Experiencing people being very nice in the bathroom line if we had to change a diaper and go before everyone else.