After five countries and ten flights in my baby’s first year, I have everything set so that your experience traveling with your baby is not as chaotic as you imagine.
Living abroad, I already knew that we would have to travel a lot with our baby. We live in Africa, I am Peruvian and my boyfriend is English, so jumping from continent to continent is a common thing for us and our crazy life. Next I will tell you everything you need to know if you are about to board the first flight with your baby.
- You can reserve a cot on the plane completely free of charge (for international flights). You just have to enter the page of your airline, go to the special requests area and request a crib. If you want to know the step by step for this process, you can click here: How to reserve a cot for my baby on the plane for FREE
- Your baby has the right to take his stroller and diaper bag at no additional cost. Some low-cost airlines have restrictions for this, but in most cases your baby can take his or her stroller and diaper bag on the plane with no problem.
- You can carry baby milk, formula and medicines in your hand luggage. The 100ml law does not apply to baby items. Don’t worry about the airline taking away your baby’s milk or food. You can take the amount you want as long as it is for your baby to consume during the flight. They may make you taste the food or pass it through a special scan but they will still allow you to take it on the plane.
- Your baby does not pay a ticket until 2 years old. In some cases you will have to pay only 10% or taxes but not a complete ticket. Take advantage of traveling as much as you can!
- They don’t give your baby a special seat. The baby travels in the lap of the mother or father and uses a special seatbelt for takeoff or landing, it can be removed during the flight when the seatbelt signal is off.
- Offer a pacifier, bottle or something to suck on at takeoff and landing so your baby’s ears don’t hurt. If we adults get clogged ears, imagine how uncomfortable it can be for your baby if this happens.
- Bring snacks, water, milk, toys, diapers and extra clothes. You don’t want to be missing diapers mid-flight! It happened to me and believe me it’s terrible haha. If you want a slightly more detailed guide on what to pack to travel by plane with your baby, you can download my free baby checklist
- Find out about documents, permits, visas and special vaccinations that your baby and your family must have before traveling. Try to have everything in order to avoid paperwork, queues and last minute hassles with your baby at the airport.
- Be sure to reserve specific seats in advance to avoid last minute surprises on the plane.
- Change your baby’s diaper before boarding the plane to avoid changing your baby during the flight as much as possible. Baby changing tables can be awkward and small.
I hope these tips are useful and you can enjoy a pleasant trip with your baby. Remember to pack a few extra kilos of patience and great enthusiasm because these experiences and memories will remain forever in your heart.