Tips for Flying With a Baby: From Booking to Baggage Claim

Even as an experienced travel blogger whose taken hundreds of flights, I was very nervous leading up to our daughter’s first flight. I quickly learned that flying with a baby is a whole new ball game!

Between the ages of five and 14 months, our daughter spent over 30 hours on planes. Baby C has flown across the country and across the world, and as both a lap infant and in a seat of her own.

I did a ton of research before our first flight, took notes and made changes to help make every flight with our baby better than the last. And while you can’t control everything when it comes to flying, I really do think it helps for parents to be prepared.

And so, with 30+ hours of flying under our belts as new parents, I’ve put together my best tips for flying with a baby. My comprehensive guide below has everything you need to know before you fly, at the airport, on board and once you arrive.

I’ll help you decide which flight to book, whether to buy your baby a seat, what to pack, when to board, how to handle diaper changes and meltdowns on the flight, and I’ll ensure you get off board and through baggage claim in one piece!

I know flying with a baby can be really intimidating but I promise, you can do this. My tips below will make your life easier and help you travel more often and more enjoyably with your family.

Let’s get ready for takeoff!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Before you fly: Buying your airline tickets

Prioritize direct flights or manageable connections

Unless you really love airline food and potentially lost luggage, I think we’d all prefer to book a direct flight over a connecting one. But sometimes, we book the connecting flight to save a little money.

If you’re travelling with your baby, I encourage you to splurge on the direct flight. I promise it will be worth it (as long as you’re not paying astronomically more).

In my opinion, the hardest part of travelling with a baby is schlepping everything through an airport, going through security, waiting, boarding, deplaning, etc. The actual flight, while not a picnic, is manageable.

I would much rather book one, long, direct flight, knowing once I deplane I will be in my destination, rather than breaking up the journey and having to load and unload onto 2+ flights.

Not to mention, dealing with any potential delays or lost luggage from the connection(s)!

The only exception would be if you have an older baby – closer to toddler age – and you know they’ll need some time to run around. Even then, I’d probably still opt for the direct flight and just let them run up and down the aisles of the plane.

When a direct flight isn’t possible

If it’s impossible to book a direct flight because one doesn’t exist between your home airport and your final destination, you have a few options:

Option A) Book the shortest possible connection so you can arrive in your final destination as soon as possible.

Sometimes it’s worth it to just get all the travel out of the way so you can relax and unpack. But a long travel day and tight flight connections, especially with a baby, is risky. It would be awful to miss a flight or lose your bags if a flight gets delayed.

Option B) Book a longer connection so you can comfortably make your flights.

This way, you won’t have to stress (as much) about delays or lost baggage. But it will make your overall travel day(s) longer, which also is no fun.

Option C) Extend your connection and make it part of the trip.

If you have to stop in London anyway, why not spend a few days in London with your baby before flying off to your final destination?

This is a fun way to add onto your trip and take a break from flying, but can feel rushed or like you’re in limbo knowing you have more travel coming up.

I don’t think there’s one right answer. We chose Option C when we flew from Toronto to Paris, spending a few days in Paris before taking the train to our final destination of Orleans.

But in hindsight, we would’ve preferred to just push through and get to Orleans, where we were staying for six weeks. That way we could’ve fully unpacked, gotten our bearings, and then visited Paris properly on a day or weekend trip.

Don’t stress about what time of day your flight is

I can see some fellow parents disagreeing with me on this one but I stand by it: Especially if this is your first flight with your baby, don’t stress about what time of day your flight takes off.

A lot of parents will swear by taking red-eyes so their kids can sleep on the flight. Or you’ll have parents who tell you their kids can’t sleep on the plane, so they never take red-eyes.

So what do you do if you have a baby whose never flown before? You ignore the advice-givers and choose the flight that works best for your entire family.

You don’t know how your baby is going to do on the plane. At home they may nap for three hours or go to bed by 7:00pm, but that won’t perfectly translate to the airplane.

On our 10 hour flight from London to Vancouver, we put our daughter into her car seat at 7:00pm, her regular bedtime. I assumed she’d sleep for the remaining five hours of the flight, since this was when she would normally be asleep.

But nope! After an hour or so, she was wide awake. Just goes to show you can never predict how babies will sleep on a plane!

Or worse, your flight could get delayed or changed at the last minute. We’ve tried to line up flights with C’s naps and bedtimes, only to find ourselves standing at the gate hours past boarding time, trying to soothe an overtired infant.

So I would not recommend going out of your way to book a flight in the hopes that your baby sleeps through the whole thing. Instead book the flight that works for your entire family – whether that’s based on budget or something else – and count it as a win if your baby gets some sleep!

Once you’ve flown with your baby a few times, then you can be a bit more strategic on your flight times (if budget allows). But even then, I would never 100% count on your baby sleeping exactly when you think they will – or a plane taking off exactly when it’s supposed to!

Likewise, there’s also no need to stress about where on the plane you’re sitting. Obviously if you can afford to sit up front in the business or premium seats, do that!

I’ll get into bulkhead and bassinet seating below but otherwise, just choose the best seats you can afford.

Personally, I like to be as close to the front of the plane as possible so I can deplane sooner. But I don’t want to pay for that privilege, so I’ll take whatever free seat I’m assigned!

Consider buying your baby their own seat on the airplane

This tip for flying with a baby might just be my most controversial one. Everyone gets so excited about kids under two flying free but I’m here to tell you it’s not all it’s cracked up to be!

For starters, kids under two don’t actually fly free. You may still have to pay taxes, fees and sometimes a percentage of the fare. You also still have to pay for any checked bags or extras, like meals and seat selection.

In fact, on our Vueling flight from London to Malaga, the cost for a lap infant was actually more than the adult fare! I have no idea how this was possible.

And even if it is cheaper, there are a lot of downsides to holding your baby on your lap for the flight. Firstly, it’s not the safest place for a baby. In the event of an emergency, your baby is safest secured in a car seat.

Secondly, it’s not the most comfortable for you! If you don’t get the bassinet seat (more on that later), you have to hold your baby on your lap for the duration of the flight.

Maybe that’s no problem with a three-month old on a two-hour flight or if you’re stretching out in business class. But keeping a wriggly 22-month old on your lap for eight hours in economy? Hard pass!

Especially if you’re travelling as a solo parent, I’m not even sure how it’s possible to do a long flight with a toddler on your lap. Where do you put them during meal service?

It really comes down to: Are you prepared to hold your child on your lap for however many hours you’re going to be on the plane?

For us, we’ve decided to buy our daughter a seat on longer flights (anything 5+ hours). So when we flew from Vancouver to Toronto (5 hrs), Toronto to Paris (7.5 hrs), and London back to Vancouver (10 hrs), she had her own seat.

And on our three hour flight from London to Malaga, we kept her as a lap-infant and did not buy her a seat. On the way there, it worked out great, as we had an empty seat next to us and were in the bulkhead row, so she could play on the floor.

But on the way home, it was a full flight and felt extra squishy with a one year old on our laps! Luckily we had all three seats in our row (me, my husband and my dad), so could at least pass her back and forth.

If you’re buying your baby a seat, you need to bring an airplane-compatible car seat

For most airlines, if you buy a seat for an infant under two years old, you need to install a car seat for them. The rules on when they need to sit in that seat vary from airline to airline, but usually it’s at the parents’ discretion.

There are pros and cons to this. The safest place for your baby on a plane is secured in their car seat, so that’s an obvious pro. It can also be great to have a familiar space for your baby, especially if they enjoy sitting in their car seat.

And if you were planning to travel with your car seat anyway, now you don’t have to worry about it getting lost or damaged in the cargo hold since it’s in the cabin with you!

However, this does mean you need to lug your car seat through the airport and load it onto the plane. You also lose any extra room you may have wanted for your child to wiggle or lie down, since their car seat takes up the entire seat.

You also may have to buy or rent a car seat if the one you have at home is not airline compatible. Do your homework on this and, if you want to be extra prepared, you can watch a YouTube video to see how to strap your car seat onto a plane seat.

Another thing to note is that for most airlines, the car seat needs to be installed in the window seat. That means that a parent will have to sit in the dreaded middle seat!

Our daughter, C, isn’t the biggest fan of her car seat. But I did like having it as a safe place to put her during the flight. It also worked well for naps, as we could pull the cover on her car seat and block the bright plane lights.

As an infant, we used the Clek Liingo baseless car seat, which is super easy to install in both cars and planes. It’s light-weight, airline-compatible and also clipped into our stroller, so was easy to bring through the airport.

Now as a toddler, we’re using the Cosco Scenera car seat which is known as one of the lightest and most travel-friendly car seats.

Check restrictions before booking the bassinet seat

One family travel hack you’ll hear lots of parents mention is booking the bassinet seat on a plane. This is a bulkhead seat in the front row of a section where a baby bassinet is attached to the wall in front of you.

Sounds perfect, right? You can save yourself buying your child a seat by simply booking a bulkhead seat with a bassinet! If only it were that easy…

For starters, bulkhead seats and bassinets are limited. There’s no guarantee they’ll be available on your flight, as they’re often first-come first-served. You may also lose out on your reserved seat if your flight is cancelled or the plane is switched.

Airplane bassinets also have very strict weight, length and age limits that confusingly vary from airline to airline. These can be as strict as limiting bassinet use to babies under 20 lbs, 27 inches long, six months old, and who can’t sit upright.

So even if you could get a bassinet seat, your baby might be too long, too heavy, too old or too mobile to use it!

You must remove your baby from the bassinet during takeoff, landing, taxiing and whenever the seatbelt sign is turned on. Can you imagine getting your little one down to sleep only to have the seatbelt sign turn on? Then when you put them back down, the seatbelt sign turns on again ten minutes later? Nightmare!

Sitting in a bulkhead seat also means you can’t have anything at your feet during taxi, takeoff and landing. This can mean 30+ minutes before you’re able to get your baby their toys, snacks or something else to distract them from screaming.

The armrests also don’t move in bulkhead seats, which can get uncomfortable on longer flights, especially if you’re holding your baby.

All that said, there are a lot of pros to having a bassinet and the extra leg room that a bulkhead row usually provides. If you can snag one and you’re sure your baby will fit in it, a bassinet can be hugely helpful.

Even if you only get to place your baby in it for an hour or two, that’s still 1-2 hours where you didn’t have to hold your baby. I’ve also heard parents who like to use the bassinet to hold all their stuff while they hold their baby.

We decided to skip the airplane bassinet. Our daughter’s first flight was at five months old, and while we were reasonably confident she’d meet the bassinet restrictions, we didn’t want to risk it.

We were also travelling with our dog, who has to go under the seat in front of us, and therefore wouldn’t be allowed in a bulkhead row.

Before you fly: What to pack & what to bring to the airport

Bring a travel stroller

Assuming you’re bringing a stroller on your trip, I highly recommend having a travel stroller. And I even recommend getting one you can bring in-cabin onto the plane!

This is a bit of a controversial take, as many parents prefer to gate-check their stroller, but let me tell you why I love that our travel stroller is small enough to fit in the overhead bin of an airplane.

Our stroller – the Joolz Aer (which I’ve fully reviewed here) – is 14 lbs and has been folded into the overhead bin on every flight we’ve been on.

It’s not just an awesome travel stroller, but it’s our everyday stroller too. It’s the only stroller we have and we’ve used it since C was born in January 2025.

Most parents would agree that you should keep your stroller through the airport – i.e. don’t check it in when you’re checking in your bags. The stroller is so handy to hold your carry-on bags, for naps and to cart your tired baby from security to your gate.

But I’m going to go one step further and recommend a travel stroller that fits in the overhead bin so you can roll it right on board, rather than checking it at the gate.

Why? Not because you’ll use it during the flight. But so you can have immediate access to your stroller when you deplane and so you don’t have to worry about it getting lost or damaged in the hold.

Now, many travelling families will tell you that if you gate check your stroller, you do receive it at the plane door. But that’s not always the case!

I’ve heard of families having to walk all the way to baggage claim to get their stroller. Or having to wait for a long time at the plane door to get it.

I’ve also heard my fair share of horror stories of strollers and car seats that are put in the hold and arrive broken and completely unusable. Even if the airline reimburses you, I’d hate to be stuck without those essential baby gear items when we first arrive.

I’d rather be safe than sorry. I like having both our stroller and car seat on the plane with us so I know they’re in good condition. And especially with the stroller, I like having it as we deplane so we can get going right away.

Besides, a light-weight travel stroller that’s small enough to fit into the overhead compartment of the plane is usually the best type of stroller to have on vacation.

Our Joolz Aer was perfect for navigating European cities – robust enough for cobblestone but light and small enough to fold up whenever we needed to go up stairs or tuck it under a table.

Bring a baby carrier

If you baby-wear at home, I highly recommend bringing your baby carrier with you and having it accessible at the airport. And yes, that would be in addition to your travel stroller.

A carrier is very handy as you’re going through security. Assuming you kept your travel stroller with you (either to gate-check or bring onto the plane), you’ll need to send it through the security scanners by itself.

So you will need to remove your baby and all of your bags from your stroller at security. Meaning you’ll now need to hold your baby and all of their stuff without a place to put everything.

You’ll want to have as many hands free as possible, which is why a carrier is so key. By popping your baby into a carrier, you can easily sort out everything you need to get through security.

Some airports will even allow you to keep your baby in the carrier as you walk through the scanners. And if that’s not an option, it’s still handy to have baby in the carrier leading up to the scanner and popping them back into the carrier right after the scan.

I found a baby carrier to also be very useful on the plane. When we flew to Malaga and C didn’t have her own seat, we used the carrier to help her fall asleep. I wore her on my chest, pulled up the little shade blocker and sung lullabies until she passed out.

It’s also great to have if you want to take your baby on a walk up and down the aisles but need to keep your hands free. But note that some airlines do not allow carriers to be used during takeoff, landing or when the seatbelt sign is on.

And, of course, a baby carrier can be super handy at your final destination. If you’re travelling somewhere that isn’t stroller-friendly, having a carrier can be a life saver.

Many of the chateaux we visited in the Loire Valley didn’t allow strollers into the castles, so being able to wear C in a carrier was the best way for us to explore without breaking our arms!

Research what you can check and what you can carry on with a baby

I’ve seen so many videos and posts online where a parent will confidently tell you that you can bring X, Y and Z onto the plane for your baby.

But the truth is that every airline has slightly different rules about what you can pack for your baby, so please do your homework.

I had always heard that if you’re flying with a baby, you can check two pieces of baby gear free of charge. So we confidently strode up to the Air Canada gate with our travel crib, ready to check it in.

However, Air Canada only makes allowances for checking in strollers and car seats, not travel cribs, playpens or other baby gear. Lucky for us, on all of our Air Canada flights, they did still allow us to check in our travel crib free of charge. But technically, it’s not an included item.

You’ll also want to double check size restrictions on your baby gear and whether you need to check it in at the regular baggage counter, a special baggage counter, at the gate or if you can bring it on board.

And please do you research on what items are allowed in your carry-on baggage as well, because this will also differ from airline to airline.

For example, Air Canada allows you to bring a stroller, car seat and baby diaper bag on board, in addition to your carry-on allowance and regardless of whether your baby has their own seat or they’re a lap-infant.

They also allow “formula, breast milk, juice and baby food (in small containers).” They don’t specify, but in our experience, liquids for baby are exempt from the max 100 mL rule.

On our first flight with C, we were encouraged to bring a full water bottle through security by an agent who said, “Just tell them it’s for the baby!” We also travelled with a cooler bag of frozen breast milk and a breast pump.

If you’re concerned about what you need to bring through security in your carry-on, particularly if you have a medical device or large amounts of something, do your homework and come with receipts.

On our flight home from London, the Air Canada staff did not know their own rules about car seats. One flight attendant tried to tell us our daughter had to be in her car seat, without coming out, for the entire 10 hour flight!

I knew that sounded wrong and when I looked up the rules once we got home, I saw that it clearly stated that it was up to the parents whether to hold their child or use the car seat.

I wish I had been confident in that knowledge before our flight (and that Air Canada trained their staff better on this!).

Pack these essentials in your carry-on bags

Here’s what I recommend packing in your carry-on bag when flying with a baby:

1 – A very small diaper changing pouch: Airplane bathrooms are very small so you want to bring just the essentials. I’m talking 1-2 diapers, one pack of wipes and maybe a folding change mat. Have these in a small pouch that’s easily accessible.

2 – Extra diapers: You don’t need these in your diaper changing pouch, but I do recommend bringing more diapers than you need. You never know what’s going to happen on a flight, especially if you’re delayed or your luggage gets lost.

Bonus: If you’re worried about blowouts, use a swim diaper! We put a swim diaper over C’s regular diaper on her first flight just for extra protection.

3 – Extra outfits for everyone: Everyone flying needs an extra outfit, not just baby. We’ve all heard the horror story of baby making a mess all over mom or dad. Sure, you packed them an extra onesie, but what will you be wearing for the next five hours?

I recommend an extra outfit (top and bottom) for each adult and two extra outfits for each baby/child. Keep it simple, like a sleeper with a zipper, so you don’t have to deal with a bunch of little pieces.

4 – Toiletries & medication: These are great if you want to freshen up on the plane or during a connection. But they’re also important in case your checked luggage gets lost. I always want to have my essential toiletries and medication on hand.

5 – Baby sleep items: Whatever your baby uses for sleep – white noise machine, sleep sack, baby monitor, lovey, etc. – should be packed into your carry-on. You may be able to use some of these items on the plane to help replicate your baby’s at-home sleep environment.

But more importantly, you want to have these items when you land so your baby can sleep, even if your checked luggage doesn’t make it.

My friend, Andrea, had to run out to Walmart as soon as her flight landed to buy a brand new baby monitor because they had packed theirs in their checked luggage but the airline had lost it.

6 – Baby feeding essentials: Similar to your baby’s sleep items, what does your baby need to eat or nurse? If there’s anything you’ll need during the flight or in the first 24 hours once you land, pack it in your carry-on.

Of course, this list is going to vary based on if your baby is eating solids and/or how they’re drinking milk. You may need to pack a pump, bottles, formula, feeding cover, baby food, etc.

7 – Plane-friendly toys: Exactly what kind of toys you pack for your baby will depend a lot on how old they are, but in general, I’d prioritize toys that travel easily.

That means nothing too small or with a million pieces that can get lost and nothing loud that will annoy other passengers. I’d also skip anything large or heavy, since it’s best to travel light.

A lot of parents will recommend packing brand new toys to captivate your child’s attention. For babies (<1 year), this isn’t as important. I think you could throw in a few new things and a few tried and true favourite toys you know they like.

We really loved Indestructible Books, both for flights and for when we were abroad. These books are super light-weight, affordable and, true to their name, indestructible. Babies can eat them, pull at the pages, pour water on them, and they’re not falling apart.

We also used toy straps to connect toys to our armrests, the car seat or even our hands. That way, we didn’t lose anything under the plane seats!

8 – Snacks for everyone: Just like you would on a flight pre-baby, you want to make sure you have snacks. And not just snacks for baby, but snacks for the whole family.

Even if you plan to buy food at the airport or you’re being served a meal on board, I still recommend packing a few backup snacks. You never know when a flight will get delayed or meal service will be slow.

9 – Water bottle: Especially as I was breastfeeding, it was really important that I always had access to water. C also likes to drink out of my water bottle, so we’d usually share one refillable water bottle throughout the flight.

Since we had our baby, we were allowed to bring the full water bottle through security. But I would have been fine to empty it and fill it up on the other side.

Once on the flight, we simply asked the flight attendants to refill our bottle anytime they were doing drink service. It was much easier to have a water bottle we could close than a small open cup that’s begging to be spilled – especially if you’re holding a baby!

10 – Extra blankets and burp cloths: For the first year of C’s life, I don’t think we went anywhere without a burp cloth or blanket. And we certainly had a few packed anytime we got on a plane.

We used our blankets and burp clothes for all sorts of things. They worked as a nursing cover or blanket if we got cold, a clean surface to put C down on the airport floor, and to wipe up any spills or messes.

11 – Entertainment for yourselves: In case you get lucky and your baby does decide to sleep for part of the flight, you’ll want to bring something to keep yourself entertained. Keep it light and easy: a book, headphones, iPad, sleep mask so you can take a nap, etc.

12 – Paperwork and electronics: This is a no-brainer, but please make sure all of your electronics and important paperwork are in your carry-on bag. You don’t want these things getting lost or damaged in your checked bag.

For important paperwork, such as your baby’s passport and birth certificate, you should also have a digital copy available on your phone.

13 – A wet-dry bag: I love having a wet-dry bag when we travel with C because you never know when you’ll need to pack up some wet/soiled clothing.

If your baby has an accident, you can only do so much in an airplane bathroom. You can’t exactly run a load of laundry. But you can pop their dirty outfit into your wet-dry bag where it’ll stay sealed off until you land and have time to clean it properly.

PS: In a pinch, dog poop bags will also work! We usually throw a roll of bags into our carry-on bag. They’re also good for bagging up dirty diapers if you can’t get to a garbage.

For everything else you’ll need, including what to pack in your checked bags, check out my essential baby travel packing list!

What to wear for the flight

For you: Skip the fancy outfit and focus on comfort

Gone are the days when wearing a blazer to the gate would get you an upgrade. Comfort is the name of the game, especially if you’re flying with a baby.

Choose an outfit that you’ll easily be able to wrangle your baby in. Picture standing in long lines, racing to catch your flight, sitting on the airport floor or walking up and down the aisles of the plane. What would you feel best wearing for all of that?

Dress in layers so you’re ready for a change in temperature, especially if you’re flying from one climate type to another. Even if you usually get cold on planes, don’t underestimate how hot it can be if you’re wearing your baby for hours!

I like an outfit with pockets so I can easily tuck away my phone, passport or whatever else I’m carrying. I also wear a small cross-body purse for this same purpose.

And avoid anything that will be too complicated to remove at security. So skip the belt, elaborate jacket or shoes that require two hands and sitting down on the bench to put on. You’ll want your hands free to get yourself and your baby through security fast!

For baby: Keep your baby’s outfit simple and light

Just like dressing yourself, your baby doesn’t need to win any fashion awards on board. Keep things simple and don’t forget layers for changing temperatures.

We decided to dress C in a sleeper for her first few flights, as we thought it was the easiest outfit (one piece, one zipper) and might encourage her to sleep, since she wore sleepers to bed.

I stand by dressing your baby in a simple one-piece outfit, however, I don’t think we factored in temperature when we chose a long sleeve, footed sleeper.

When it felt like she was getting too hot, we unzipped her sleeper, but since it was all one piece, we couldn’t take off a layer. For future flights, we did a onesie with pants that we could remove if she got too hot.

We kept the sleeper as one of her backup outfits, so could always change her into that if we wanted to. And we had our muslin blankets available if she got cold.

For her first few flights, we also had C in a bib with her pacifier attached to it by a pacifier clip, as she was quite drooly and devoted to her pacifier at the time.

At the airport

Arrive early

Even if you’re one of those people that likes to show up to the airport as boarding begins, you don’t want to be that person when you’re flying with a baby.

You’re going to want as much time as possible to check in, check your bags, get through security and do any last minute tasks. Factor in extra time if you need to go through customs or if you’re wanting to feed your baby before the flight.

In our experience, because we had baby gear we needed to check in, we weren’t able to complete check in online for every flight. We often had to wait in long lines to check in and check our baggage. So having the extra time was crucial.

Some airports have family lines for security and customs but not every airport does. So don’t count on being able to whip through security. You may also have to do additional screening, especially if you’re flying with milk or a medical device.

Worse case scenario? You arrive at your gate early and your baby has time to wiggle around on the floor, people watch or chew on a Mum Mum cracker. Not the end of the world!

That’s way better than sweating through the airport as you race to your gate while trying to hold onto your stroller, car seat, diaper bag, bottles and baby!

Prepare your bags before you arrive

If you’re travelling with a lot of gear – as many parents and babies do – spend some time condensing and organizing your bags before you get to the airport. Or at least, do it before you approach the baggage counter.

If possible, weigh your bags so you know they’re under the limit. If you don’t have a luggage scale at home, see if you can find an empty one to use at the airport. We’ll often go up to a check-in counter that’s closed and just use their scale.

If your bags need to be rearranged, do that to the side before you go check in. Don’t be that family that gets to the counter and starts rummaging through bags, unpacking everything onto the airport floor, while an angry line of people wait behind you.

Know which bags and items are getting checked and which ones you’re carrying on. That also includes knowing what items are being gate checked. You’d hate to check your stroller in at the baggage counter, only to realize you could’ve checked it in at the gate!

If you have a lot of stuff, consider using one of the airport trolleys for your bags. Or if you have a friend/family member dropping you off, see if they can come into the airport with you to help you get checked in.

Look out for family priority lanes

As I mentioned above, some airports have family lanes for everything from check-in and security to boarding and baggage. Look out for these signs! They can really help you speed through an airport.

Not only will family lanes help you get past crowds, but they (hopefully) mean you’re interacting with agents who are familiar with the rules for families. There may even be extra space or services, like strollers available for use in the airport.

Even if your airport doesn’t have dedicated family lanes, we’ve had airline staff bring us to the front of a line because we were a family. So keep your fingers crossed, even if you don’t see a sign.

When you arrive at your gate, ask the gate agents about family boarding if you don’t see a sign. Not all airlines do this, but many allow families with children under a certain age to board early.

Ask when family boarding is called so you know when you can board the plane. I’ll talk more about boarding below!

Have a plan for getting through security

Even without a baby, security can be hectic. But if you’re flying with a baby, you really want to make sure you’re as organized as possible so security can go smoothly.

As I mentioned above, I recommend wearing your baby in a carrier through security. That way, your hands are free! Many airports will also let you walk through the scanner with your baby still in the carrier.

Unload your stroller. Your stroller will need to be empty before you push it through the security scanner. Do this ahead of time so you’re not pulling a bunch of loose things out of the stroller basket. Have all of that stuff tucked into a bag.

Speaking of strollers, I’d recommend sending your stroller through the scanner first or with the first adult of your group. That way, you can start loading all of your bags (or your baby) back into your stroller on the other side of security.

Limit the number of things you’ll need to remove from your person. If you already know you can’t have a belt, loose coins, phone or coat on when you walk through the scanner, put all of those things in one of your carry-on bags before you approach security.

Organize all of the things you’ll need to take out of your carry-on. Many airports will ask you to take your electronics and liquids out so they can scan them separately. They will also need to scan any extras you’re bringing for baby, such as breast milk.

Know where these items are in your bags and make sure they’re accessible. As soon as it’s your turn to put your bags through the scanner, you’ll be able to quickly pull out your laptop, baby food and toothpaste without having to unpack your whole bag.

You should also point out your baby products to agents. They should know that babies are allowed to bring liquids over 100 mL, but it doesn’t hurt to point out the specific containers. You can also request that agents put on fresh gloves and that you’re present for any screenings.

Most importantly, divide and conquer getting through security with any other adults travelling with you. When my husband and I travel, we like to have one adult responsible for the bags and the other responsible for the baby and dog.

We did three big flights with our baby and dog where I was responsible for them while my husband handled all of the bags. Of course, we helped each other out where we could, but it was good to have a plan going in.

And as always, pay attention to the agents and signs through the security process. I swear half the delays at security are because people aren’t paying attention!

The agents will direct you where you need to go and signs in the area should answer any of your questions about liquids, electronics, etc.

Let your baby get their wiggles out before you board

Once you make it through security and arrive at your gate, give your baby a little room to roam. That might look like a blanket on the floor for younger babies or toddling along the seats for new walkers.

Your baby is about to be strapped into a car seat or stuck on your lap for the next however many hours you’ll be on the plane. This is the time to let them wiggle – and also to give your arms a break!

We’re one of those families that lets our kid crawl around on the airport floor. We even let her do it barefoot! Remember that you can always put down a blanket or wipe your kid’s hands and feet afterwards.

Many airports will have play spaces for children. These are usually for older kids, but sometimes there’s a soft play area for babies. If not, it can still be fun for them to sit by the equipment and watch older kids play.

Time your final diaper change before boarding

Everyone is happier if baby comes on board with a fresh diaper – that includes you, your baby and your fellow passengers. So plan out your time at the airport so you can do one final diaper change before you board.

Of course, it’s not always possible. If you get stuck in long lines, your connecting flight is delayed (or you ignored my advice about arriving early), you may not have time for a pre-flight diaper change.

Don’t worry. There will be changing facilities on board. But you may not be able to access them until after takeoff when the seatbelt sign turns off, so it’s best to do a diaper change before you board if you have time.

This advice also holds for anything else you want to do before you board: changing baby into a different outfit, one last bottle, stroller nap, etc.

And don’t forget to factor in time for anything else you may need to do, like visit the bathroom or buy a snack.

Board during family priority boarding

This is another one of my controversial tips for flying with a baby but I stand by it. Everyone tells you not to board until the last possible minute, but here’s why they’re wrong.

By boarding early, you get guaranteed access to the overhead compartment. You don’t want to be that person who boards last and is sitting in 12A but their bag is all the way down at 37D. Or worse, they have to gate-check their carry-on!

You want easy access to all of those carry-on essentials we discussed above, especially feeding, changing and sleep supplies. So board early and claim that space!

You also want extra time to set up your seats. If you bought your baby a seat, that means you need to install a car seat. This is much easier to do when you’re one of the first people on the plane and have lots of time and space.

Even if you didn’t buy your baby a seat, it’s nice to have that extra time and space to set up anything you’ll want at your seat during the flight, like snacks and toys.

I have heard the advice that you should send one parent with all of the stuff and leave the other parent and baby to board last. I think this is a good idea, in theory, but doesn’t always work in practice.

We boarded our first flight with a baby with our diaper bag, carry-on bag, dog in carrier, car seat and stroller. It would’ve been impossible for my husband to carry all of that while I stayed back with our daughter!

By boarding early, we were also able to get our baby used to a new environment. She had time to take it all in, rather than being quickly strapped into her seat before the plane takes off.

And she wasn’t bored at all! She loved looking around and waving at everyone walking down the aisle. It was actually more entertaining for her than sitting at the gate.

Lastly, boarding early gave us peace of mind. We could set ourselves, our stuff, our baby (and sometimes our dog) up for the flight without worrying about getting in anyone’s way or wasting anyone’s time.

We could also talk to the flight attendants and ask questions, such as where the bathroom with a changing table was located, and listen to their instructions about safely flying with an infant.

I think the advice to board last so your kid can get as much non-plane time as possible is best for older children. For babies, especially ones that aren’t mobile, it’s not as important.

On the plane

Don’t panic about takeoff and landing

Before our first flight with Baby C, I remember being extremely worried about how she was going to handle takeoff and landing. Then she slept through takeoff and I had nothing to worry about!

You might not get that lucky but truly I don’t think it helps to panic about takeoff and landing ahead of time. I get that it’s stressful – your baby doesn’t know what’s happening and the air pressure is changing – but not all babies react poorly to this.

Many babies don’t register takeoff and landing happening. Some even sleep right through it! And if your baby is sleeping through, please don’t wake them up to try and help them – they’ve got it.

Most parents worry about the change in air pressure and their baby’s ears hurting. The easiest thing to do to relieve pressure in your baby’s ears is to encourage them to suck. You can do this with a pacifier, bottle or boob – though note that some airlines won’t let you hold them to nurse during takeoff and landing.

If your baby does start to cry during takeoff or landing, see my next tip!

Don’t panic when your baby cries

Deep breath! Every parent I know is terrified of their baby crying on the plane but I want to encourage you to relax. You will get through this.

First, accept the fact that your baby will cry. Rather than fear the possibility, accept the inevitability. Babies cry. They do it at home and they’ll do it on a plane.

Second, try to stay calm. I know that’s easier said than done, but just like at home, your baby is watching you. If you’re stressed and panicked, that’s even more reason for them to keep crying.

Third, remember that your baby has every right to exist in this world and take public transportation. 99% of the people on your flight know this. Most will ignore the crying or they may even offer a kind word or helping hand.

And no, you don’t need to make little goodie bags for your fellow passengers or apologize for your baby being a *checks notes* baby. Everyone knows you and your baby are doing your best!

As for what to actually do when your baby cries? Use the same soothing techniques you would use at home, but modified for the airplane. If the seatbelt sign is on, you may not be able to walk them around but you can bounce them in your seat.

Also, don’t be afraid to pull out the big guns. As every parent knows, the rules don’t apply on flights!

If your baby is crying and upset, it’s completely reasonable to do things you wouldn’t usually do at home like feed them to sleep, give them a pacifier or offer some screen time.

A note on screen time: Many parents will say that screens save them on planes, but keep in mind that this is primarily for older children. Babies, especially young ones, likely won’t be entertained by screens for very long.

So a phone, tablet or the TV on the back of the seat might buy you a few minutes, but don’t expect your nine month old to sit perfectly quietly for the entire length of a Disney movie.

We got very lucky on our first flight with C; she only cried for about 15 minutes during landing. And even on our longer international flights, she really only cried a little bit when she was going down to sleep as it was a new environment.

But on a more recent seaplane flight, she cried for the entire 35 minute journey. It was turbulent and she was not happy about it. I was also feeling pretty sick from the turbulence, so it wasn’t a great flight for any of us.

But you know what? We survived it! And so will you. Your flight is only one small part of your trip. You and your baby will make it through.

Prepare for a blowout

I don’t know what it is about planes, but something about the movement or air pressure leads many babies to have a blowout. And there’s nothing worse than a blowout when you’re trapped in a steel can in the sky!

You might not be able to avoid a mid-flight blowout but you can prepare for one. As I mentioned above, you can put a swim diaper or cloth diaper on top of your baby’s regular diaper for added protection.

We did this on C’s first few flights and after the first blowout, I’m so glad we did. It’s a bit bulky but it works!

While you’re boarding early, ask a flight attendant which bathrooms have change tables, as not all plane bathrooms have them. That way when a blowout strikes, you know where you’re going!

Have your diaper changing supplies readily accessible. We like to keep ours in a wet-dry bag with the changing items in one pocket and an empty pocket ready for any soiled items.

Since airplane bathrooms are tiny, I recommend just doing the bare essentials in there. Change your baby and rinse any clothing that may have been ruined.

Then head back to your seat to put them into a new outfit. That way, you only have to bring your diaper pouch to the bathroom, instead of a bag full of clothes.

I get nauseous on planes, and even more so when I have to get up and move, so my wonderful husband graciously took on all of the airplane diaper changes. He was a trooper!

Prepare to feed your baby

It’s hard for me to give specific tips for feeding your baby mid-flight, as everyone feeds their baby differently. But whether you’re nursing, using a bottle, spoon-feeding or feeding solids, it always pays to be prepared.

As I talked about in the packing section, make sure you have all of your feeding supplies easily accessible. I’d recommend putting them all in a packing cube you can easily take out of your carry-on when needed.

If you’ll need anything from the flight attendants, such as hot water, let them know. Give them as much notice as possible, as they may not be able to help you out immediately.

Depending on how you feed your baby, there are lots of hacks and handy products that can make that easier to do on a plane. For example, many parents swear by formula dispensers and bringing bottles pre-filled with safe drinking water.

On Baby C’s first flight, I was exclusively breastfeeding, so luckily didn’t need to bring much. I had a muslin blanket I could use as a cover or for cleaning up any spit up.

I did also bring a manual pump and bottle onto the flight, just in case, and I was travelling with frozen breast milk. This was more to have when we landed in case our checked baggage was delayed.

On C’s last long-haul flight, at 14 months old, she was still breastfeeding, as well as eating solids. I didn’t need to bring as much gear (no pump, bottle or frozen milk) but we did pack some snacks to supplement the meals we were given on board.

Make use of all of the entertainment around you

While I do recommend packing some toys for your baby (see above), I wouldn’t stress about needing to keep your little one entertained for the whole flight. Especially if they’re very young or this is their first flight, the experience in itself is very entertaining!

C’s favourite parts of her first flight were staring at all of the people. She loved being walked up and down the aisles and made lots of friends. In fact, on our flight from London to Vancouver, a person in the row in front of us asked to hold C three separate times!

On larger planes, there’s usually space in the middle of the cabin or at the back where you can stand or even let your child crawl around. Or if you have a bulkhead row, that can be a good space for your baby to crawl or sit on the floor.

I mentioned screens earlier and how they’re not great for entertaining young babies who don’t have long attention spans. You also probably wouldn’t want your infant glued to a screen for hours and hours.

That said, our daughter had a great time just pressing the buttons on the screen in the seat back. So even if they’re not old enough to sit and watch a show, the device itself can still be entertaining.

Our daughter also loved pulling out all of the safety manuals, menus, magazines and sick bags from the back of the seat. She loved playing with the cups from drink service and pressing her face up against the window.

So much fun to be had on an airplane!

Once you land

Take your time getting off the plane (but don’t hold anyone else up!)

Congrats, you just survived a flight with your baby! Hopefully they were a perfect angel, you all got some sleep, and now the entire plane is congratulating you on a job well done.

And if that’s not the case… at least it’s over!

As someone who gets motion sick on planes, I usually can’t wait to get off once we land. But with a baby, it can take a little longer, especially if you brought a car seat.

I don’t think you need to wait for the entire plane to exit before you make your move (though if you want to, that’s cool), but I would recommend waiting until the aisle across from you is empty. That way, you can use that space to organize yourselves.

As soon as the aisle cleared, my husband scooted over to the free seats so he could retrieve our bags from the overhead bins and pack up everything. He was then able to hand things to me since I had more space to help pack up too.

Note: We did NOT stand in the middle of the aisle while doing this, so we didn’t block anyone else from getting off. You can take your time unloading but don’t force the whole plane to wait for you.

Before we deplaned, we double checked all of the seat backs, pockets, the floor under us and our seats for anything we may have missed. It’s so easy for a toy, sock or snack to fall behind!

Then, similarly to how we handled security, my husband and I split up the responsibilities. We discussed who was carrying what and made sure we both had enough hands to carry everything off the plane.

This is another time when a baby carrier is handy, so you can keep your hands free to carry bags and gear. We always seem to leave the plane with more stuff than we got on with, so having extra hands free is always helpful.

And if you did gate-check your stroller, don’t forget to wait for it by the plane door (or wherever airline staff tell you to go).

Visit the bathroom as soon as you deplane

As soon as I’m off a plane, I’m making a beeline to the bathroom. This is especially important if you haven’t changed your baby’s diaper for a while.

Even if your baby’s diaper doesn’t need changing, I always think it’s nice to take a moment in the bathroom. You can wipe your baby down, change their outfit or rinse anything from your wet-dry bag.

Us parents could use a bathroom moment too! Besides the obvious bathroom uses, it’s also nice to splash some water on your face, brush your teeth or reapply deodorant after a long flight.

Outside the bathroom, you may want to stop at an empty gate and organize yourselves and your bags. If you had to get off the plane in a hurry, you can repack any bags or settle your baby into their stroller.

It’ll be a lot easier to make it through customs, baggage claim or an Uber ride if you’ve taken a few minutes to use the bathroom and get everyone settled.

Of course, if you do have to rush to make your connecting flight or get in line for customs, you may not have time for a bathroom break.

If that’s the case, you can trade-off with your parent (e.g. one of you stands in line at customs while the other goes to the bathroom with baby) or wait until you’ve reached your connecting gate before finding a bathroom.

Divide and conquer at baggage claim

Even if you were one of the last people off the plane, stopped at the bathroom and waited in line at customs, odds are you’ll still have to wait for your bags at baggage claim.

If you’re travelling with another adult, this is the perfect time to divide and conquer. One of you can wait for the bags while the other hangs out with the baby. If you skipped the earlier bathroom break, now’s the perfect time to do it!

When we were travelling with our baby and dog, I left my husband to wait for the bags while I took Baby C and Ellie outside the terminal. They both got some fresh air and Ellie had a chance to drink water and do her business.

Even if you can’t leave the baggage area – some airports require the whole travelling group to exit the area together – it’s still nice to go find a quiet place to hang out with your baby, rather than crowd around the baggage carousel with the rest of the passengers.

Make sure the person on bag duty knows what your bags look like and how many there are. Especially if you checked anything in at the last minute, you don’t want to leave it behind at the airport.

If you checked any baby gear – like a stroller, car seat, crib, etc – it may be delivered on a special baggage carousel. We’ve checked our travel crib three times and twice it’s been placed with the oversized items, like skis and bikes.

If you don’t see your baby gear on the regular carousel for your flight, look around for signage for specialty or oversized items. If you still can’t find it, ask one of the agents for help or inquire at your airline’s help desk.

Wrapping up: My biggest tip for flying with a baby

Phew! Who knew there were so many tips for flying with a baby? I know 10,000 words on the subject might feel overwhelming but I hope you feel more prepared for your family’s upcoming flight.

If I can leave you with one final tip, it’s to remember that the people on your flight are more understanding and gracious than you think.

Most of your fellow passengers either know what you’re going through and want to help or they’re putting in their noise-cancelling headphones and ignoring you.

Either way, you don’t need to be embarrassed or apologize for taking public transportation with your baby.

Yes, it pays to be prepared. Do your homework and arrive at the airport as ready as you can be. But don’t waste one more second worrying about how other people will react to your baby on the plane. I promise, they care way less than you think.

And keep in mind: The flight is just one small part of travelling with your baby. Even if your flight gets delayed, you forget to pack something and your baby screams the whole time, you will get through it.

You will make it to your destination and (hopefully) the flight will just be a small asterisk on an otherwise amazing family vacation!