Flying with a baby or toddler: At the airport and on board

Planning on flying with your baby or toddler?  If you’ve already read our tips on what to know before you book your tickets for your little one, here’s the next step: What to do when you actually get to the airport, and on the plane! 

- Going through security.  Pregnant women and young children don’t have to go through full body scanners.  If you also don’t feel comfortable with your kids (or you) going through the metal detector option, tell the security agents that and they’ll have someone do a pat-down and use a wand instead.  I’ve done this in American and European airports, but if you have any concerns, you can try to contact the airport via their website (or, in some cases, Twitter account) to be sure of their policies. 

Many travel experts also advise preparing your toddler for the fact that they will have to let their favorite toy – you know, the one they always carry with them – go through the x-ray machine.  Try to make it fun by saying something like “Look, Mr. Binkie gets to go on a ride!  And he’ll come out and be with us right there!”

- Have a bag strategy.  Many airlines will let parents with young children board in advance, and believe me, you’ll probably need those extra few minutes to get settled in.  Still, despite the extra time, one of the biggest challenges I had during my first flights with my son was that we couldn’t keep all of our carry-on bags under our seats. Now, I try to pack one bag that I know has the most essential stuff (a small change bag, favorite toys, a bottle and some snacks) – I’ll keep this one under the seat in front of me at all times.  I then plan on the others being closest to us depending on how essential they are (toy bag close by, our baby sling further away). 

One word of warning: If you request a bassinet for a lap child, you may find yourself in the front row of your section, which means you won’t have space to store things under a seat. In this case, make sure the essentials bag is easy to get to the minute you can open your overhead compartment, and keep a bottle, favorite toy, and burp cloth in hand.

If this is making you realize you haven’t even thought about what to pack for your baby, don’t worry! There are tons of websites that offer helpful lists. I’d advise checking out a few and compiling your own list, based on the ideas that seem most useful.

- Don’t fret over headphones.  One thing you may not have to worry about packing for a baby or young toddler is headphones.  This depends on your kid, and on you as a parent, but we weren’t thrilled with the idea of our son using any kind of headphones at such a young age.  Lots of companies make kid-safe models, but these generally start for children around age three. So how was our son going to watch the in-flight entertainment?  Just fine, it turned out. He likes bright colors and funny critters, so the children’s movies and especially Sesame Street episodes delighted him, even without any noise.

- Go with the rhythm of the flight.  Like most parents, one of the things we were most worried about when we started flying overseas with my son was how to get him to sleep on the plane. It turns out that many young children actually find the white noise in the cabin soothing – but on the other hand, the stimulation of being in a new place, with new people all around, could make it hard for them to doze off. 

Lights out:  A sleeping baby on a flight is possible, especially if you follow the rhythm of the flight

The best advice I’ve heard, and what worked for us, is to use the rhythm of your trip.  When you’re waiting at the airport, do your best to keep your kid up and active. Some airports, like Charles de Gaulle in Paris, even have children’s play areas (Pro tip: keep wet wipes with you at all times, because these areas get a lot of floor traffic and aren’t always very clean).  This will let your kid get out some energy.

Once you’re on the plane, don’t worry about getting them to sleep right away.  The noise and movement of take-off, flight announcements, and the meal coming around will probably make that hard, especially for toddlers.  Let them enjoy their new surroundings, play with the toys and things you’ve brought, and have something to eat or drink. Then, when the cabin lights are turned off, take that as your cue to start calming things down and helping your child transition to sleep mode.  If they’re restless, try taking them to the back of the plane where you can stand and rock them for a while.

All of this may not always work, and if it doesn’t, remember to stay calm and try your best to go with the flow.  Keep your kid occupied, even let them just relax and sit quietly, watching the video screen, if necessary. They might just nod off on their own. 

- Watch out for popping ears.  Always make sure your child is drinking, eating, chewing, or sucking on something during take off and descent/landing. Otherwise, everyone’s ears will hurt – theirs from popping, and yours from their screaming!

- Know what toys and activities work for your kid.  Don’t count on that little screen on the seat in front of you to keep your kid busy for the whole flight.  Bring favorite toys and buy a few novelties if you can (dollar stores are great for this).

Bring favorite toys, books, and games, and try to throw a few new ones in, too.  We found this colorful, plastic mini Slinky at a dollar store in the US and held onto it until our next flight.  As you can see, my son was pretty excited to discover it, and it kept him busy for a while.

And don’t forget how much babies like regular objects, too.  For example, when he was really little, our son was fascinated by half-filled water bottles.  He loved the sound they made when he shook them, and how the water and plastic caught the light.  A bottle kept him busy for a good ten to twenty minutes at a time.  On the other hand, the video screen interested him a lot less. 

Books are also a great idea.  Many books for young children have bright illustrations, moving pieces, and textures young kids love to touch.  My son has a book about farm animals that lets you “pet” each animal. We parents then add some sound effects, and he’s thrilled.  We bring it with us every time we fly.

For more ideas on how to keep a kid entertained during a flight, again, a web search and compiling ideas from different sites can be really helpful. 

Flying with your baby or toddler can be challenging, but if you plan right, you’ll probably have a much smoother trip than you could have imagined. At the very least, you’ll be able to enjoy some pleasant moments of discovery and play, and maybe even a few hours of your little one quietly sleeping.  Bon voyage to you and baby!

Alysa Salzberg is a writer and trip planner.  She lives in Paris with an eccentric Frenchman, a baguette-stealing baby, and a dog-like cat. Besides them, she loves travel, books, and cookies. You can read about her adventures here, or feel free to stop by and check out her website.