Have Baby, Will Travel. More than a dozen of you...

August 31, 2010

Have Baby, Will Travel.

More than a dozen of you have sent me requests recently asking for tips on what I’ve learned so far in our travels with Everly. I sat down and counted how many different airplanes she’s boarded since our first flight out of San Francisco with her last May. The total came to eleven!! Eleven flights from the west coast to the east. From the south to the north. from the US to Europe. I was a little stunned with the number myself.

So first things first, I utilized two great resources when I was researching for the very first trip. I was sent a great book called Wanderlust & Lipstick: Traveling with Kids. I found some excellent tips in this book before our trip and it aided a good deal in my preparation. Secondly, I received an email from Michelle Metzger at Piercom. - she’s traveled internationally with her three children, 7 years old and under and provided me with great feedback as to what to expect before we left.

So here’s a deep dive into what I’ve learned while traveling with an infant roughly 14,636 miles in the last three months.

1. Call ahead

If you’re flying domestically in the US, lap children under the age of two are free with an adult ticket . You do, however, need to call the airline in advance and put the child on your reservation. Some airlines issue lap child tickets, others just note “child in arms” on the adult ticket - but all will need advance notice that you plan to fly with your child. Why? Besides the basic passenger count requirements, airplanes must have enough oxygen masks for everyone sitting in that row - usually, one side of the plane will have 3 masks for 3 seats and the other will have 4 masks for 3 seats. Some airlines required us to sit on the left side of the plane, others - on the right. They will need to reserve seats for you on the side with more masks.

If you’re flying internationally, expect to pay a small percentage of the adult airfare for a lap child. I think we paid something like 10% of my airfare for Everly to join us. Additionally, infants will require their own passport. Here’s a great USA Today article on Infant & child passport requirements.

Additionally - If you can afford a full seat for your little one, by all means - GET IT. We couldn’t swing the extra cash so when we made our international reservations we requested bulkhead seating and a bassinet. This will give you more leg room for your little one and the bassinet will allow you to put baby somewhere to sleep so that you can eat meals, read, or have use of both your arms for a bit (a must on long flights). A few times, we got lucky and wound up with an empty seat between us - (it never hurts to ask the gate attendant to move you if the flight isn’t full) but there is no guarantee.
Staying in a hotel? Request a crib! We’ve done this in every city we’ve stayed and this has always been provided to us at no additional cost.

2. Gear to bring.

For smaller babies - a stroller with a snap-in option for the carseat or for older babies - a carseat trolley like this or this. I’ve seen recommendations to bring a baby carrier like an Ergo or Bjorn for air travel, and while we brought ours along - it never got used. We would have killed ourselves if we would have had to carry a diaper bag, a carry-on supply bag, a bookbag, a car seat and Everly through the airport. Instead - we happily utilized her stroller. Not only does her carseat snap-in to the frame but the undercarriage was a great spot to put our heaviest carry-on bag. While most airlines do let you check up to two baby items (pack n plays, strollers, etc) in place of one piece of regular checked luggage, I would not recommend checking your car seat - if it gets delayed or lost before you get to your destination you have no way to leave the airport with the baby.

The largest, thinnest blanket you can find (a flat bed sheet would work great). You don’t want something bulky that will take up a lot of space in your carry on - but be prepared for a lot of hanging out near your gate. In our case, we’ve experience 4 hour and 8 hour delays with Everly in tow. Having a blanket to spread out over the yucky airport floors was crucial to keeping her happy and letting her have some tummy time. I’d put it up against a wall in a low traffic area, scatter a few toys and books on it and let her free.
For formula babies - some premixed and some powder (if your baby will take both). I like to buy a six pack of the Similac Advanced pre-mixed 8 ounce bottles and toss a few in our carry-on. These have served us well when we’ve had tight connections and were unable to grab a bottle of water in the airport (in the US - you will not be able to get bottled water through security - but they will allow liquid formula). The premix bottles also come in handy during take-off when we need to quickly prepare a bottle for the flight. Plan to carry on atleast 3-4 times more formula than you anticipate needing for your trip. You may experience major delays and use it all (happened to us!) or arrived at your destination to find your luggage didn’t make it (happened to us!) - having a back up supply will provide you with a little wiggle room and peace of mind. We also packed two empty bottles (the rest went in our checked luggage) and filled up this handy little formula dispenser with 4 pre-measured servings. If you’re traveling internationally - bring all the formula you will need with you in your checked bags. We were without our bags for 2 days and had to buy a Spanish brand - while it worked fine - it wasn’t Dovie’s regular Similac and she wasn’t much of a fan. If you’re traveling domestically, plan to buy what you need when you get to your destination.
For breast fed babies - LUCKY YOU! Air travel will be much easier when you can feed on demand. I was still nursing Everly when we made our first cross country flight with her - so feeding was a breeze. Toss in your nursing cover if you’re more comfortable with discreet nursing.
Diapers - We mainly use eco-disposables when we travel (7th Generation & Earth’s Best are our faves). Like formula - pack at least 3 times the number of diapers you think you’ll need in your carry on. If you’re traveling internationally, be sure to find out what your baby weighs in kilograms vs. pounds. We brought enough diapers to last us 4 days (in our checked luggage) and bought more when we landed. Knowing the conversion helped us get the right size.
A few new toys or books! All that sitting still in the same spot can be B-O-R-I-N-G to children who are always seeking new stimulation. We packed some small, colorful new teethers, soft stacking cubes, and mirrors for EV to play with when she got bored with our usual tricks and toys. We kept them hidden until they were truly needed and they kept her interested for a good long while (along with the styrofoam cups from the beverage service and ripping the pages out of the skymall magazine). For your own sanity and those around you - avoid musical or noise maker toys. No one wants to hear that on repeat for the next few hours.
At least 3 changes of clothes for baby - atleast 1 extra for everyone else. Spit up. smeared baby food. spilled coffee. general air travel grimeyness. - expect any or all of these things to show up on you and your little one during your trip. Having a fresh change of clothes handy can keep you all comfortable (Extra bonus: If your luggage doesn’t make it - you have something else to wear besides the clothes on your body!) Pack comfortable, breathable outfits for baby - onesies and cotton pants. a long sleeve hoody (airports and airplanes can be cold even if your destination won’t be) and socks!
Baby food - If your little one is eating solids, pack a few containers of baby food in your carry on- my absolute favorite is Sprout Organics it comes in a resealable pouch (their flavors are DELICIOUS!) and they lay flat and take up very little room. I also LOVE the wean machine for quick, fresh mashed foods on the go (thank to Librarian Pirate for the recommendation!)
Cleaning supplies - hand sanitizer, baby wipes, pacifier wipes, a pack of disposable changing pads,and a couple burp cloths. Because air travel is the germiest of the germy. bleck.
Nice to haves: These are not crucial but would have made our trip a little easier - a carseat protector bag (ours got seriously gross between the security scan machines and going under the plane). A portable DVD player or Ipad - Everly is exposed to very little TV right now, but for toddlers and young kids - this could make all the difference on a long flight. For little babies on long flights: this thing looks cool as heck!