Flying with a Baby: Complete Guide from Booking to Arrival

Despite common opinion, having a baby doesn’t have to mean you need to say goodbye to any form of travel and lock yourself into your home. Traveling with your baby may have various advantages such as tackling postpartum depression, settling into new parental roles, changing up things right when days start to seem the same, and creating amazing memories with your baby!

Starting with road trips is probably the best idea when you have an infant, but they are long and tiring for especially the parents. If you want to travel by air and go someplace different and interesting without driving for hours, we got you! Air travel can be stressful on its own, but flying with a baby can be a whole other level of difficulty. Here we have some tips to help you from flight booking to arrival with your baby! 

· Check the rules for traveling with children
These rules can be especially varied if you are flying with an infant. Check the airline’s rules for fees, documents, seats, and boarding, and check the local authorities of your destination for some extra vaccination rules that they might have. 

· How young is too young?
This depends on the airlines and your doctor’s recommendations. Usually, it is not recommended to fly before a baby’s immune system is developed; this can change between 3-6 months. However, some airlines state that babies can fly as early as two days old. This also depends on the mother’s condition as well, of course. 

· Baby Passports
Check in with your local authorities about how to get a passport for your baby and start the process as early as you can so don’t need to rush any documents. 

 · Seat Options
You should know your seat preferences on a flight with a small child. Different airlines have different requirements and conditions for babies. You can carry your baby on your lap, or you can check if a bassinet is available on a long flight. Choosing an aisle seat may make your flight easier if you need to get up and walk, or change your baby’s diaper. 

· Travel insurance
You can get travel insurance with your ticket or separately, and it will be useful if something big or small goes wrong. It is good to know what your travel health insurance covers and where you can reach your emergency doctor at your destination. 

· Packing
Pack as light as you can; this way, you can move freely. You can bring some prescribed or over-the-counter medication for you and your baby, so you don’t have to look for a pharmacy during your vacation. Also, don’t pack a week’s worth of diapers for your baby; you can always buy them at your destination. You can pack a few snacks for your little one but don't forget to check the airline rules for packing snacks. 

· Don’t bother packing heavy baby gear
The lighter you travel, the easier your life. Carrying your own baby gear for vacations is difficult and expensive. You can always rent the necessary baby gear at your destination. 

 · Priority Boarding
If you are traveling with small children, most airlines offer you priority in boarding or security lines. Take advantage of that and go to your gate early! You’ll settle in your seat before a crowd makes you and your baby uncomfortable. 

· Be ready for the security protocols
Each airport may have a different security protocol for babies. Some will have family-only security lines, some will make you walk in holding your baby, or some will make you hand in the baby to someone else and walk alone. Also, taking out your laptop, liquids, jewelry, coat, and other stuff before you get in the line will make it much easier. 

· Baby Apps for the Flight
Of course, shoving your child in front of a TV or an iPad as a form of activity is not recommended, but on those long flights where you need to distract your baby, you may get some help from technology. Play their favorite nursery rhymes from YouTube, and even download the videos to their phone for no-internet time. 

· Arrival
After your flight, it is probably the best idea to leave the airport as soon as you can. If you need some baby gear to help you with your travel, you can just rent them and have them delivered to the airport whenever you want! You can use Babonbo to rent car seats, cribs, strollers, or anything else you need from families at your destination! These baby equipment items can be delivered to airports, hotels, or an agreed destination, making your travel lighter and easier.