“Try flying any plane with a baby if you want a sense of what it must have been like to be a leper in the fourteenth century,” wrote Nora Ephron, the journalist, filmmaker and author in her 1983 novel, “Heartburn.”
That’s not too far off. And I’d know, as it wasn’t long ago that I flew 19 hours across the world with my 3-month-old. A newborn or young infant cannot be reasoned with nor can they sit in front of a screen or snack on treats. What do you pack for an infant on a long flight? Where do you even put the baby? And that’s all before accounting for the side eye you get from fellow passengers bracing themselves for screaming and crying.
A little groundwork, though, can go a long way toward easing some of that stress, said James Howard, a Delta Air Lines cabin manager and father of a toddler. You might even enjoy it, he added.
Advance planning
If you are flying internationally, your baby, no matter how young, will need a passport. You can apply for one online, mail in supporting evidence, like a birth certificate, and then show up in person for an appointment. The process can take roughly three months though you can pay to expedite it. You will need a passport photo though the State Department concedes that the baby can be lying down for the photo and “it is acceptable if your infant’s eyes are not entirely open.”
If you know you will travel in the first few months of your baby’s life, you can add your child to your airline ticket even before they’re born, said Brian Kelly, founder of the Points Guy website and a father of two. Your airline would use a placeholder name (usually “Baby” and your last name). Then, closer to your travel dates, update your booking with their legal name.
For most domestic U.S. flights, infants can travel free on the lap of an accompanying adult, though many experts don’t think this is safe; on international flights, you might be charged a portion of your fare.
If you are traveling in and out of the United States, and want to use Global Entry, babies need their own membership, no matter how young they are. You will need to sign your baby up separately and they must go for the interview.
Navigating check-in
Breast milk and formula in your carry-on are not subject to the Transportation Security Administration’s liquids limit, meaning you can bring large quantities of them onboard. You will, however, need to take them out for screening. “I always tell parents to have the agents change their gloves before they do that,” said Dr. Lauren Hughes, a pediatrician at Bloom Pediatrics in Kansas City, Kan., who has become popular on social media for sharing practical infant and toddler tips and tricks, “because I don’t know what they’ve touched, I don’t know what the hell is on your gloves and I don’t want it on my baby’s milk.”
If you know you have to get through a large airport, Mr. Kelly recommends taking a foldable stroller that would fit in the overhead compartment with you rather than one you need to check, which might get damaged or need to be picked up at an oversize luggage counter.
Another option is to pack a baby carrier so you can keep your hands free through the airport, said Christy Slavik, the owner of the travel agency Mom Approved Travel.
Seating choices
Though having an infant sit in your lap is allowed, the Federal Aviation Administration recommends that babies be strapped into car seats during flights and advises against holding them in your lap.
That does require you to buy a seat that is certified for flying and you should check whether the plane will have the right seatbelts to secure it (most business or first-class cabins don’t, said Mr. Kelly).
Getting an extra seat also means that in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, there would be an oxygen mask for the baby, too, whereas if they were on your lap, there wouldn’t be a mask for them, said Dr. Hughes.
For longer international flights, it might be worth booking a bassinet for the baby to sleep in, Mr. Howard of Delta said. Airline bassinets are free and can be requested through the airline reservations team, but they are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. They can’t be used during takeoff, landing or during heavy turbulence.
You also can’t hold your baby in a carrier for takeoff and landing. Some international flights will provide an infant seatbelt to loop around your baby on your lap that then attaches to your own seatbelt for take off and landing.
Keeping your baby happy, healthy and clean
When it comes to the safety of your infant, the biggest risk, said Dr. Hughes, is “the infection risk of being in an enclosed space.”
“A fever in a child under 60 days old is an emergency, so my general guidance is to wait until at least 60 days old” to get them on a flight, she added.
Also, pack a first-aid kit in your carry-on that contains bandages, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream for itchy, irritated skin, a topical antibiotic for cuts and scrapes as well as infant versions of Tylenol, ibuprofen and an antihistamine, Dr. Hughes said.
To make sure babies are comfortable during the change in air pressure at takeoff and landing, offer them a bottle or a pacifier or nurse them in those moments, Dr. Hughes added, as the sucking can help with the ear-popping sensation.
And ideally, you could try to time your flights around naps or take a night flight so that your baby can sleep for at least some part of the journey, she said.
Diaper changes on flights can be a little tricky; bathrooms that feel uncomfortably small for an adult human, can feel even smaller with the addition of a baby and a diaper bag.
According to Mr. Howard, there should be at least one diaper-changing table on every aircraft. But before taking your baby into the shoe box of a bathroom, make sure your wipes and fresh diapers are easily accessible with one hand as there isn’t much space or time to fumble around searching for them in the depths of your carry-on bag, he said. That might mean you go in first and set up the diaper changing table while your partner or a crew member holds the baby.
“In my almost eight years of flying, I have helped watch children while the parent has gone to the restroom, I have helped install car seats, I’ve helped break down strollers and store items,” Mr. Howard said. “As a parent, it’s important to remember that any extra pair of hands you can get is great.”
Alisha Haridasani Gupta is a Times reporter covering women’s health and health inequities.
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