20+ Tips on Flying with an Infant and/or Toddler

The first time I got on a plane with Anastasya she was 5 months and a few days. My husband was with me. As were my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and our niece. It went great considering my sis-in-law shared how she flew the first couple of times with our niece. From what she shared with me, I was able to prepare myself, and with that I had a very pleasant experience! Especially on the first trip. Having my husband there made things much easier!

The second time I took a trip by plane with Anastasya I flew alone with her to Massachusetts when she was 8 months old to visit family. Two very different ages. Also, 2 very different experiences.

Now I just traveled with my 19 month old and 4 month old to Massachusetts again. This time with my sister. I would have never tried to go alone 😅 This was very different also since my daughter is 19 months old! I had no clue how that would go. I’d flown with her before, but I had no idea how it would be with Josh.

I learned a lot of lessons this last time I traveled with the kids. Made lots of mistakes, but now I want to help others not commit the same ones I did. Here are 20+ tips on traveling by plane with your infant and/or toddler to make your flying experience as pleasant as possible!

Booking Your Trip

1. Be intentional with the time you book your flight

I booked one flight at 7:30A. I had to be up at like 3:30A to get Josh fed, Anastasya ready and all of our stuff in the car and out the door in time to leave for the airpot. It was draining, but worked out because by the time we made it to where we were staying, we had the entire rest of the day to relax and sleep early since we were exhausted.

The flight home was at 1P. I did that hoping Anastasya would sleep since its her nap time. She fell asleep in the car 😑 And then wouldn’t sleep on the plane, but she was definitely tired. Made it home around 6 something, which wasn’t too bad, but we were really tired.

I would suggest not booking late flights unless its an overnight flight!

2. Flying with 2 kids on 2 adult’s laps can’t sit in the same row

I figured I’d save money and have my sister travel with my 19 month old on her lap, and I’d travel with my 4 month old. When my sister bought her ticket she was able to assign her seat. When I went to buy mine, it’d give me an error when I’d choose the seat next to her.

Come to find out that you cannot have 2 lap seats taken in the same section because in case of no oxygen there are only 4 masks that drop down. What we ended up doing was we both sat on an aisle seat in the same row. That way I can still be right there to help my sister if my toddler gave her a hard time. — By the way, I don’t know if this is just a Jetblue thing or if it’s all airlines. If you know so, let me know!

Even though she’s still old enough to travel on my lap, if you want to make your life easier, I strongly suggest getting your toddler a seat for themselves. It also gives them space to move and just gives them space Period! Unless you pay more for extra space, the rows are pretty tight and your toddler is not going to do well sitting up close to that seat in front of you.

The moment we got on the plane and sat down, she was ready to get up and walk around and of course she couldn’t. It was horrible to have to tell her to “Sit still! Stop kicking the seat in front of you! No you can’t go walk around. Stop opening and closing the tray. Here, play with my phone.” It was so exhausting. Especially when she’d want to throw a tantrum and you seriously don’t want to bother your neighbor.

If you’re traveling alone with 2 kids, then you don’t have any other option than to get them their own seat. But if you’re traveling with your partner or a friend or family member, invest in that extra seat. It will really make your life easier.

I feel bad for those traveling with infant twins! 😳

3. Assigned Seats

Some airlines allow you to pick your seat (Jetblue being one of them). If you’re flying with 1 lap child, I suggest picking window seat. More privacy! If you have 2 kids and your spouse is with you, I HIGHLY suggest buying 3 seats. If you could have a seat with your lap child, the toddler have their own seat, and other parent have the 3rd seat, you will have a more pleasant time not having to deal with strangers sitting with you and being bothered.

4. Ask your airline if car seats, strollers, and pack n’ plays can get checked for FREE!

I flew Jetblue twice with the kids. They only allow Car Seats and Strollers for free. Not the pack n’ play. I also flew Delta where they allowed all 3 for free! This is huge considering Jetblue charges $30 for the first checked bag, then $40 for the second. And it gets more expensive as you add more bags.

Depending what they allow you to check in for free or don’t allow can make a difference for some people. I ended up borrowing a pack n’ play in Boston from family so that I didn’t have to pay for 2 checked bags (would have been $70 on top of my ticket).

5. Consider renting a car!

This was huge for me. My dad works during the week, and I have other family members close by too, but I can’t expect them to come get me and take me places the whole time I’m there. It’d be nice, but I understand people have work and other responsibilities to take care of.

Anyway, best thing I did on this trip was rent a car. And although it became an extra (expensive) expense, I don’t regret it at all. The only thing I regret was not keeping the rental longer. It gave me freedom to go where I wanted when I wanted. I didn’t have to put the car seat in one car, then take it out and put it in someone else’s car. That gets annoying!

If you have one child with you, it’s not that big of a deal. But I definitely recommend renting a car with 2 kids! Plus, 2 car seats takes up A LOT of room in a car. Some people’s cars don’t even fit 2 car seats. Keep that mind!

Packing

6. Buy Car Seat Travel Bags with WHEELS!

Car seats can be SO HEAVY! If you’re traveling alone and you’re going to be the one hauling around a bunch of bags, do yourself a favor and buy the car seat travel bag that has wheels on it so you don’t have to carry it on your back. I tried carrying mine and thought I was going to break my back… 😅 Being able to drag it across the airport will make your life 1000 x’s easier.

7. Keep it limited

We always have a tendency of over packing. Plan your outfits beforehand so you don’t do this. You already have so much you need to worry about. Don’t pack so much that you can’t fit it into 1 suitcase. Keep it simple!

8. If checking in a suitcase, weigh it at home!

So when I got to the airport and found out I didn’t have my license (more about this later), I also found out my bag was 5 lbs over the limit. And that’s cuz I was at home the night before stepping on the scale to see how much I weigh, then stepped on holding the bag, and then subtracted to see if I was good for travel (the old fashion way). Well, it obviously didn’t work well.

I was already stressed about not have my license, and now they tell me I need to take 5lbs out or pay for the extra weight. Thankfully my sister’s bag was 5 lbs under! 🙌🏼 So we transferred stuff to her bag, WHILE I had Josh strapped onto me in the carrier 🙄 I had to do it right there in the middle of the airport and they really couldn’t care less.

Sooooo, my suggestion is: there’s a digital luggage scale my mom bought that you attach it to the luggage and lift it and it’ll weigh the luggage (genius 🤯). This way is more accurate than stepping on the scale. My sister took it to Boston where I was able to weigh my bag at home and not have any issues at the airport in relation to the luggage.

9. Buy locks that can use the same key

I wanted to put locks on some of my stuff. You never know if people will get into your stuff or not… Anyway, I recently bought a pack of 2 locks from Target. Usually when its in the same pack you can unlock both locks with the same keys. Not this one. The key on each lock would only work for that specific lock.

When I got to Boston and I tried to access the car seat to install in the car, I found out I had lost one of the keys. But I had the other set for the other lock from that same packet but it wouldn’t work! It was infuriating. So I had to pry that one bag open, which then I ended up ruining the bag. 🙄

That was a whole other issue, but trust me you’d think it’s not that big a deal until you can’t find the other set… Also! DON’T PUT THE KEYS IN YOUR POCKET! Find a special spot in your diaper bag or anywhere else! Pretty I sure I lost it because I put it in my pocket.

10. Borrow what you can

If you know people where you’re going, see if you can borrow a pack and play, or stroller or car seat so you have less things to take. If you borrow car seats, make sure it’s in good condition before using!

If you’re staying at a hotel, call and see if they have a crib. Some hotels do!

Car Rental places usually have car seats to rent. Call and confirm if they do. It’s also usually extra charge.

11. Make sure whoever is picking you up has enough room for ALL YOUR STUFF!!

This isn’t part of the packing process, but as you’re packing and you see you have a lot of stuff, keep this in mind: My sister, the kids and I arrived in Boston. We got our stroller, luggage, car seats and started for the car. As we slowly approach it, I look at all of our stuff and then I look back at my dad’s car and I thought “OMG… this is not all going to fit in my his car…” And I was correct.

My sister (who’s an angel sent from heaven above) stayed behind with one luggage and went to see if we could get our car rental early. Thankfully after her battling it out for about an hour, everything worked out. But, life would have been simpler if I told my dad “Hey! We got a ton of stuff! Do you think it’ll fit?” And if he thought no, he would have asked someone to help or gotten a different car or whatever.

Either way, that was one little thing we just simply overlooked. Had I thought about it a little before traveling, it would have made our trip a little less stressful than it had already been up to this point.

12. You do not need to follow the 3 oz rule for liquids for your child

When I traveled with my daughter alone to MA she was drinking formula. I had a water bottle for me to mix with the formula in our handbag and they allowed it to go through, BUT they will pull your bag aside and run that strip test on it.

You could be lucky and get it tested quickly. One time they pulled my bag, but it was in line with 5 other bags ahead of me. It took forever before they were handing me my stuff back.

Documents

13. TRIPLE check you have your picture ID!

Im really good at taking stuff out of my wallet and immediately putting it back. For the first time I forgot my driver’s license… I headed to the airport and swore I had it in my wallet. Got to the airport to find out I did not 😑 Still haven’t found my drives license. Make sure you do have it!

You can still fly without it your driver’s license. Just getting through security is longer. And know that each airport is different. In Ft. Lauderdale they took 2 credit cards with my name, got my stuff through the X-ray, patted me down, and swabbed all of my stuff. Went pretty quickly I guess.

In Boston, I don’t know if its because it’s a busier airport, but I waited for someone to come look at my credit cards for at least 30 minutes! I stood there with Josh strapped on for 30 minutes while my sister had already gone through security with my daughter. Once they came they asked me multiple times for something with my face on it, which I didn’t have. I told them I had car insurance on me or health insurance and they finally let me through on top of the 3 credit cards with the same name. It was ridiculous.

Long story short… CHECK FOR YOUR ID/DRIVER’S LICENSE!

14. If you’re flying solo, have an authorization letter from the other parent just in case! And copy of birth certificate of child(ren).

I’ve yet to be asked for it, but airlines do recommend having an authorization letter from the other parent giving permission for you to fly solo with their child. This is definitely needed when flying internationally, but not necessarily when flying domestically. I’ve come to find out that each airport could have different protocols than others, so I suggest having this just in case. Or at least double check with your airline.

With the authorization letter you should also have a copy of the birth certificate. If you don’t take a letter at all, at least have this just in case. It’s better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. Even if it’s a picture on your phone, people won’t accept it and you don’t want to be stuck somewhere just because you didn’t want to take it.

Either way, check with your airline on both things! I’ve heard some airlines ask for birth certificate to verify child’s age if traveling on the lap.

Before You Leave The House

15. Wear shoes you can slip on and off easily & quickly.

This is especially great if you’re traveling alone. That way you’re not bending over to tie your shoe with kid strapped onto you! Just slip it off for security, than quickly back on to get yourself to your gate. If someone is with you, then this isn’t a big deal.

16. Double/Triple Check you have everything you need 

I had to make a list of all the stuff I took on my trip so that I could visually see if I was missing anything. It also helped keep track of stuff while on my trip. I know I didn’t leave anything behind. You don’t want to arrive at the airport and realize you forgot the diaper bag or something. Double Check and Triple check you grabbed all of your bags, car seats, stroller, whatever.

17. Always leave way earlier than you think you should

This is one thing I know I did right! I gave myself plenty of time that if things went south I would still make it to my flight. I arrived an hour and a half before boarding time and it worked out perfectly.

At The Airport

18. Try to fit diapers and wipes with the car seat

If you’re taking your car seat, you’ll be packing it into the bag once you arrive at the airport since you need to use it to get there! So…

This is technically not allowed since its only supposed to be the car seat! Butttttt in the bag where the car seat get transported in, the actual seat is empty, therefore has some space to carry some things. I put the diapers and wipes with one car seat. In the other I put my pump bag. Then I put a lock on each bag. I don’t over do it since at the end of the day, the weight limit is there because there are people carrying that weight to get your bag onto the plane. But I have a kid and these airlines sometimes don’t do much to help us to have a pleasant flight, so yeah… I need to get my stuff there somehow.

19. Checking in

This should be the easiest part of your trip! You can check in online for pretty much any airline. Then all you have to do is check your luggage and baby gear (stroller, car seat, pack n’ play). If you didn’t weigh it at home and your luggage is over weight, you’ll have to pay more or remove stuff.

20. Go through security with a Carrier

Every time I went through security, I had my baby in the carrier. Pulling things, getting stuff on the conveyor belt, getting stuff off and waiting for your stuff if it’s been pulled aside just goes way smoother if you have both hands available!

If you have a stroller with you, they will ask for it to go through the conveyor belt. If it doesn’t fit, I believe there’s another way they’ll check it, but still. Imagine trying to get everything on the conveyor belt with 1 hand WHILE holding your kid 😳

This is the carrier I use

21. If traveling alone and with 2 or more kids, checking the stroller at the GATE is a good idea!

I think getting through security is the most stressful part of traveling. Once you get through it and you have a moment to breath, sit down and just wait for them to call you to board, you want to be able to relax for a minute. Having the stroller for you to put the kids down, place your bag on the stroller and get through the airport pushing rather than carrying everything is way easier.

If you’re traveling with just a baby, I would just keep them in the carrier and check the stroller with your luggage. If the child is a toddler who is walking, that stroller will come in handy!

22. You WILL Get Dirty Looks from passengers. Get over it

The moment you get to your gate with a child and people start realizing there’s going to be children on their flight, they start with the dirty looks. Mostly cuz they’re thinking they’re probably going to be the unlucky one stuck next to you…

Prepare yourself for those looks and get over it. Yes it sucks. Yes its annoying. Theres nothing you can do about it. Your child will embarrass you. Get over it too. You are a parent traveling with your child and just trying to make it to your destination in one piece. What the passengers think is irrelevant. You got this!

On The Plane

23. Have some entertainment ready

Anastasya was dying to get up and walk around the second we sat at our seats. Of course she did! She’s 19 months old. My sister would entertain her with filters on snapchat. Then she’d get distracted with the buttons to control the screen in front of you. We try playing videos on youtube but she wants to swipe through them. She won’t watch the videos 🤦🏻‍♀️ I took her some books. That entertained her for a few minutes. Then I took her a coloring book too. In 5 minutes all the crayons were on the floor.

Keep those things that will keep your child distracted close by and ready to go for any moment.

24. Have snacks 

Although flight attendants come around during the flight with drinks and snacks, have your owns snacks available too. Anastasya loves cheerios and eating them kept her hands busy for a little while. I also took her Target’s Applesauce pouches.

24. If you’ve got strangers seated next you, be friendly

The best thing you can do for everyone around you is make the experience as pleasant as you can for them as well. No one ever wants to travel next to a child. Especially one who cries the whole way. Be kind, be friendly, and be apologetic. Some parents don’t even say anything and pretend everything is ok. Yes, it’s hard to travel with an infant or toddler (or both), but be considerate of others as well.

At Your Destination

25. Buy disposable diaper bags

If you already don’t use this, I swear it’ll be life changing for traveling. Anastasya’s poops are soooooo horrible smelling. It’s absolutely atrocious! If it sits out in the room it will stink it all up. Having these bags to dispose of the diaper properly so your room doesn’t reek of poop is great! If you have access to plastic shopping bags, great. You can take some in your suitcase as well, I guess. Some places like in MA they only have paper bags (and I forgot that detail), so I ended up getting these bags!

26. Buy what you can at your destination 

If you’re just going from state to state, you know that if you forget something you can find a walmart and buy it. A little harder when traveling international. If you want to not have to haul a buttload of stuff that feels unnecessary, buy it when you get to your location. Especially if you’ll be there for a long time.

For example: I bought the soap to clean my kid’s bottles in Massachusetts so that it didn’t weigh my bag. I could have bought a pack of diapers and wipes there also if I wanted. I also bought more apple sauce pouches in MA rather than taking the ones I had at home (I only had some in the diaper bag).

Traveling with family and your kids is fun. Seeing them experience flying and going somewhere totally different is worth the hard work. But it really truly is hard work! It is not easy. Not for the faint of heart. You need to dedicate and do everything to maintain your cool. You will have stressful moments but it’s ok. Traveling with kids is never easy!

So when you land. Once your trip is all over. You’ve had a wonderful time. You’ve made it back home with everyone alive, breathing and in tact, give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve made it and you’ve done good 😉