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Flying with Babies & Children | What You Need to Know Now!

I remember having the most blissful flight with my daughter who was on her first long-haul flight from Europe to Australia at 7 months of age, only to return 4 weeks later with a completely different infant who was awake and ready to party! Need I say it was a very  long flight!
At the end of the day getting organised for a short or long haul flights will vary as well as the age of the children you are travelling with. What works on one flight may not work on the next so remember to stay calm and collected and be willing to try different options when flying with babies and children. Here are some general Do’s of flying with your little passengers!

Flying with Babies

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  • Do breastfeed your infant on take-off and descent, which will help relieve air pressure or pack a dummy/pacifier.
  • Do request a bassinet. Make sure your infant meets the aircraft carrier’s guidelines. You may also be required to take your sleeping infant out of the bassinet during turbulence so be prepared for that situation.
  • Do use and Ergo carrier or similar product, which will enable you to be, hands free.
  • Do take some small infant food or food pouches, which your little one knows and likes. Most airlines do cater for infant food but may not be age appropriate or not to your infants liking.
  • Do take a muslin with you or a baby eye mask to reduce or block out the cabin lights
  • Do make sure you have easy access on-board to nappies and wipes, organise yourself a starter pack that you can place in your seat pocket.
  • Do note that Baby food and milk is exempt from the 100 ml liquid rules
  • Do consider a  “sky baby mattress” it enables a young baby to sleep comfortably on your lap. It also attaches to the infant lap belt so you don’t have to disturb your infant during turbulence.
  • Do take a toy, which you can attach to their bassinet or car seat so that it doesn’t get flung through the air.
  • Do try and sleep when your infant sleeps
  • DO consider flying with a car seat. Bring a FAA approved infant carrier seat with you if you have purchased a second seat (do check age restrictions with your airline first) this can be a huge benefit enabling you to keep your infant in their seat during turbulence or you may consider a business class seat for more room. Airlines like JAL can provide your infant with a rear-facing car seat on all the flights, free of charge.

Flying with toddlers

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  • Do check which children and adult meals are being served on your flight to find the most suitable.
  • Do wrap some toys/treats individually, which they can unwrap each hour during the flight, a fun activity to keep them entertained and rewarded
  • Do make a flight pack, which they can enjoy on-board like the Simply for Flying Flight Kit, which also includes the popular flight logbook, which they can hand to the flight attendant and the Captain will record all your child’s flying adventures.
  • Do pack their own cup to prevent drink spills, this will reduce the need to change clothes
  • Do pack snacks as tummies are always hungry
  • Do pack a magnetic drawing board or magnetic puzzle instead of Lego and normal puzzles with can easily be lost.
  • Do consider an AmSafe’s Child Aviation Restraint System (CAReS) child harness. Do check with your airline, as some seats may not be compatible.

Flying with children

  • Do ignore any household rules you have about TVs and computer usage during the flight.
  • Do discuss and set expectations with your children at the latest when they are on-board the flight.
  • Do pack the Ipad, add new Apps prior to leaving home, chargers or USB cords which can be connected on most flights
  • Do pack kids headphones and maybe even a splitter so you can use two headphones for the one ipad.
  • Do pack a few small inexpensive toys that you won’t mind losing
  • Do pack a lolly pop or two to help with their ears or keep them happy
  • Do pack a game like UNO or stickers
  • Do try and have them seated next to the window to keep them entertained, also makes for a good cushion rest if you are flying economy.
  • Do try and keep them to drinking water and keep sugared drinks to a minimum or best not at all unless you are after a lively one.

Flying

  • Do keep everyone well hydrated.
  • Do pack empty plastic bags or Ziploc bags for waste or wet clothes, as soon as you have anything that needs to be tossed you can put it away.
  • Do make sure you have some spare clothes and a sweater to deal with cabin temperatures.
  • Do choose a family friendly airline and maybe consider flying with an airline like Ethiad Airlines who offer a nanny service on-board
  • Do ask the airline if you can be seated next to an empty seat.
  • Do minimize your carry on luggage as much as you can.
  • Do have your toddler or child wearing their pj’s before boarding the plane
  • Do take a pair of plane friendly socks like Collegien slippers, perfect for air travel.
  • Do consider sachet medicines versus over 100ml ones, which will require a doctor’s letter and prior approval from the airline.

You can find more EXCELLENT tips on flying with kids over at Mum’s Little Explorers.

Bronwyn Darnoc is the publisher of the Simply for Flying personal flight logbook and Flight Travel Kit.
Photo of author

Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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