Seeking Advice on Flying with a 1-Year Old!

Hi
I just took my 13 month old to Hawaii and wrote in with the same question! I got loads of good advice-here's what we tried
DVD player with movies
stickers-anything...address labels, sticky pads-fun to put on/put off 100 times
new snacks
buy some cheap dollar toys and wrap them up individually..just the unwrapping will take some time..plus the fun of a new toy
a box of tissue-he can take out the tissue-one by one..you put it back in and it starts over
good luck!

I flew on a plane when my oldest was 13 months. I was able to have a bottle and food to have for her in the diaper bag. If the airline will not let you have a bottle try having him eat something.

Hi J.,

We just flew with our 8 month old however it was only a 45 min flight. They suggest the sucking during take off and landing so that the babies ears pop. Being conscious of it my husband and I paid attention to our ears and did not automatically pop them and wow it really does put a lot of pressure. I nursed my baby and she fell asleep doing it - the plane is rather loud and vibrated a little so that helped. I also had a bottle for back up- and they just had me open it and ran some radar thing over the top to detect what it was at security. A pacifier would work to if your baby takes one(mine won't) as it is the sucking motion you are going for.

We took a ton of toys but she was more inthralled with the paper barf bags and smiling at the(lucky for me) nice ladies behind us. Luckily we had three seats to ourselves both ways so we had plenty of room even though we only paid for two since she was considered a lap child-not sure the age limit on that.

We checked the car seat for free- but I did see a couple with a 2 year old bring theirs on the plane.

Good Luck!

J.,

Unless this is a trip to have family meet your baby, get a sitter for the day and enjoy your few hours with your husband and nine year old.

If you are taking the baby, check with the airlines about his bottles. Arrange a car seat on the other end of the flight. It will be a long day no matter what and you should prepare yourself for a "possible" cranky baby and husband. The nine year old will probably fare the best.

Blessings.....

We traveled with our then 13 month old daughter to Japan from SFO. We were able to bring bottles, formulas and other baby food without any problems. Having her favorite soft toys also help to smooth and calm her during the take off. We also gave her a pacifier also to help out with ear pressure, instead of giving her a bottle. It's was a long flight but she did just fine with just a few toys and books. We had Sit n Stroll stroller to use as a baby seat during the flight. If your baby has his own seat, you can probably use it during flight without checking it in.

You'll be able to gate check the carseat as you get onto the plane. If you use one of the stroller/carseat combo things, take both parts--you'll be glad you did! When I flew with one that age, I took my good stroller, with the big basket underneath, to haul everything that wasn't checked. I took a sling to use on the plane. My little girl still breastfeeds &, at that age, she did what any practical breastfed kid is going to do with Mama nailed to a chair for 5 hours--nursed and slept. Our last trip, when she was 19 months, was tougher, as it took more to occupy her that long, & she has a baby brother now, too.

I have had great success with books, but my daughters favorite pass time while flying or waiting to fly was with my laptop. She would watch movies, educational cartoons etc. Even just a plain piece of paper & a couple of crayons or a pen, kept Lindsay occupied when nothing else would work. Good Luck

I have in-laws that live in England, so with 2 kids - 6 & 3 I have plane travel down! If your 1 year old is traveling as a lap child you can check your car seat. If he has a seat you can use it on the plane. The bottle for take off & landing is good to have, I think they have more trouble with landing than take off. But if they're sleeping... let them sleep, don't wake them to give them the bottle. I always have lollipops as well, anything that allows them to suck. The first few times I traveled with my daughter I had a bag full of toys... she never played with more than a few things... so resist the urge to overpack on stuff to entertain with. Books, stickers, a new toy are great... whatever you decide to take keep it hidden until you take off so everything is new and exciting. Don't forget to pack snacks, the airlines are always fine if it's stuff for babies. Remember to pack an extra set of clothes, plenty diapers and wipes. Have fun and good luck!

my husband just flew about a month ago with our 18 month old. I packed 3 bottles of milk and a sippy cup of juice in the carry on and security had no problem with it. apparently they are much more lenient now about the liquids when it comes to babies. I packed his favorite books and the portable dvd player. he had benedryl before takeoff - didn't sleep but was a perfect angel on a 6 hour flight. Something to think about with the carseat - my husband took ours but it had to be checked in plane-side not up front with the regular luggage at the counter. this meant that he had to haul it all the way through the airport and it was a big bulky thing that was hard to manage along with the baby and carry on.

Hi J.: I have never responded on mamasource, but this is a subject about which I actually know alot! I have traveled extensively with my son from the age of 2 months on -with and without my husband - across country, to various locations in the U.S. and abroad, so we've actually been on flights of 12 hours or more. He is 10 now and a wonderful world traveler, so I guess it pays off.

Yes, I always had a bottle ready for my son for take off and landing as it can help with their ears. I think you need to look at the TSA website (I believe it's www.tsa.gov) and see what the current rule is with respect to bottles for babies. I believe there is some special rule where you can bring a certain amount of bottles, liquid formula, etc. If not, you should see if you can get powdered milk, formula or whatever you feed him and bring that in your carryon. Once you go through the security checkpoint, you can buy water to mix it at any of the delis, etc. I also found that the flight attendants were very nice to us and would give us water, milk, etc. in flight. I would not, however, depend on that. They are sometimes very harried before take off and don't have time to get out galley supplies.

As for the car seat, if is is FAA approved (there is usually a sticker on the seat), you can bring it on the plane. If you do not have a ticket for your son, you can sometimes get an empty seat so he can sit in his own car seat on the plane. Flights these days are more and more full, but you can probably bring it to the gate and find out if there are extra seats. If not, they can gate check the seat for you. I would also mention if you are renting a car, you can ask for a car seat, but you may be more comfortable with your own.

When my son was as young as yours, I would basically bring some of his books and favorite toys to keep him busy. Just be prepared to be fully engaged reading to him, playing with him, etc. I also found that for several years, my son loved stickers. I carried a small notebook with me and several different kinds of stickers. He would basically pull them off the strips and put them in the notebook. As he got older, he would supplement the pages with stickers with his own drawings. He loved it - and we kept the notebook and he still gets a kick out of looking back on it.If you are lucky, he will nap on the plane, but otherwise, I think you just entertain him with what he is used to. Have fun!

We bought some colorful tissue paper, and wrapped about 20-25 novelty items from cheap places like the dollar store. I also wrapped a few fruit snacks/treats, a glowing rubber ball, a mini vibrating back massager, barrel of monkeys, a pop-up calculator...cheap things that we could look at for a little while, but not so expensive I'd be sorry to see them go. Anyway, he had fun un-wrapping the gifts, and it distracted him for most of the flight. I also brought along just a small box of tissues...he enjoyed just pulling them all out. Ripping up the Sky Mall magazine was also fun.

Just got done flying w/18 mo. old son. Brought car seat for the trip (no rental car - visited relatives). Used it on the departing trip but checked it at the gate on the return trip. United was good about checking both strollers and carseats at the gate. I did not bring a stroller, but bought a $20 small lightweight collapsable dolley at Costco. Strapped the seat to it to run my son through both Chicago and Denver during plane changes. Worked great in the large airports and even checked the seat still attached to it at the gate. They also sell straps that connect your car seat to your carry-on so you don't have to carry it (about $15). They sell dolleys for the purpose of traveleing and connecting to your car seat but they are about $90. My son had his own seat but i still checked the car seat - as he could too easily kick the back of the seat in front of us... No problems with bringing kids snacks/drinks (bottle w/straw) on the plane. Most airlines have milk also. My son drank/ate during take off and landing. no ear problems. Have a great trip! Don't worry too much about the people around you - they were babies once too and they'll get over it!

I would call the airline about restrictions of what you can bring. also, prepare the 9 year old for being searched. We flew to florida when my son was 6 (he is now 11) and they actually made him take off his shoes and searched him. they tried to take him into another area while my husband and i were searched, and I had to straight up tell them i would not allow my son out of my sight, period. they let him sit in a chair away from where we were but in the same room. i thought this was ridiculous and said so. i suggest you and your husband each take a kid and dont let the airport personal seperate you. i would also take the other moms suggestion that you have a car seat waiting as the less you have to search the quicker you will get thru. good luck

Whether you let your little one watches tv on the ground or not, speaking from experience, a portable dvd player and some baby einstein dvds will be your best assistant in the air.Also, they will let you take a bottle on the plane. you may want to contact the airline though and find out the size requirements.

Hi J.,

I did some travel to Hawaii with my 21 month old and I was told that anything related to the baby's safety travel (car seat, stroller) will be checked free of charge. I gate checked the stroller and checked the car seat. Also , they allowed all liquids and food for him without any hassle. As many moms have suggested stickers helped, books, a portable DVD player and crayons.

I have traveled three times with my son (each time to Hawaii to visit family) and I must say that people were overall very understanding. Only once did he cry and people around me were so supportive and nice. I wish you the same experience!! Good luck!!

Good Morning J.,
The airlines do let you give bottles and nurse during takeoff and landings. Maybe not for the first 3 minutes or so of the take off, but immediately thereafter. Since your trip is so short, a turn around trip, I also would suggest leaving the car seat at home. Most all rental car companies (at the airports)have car seats to rent as well as most fire departments have them free of charge to use. I would call ahead to the city you are traveling to and check out their local chamber of commerce, fire and police stations and the airport you will be landing at for info on car seats.

To keep him occupied I would bring a portable DVD player with his favorite cartoons or movie. What has worked for me in the past is buying one or two new toys that he won't see until you need them on the flight. Only bring the toys out when you fear he is headed for his own crash landing on the plane. Something new tends to keep a 12 month old happy for at least an hour!!

Other than that don't sweat it. People will just have to understand and deal with it. Sometimes I would rather sit next to a fussy baby than the snoring, stinky people I've endured.

Good luck and try to just have a good time. Enjoy your free tickets, they don't come around very often.

Have a safe and fun flight,
L. A.

We always had great luck with giving our girls Infant Benadryl before we got on the plane (a word of caution, try it at home to make sure it makes your baby sleepy - it has the opposite effect with some kids). You have the benefit of having your child sleep the whole way AND their ears won't pop or be painful. Our pediatrician recommended this and I still do it to this day!

In terms of the car seat, provided that your baby has his own seat on the plane, take the car seat on with you. It has to be forward-facing on the plane, but will provide a comfy and familiar place for baby to sleep (plus, he'll be contained in a 5-point harness - always useful).

If your baby is on formula, just take the powder with you (in those single-serving pouches, if you can) and then a couple of clean bottles. Ask the flight attendant for warm water - they are usually great about preparing bottles whenever you need them. If your baby is on regular milk, the airline can provide that for you and heat it up.

Happy travels!

Pack all kinds of goodies in your diaper bag. We always take crayons/markers and coloring book, stickers, small containers of play dough, books, lots and lots of snacks. We even let our kids have lollipops on the plane, which is a huge treat. Check with the airport, but my daughter was able to take a sippy cup of milk through airport security last time we flew about a yr ago. They actually didn't even look at it, just let her carry it through. A portable dvd player is always a good last resort if your son is into that yet. It is always a good idea to purchase a couple of new toys before you leave that he has never seen before to take out when he starts to get antsy, and if he has a couple tried and true favorites or a lovey, don't forget to pack those. Good luck. I always anticipate our plane rides are going to be much worse than they are, and they always turn out fine (although exhausting).

J., I just traveled last month. I brought a separate smallish cooler bag with the baby's bottles and food (no prob in security, they take a look at it and let you through). I also brought the combi stroller and car seat all the way to the gate. We didn't have a seat booked for the baby but when we got to the gate we asked if there was a seat free so we could take the car seat on the plane. There was so they let us (FYI - the gate check person was horrible on the way back, so I went to the door of the plane at boarding time and asked the stewardess to check if someone was next to me on the seat chart - there wasn't and she let me on with the car seat even though the evil woman at the check in said no!). I just brought 2 new toys so the baby stayed interested on the flight....mine didn't sleep AT ALL although I know the vast majority of babies do! Good luck, it's a lot less stress than you think!

if you actually have a seat for your child, you can install the car seat in the airplane's seat as long as it is FAA approved. . i always gate check car seats because if you don't have them at your destination, you are totally screwed... not all airlines do it, but it is worth asking. i also gate check a stroller for the same reason.

go to the dollar store or the dollar aisle at target & pick up a handful of cheap new toys & stuff 'em, in your diaper bag. whip 'em out after take off & they'll keep your wee one occupied. (if your almost one year old isn't the kind of kid who puts everything in his mouth, matchbox cars are ideal.) we also play games with the magazines ie: look at the pictures & play i spy..

you can bring in baby milk/formula but you are limited to amount, so check the TSA webpage.

have fun!