A Parent’s Guide For Flights With Kids: Everything You Need to Know
Flights with your baby are not so easy at all. It is one of the most challenging experiences parents face in life. It only takes a moment or a few minutes for kids to change their mood. Most babies don’t get easily adapted to changing environments.
Whether your child is an infant or a toddler, managing to stay with your kid in the same place for a long time until the destination sounds impossible. Especially on flights, you can’t get down or stop at your convenience. So, parents, handling your kid during flights, with all the necessary things close by, is very important.
In this guide, you will get to know about everything you need for a safe, carefree flight with your baby. Parents must-haves according to your kid’s age, facts necessary for parents during flights, and parental tips for a peaceful flight will be discussed in this blog.
Important Facts Parents Should Know
Many parents face difficulties before and during the flight due to the less of details known earlier, less planning, and organising. This makes it a worse travel experience for both parents and the child. So let’s know the things you really need to know in advance before your flight and what you need to be ready with during your flight.
Before all, you need to be aware of the rules and policies of your airline. Make sure to read everything carefully. If you have any special requirements or doubts, contact them early and get them approved or verified.
Tickets, Seats
Normally, there are 2 types of child tickets: for infants and children. Infant tickets, usually on the lap, are mostly free for babies from 7 days to 2 years old. Here, the baby is with you, and no special seat is provided. If you need one infant seat, you can purchase one, which might incur extra charges. Only one infant can sit on the lap of an adult, and additional infants under two must have their own safety seat.
Children’s tickets are for kids from 2 years to 11 years. You need to buy a separate passenger ticket. The seats of children are with their parents. Each infant or child must be accompanied by an adult over 18 years. Contact the airline reservations if you are seats are placed far apart. If you are travelling with family and need to be seated close, book your seats as far in advance as possible, as seats become limited closer to departure.
Baby bassinets, car seats, strollers, prams
If you’ve booked a separate passenger ticket for your child, check with the airline whether you can carry a bassinet, car seat, or bring your own inflatable flight cushion or convertible gadget to turn your child’s seat into a bed. Most airlines allow it for free. So contact them and get it verified. Buy portable bassinets, carseats, or foldable baby strollers and prams you need, that meet the airline standards and requirements. One carry-on diaper bag is allowed per child. Most airlines allow it as a cabin bag allowance if it meets their specific requirements.
Food on Flight
Contact your airline and inquire whether you can bring your own food prepared at home or request special meal reservations. Contact them again 48 hours before travel, and check whether your reservation is placed and not missed during the flight.
Things You Need with Close Reach During The Flight
After knowing everything regarding flights and being prepared, the real battle starts with your kid on the plane. Keeping them normal, making your flight peaceful with fewer troubles, is the next parenting challenge. Even that can be managed with a few more tricks. Let’s see how you can calm down and handle your baby based on their age and preferences.
Infants (7days upwards)
Flights for new parents might be pretty hard. Your newborn baby is still so new and sensitive to the surroundings and different environments. Irregular sleeping, feeding, and crying often, where parents hardly find the reason, can be common. So being prepared with every necessity close by is very important.
For babies at this stage, keeping them sleeping during the flight is the best option. Try your best to keep them so during the flight time.
Nursing mothers can travel with a breast pump and a small, soft-sided cooler of breast milk in addition to carry-on items. Most airports also provide nursing rooms and stations for convenience.
During takeoff and landing, the pressure changes are huge for your infant, so if you can breastfeed or give your baby a bottle, the swallowing can help with equalising their ears. A little-known fact is that there are no microwaves on board, so get prepared with baby sterilisers and warmers.
Toddlers(1-3 years)
For your baby at this stage, make sure to have their favourite normal meals. Be prepared with the things they love close by for quick access, to reduce messes and troubles. Most airlines allow to have a foldable, lightweight stroller on board the cabin.
If your baby is crawling and touching everything around, make sure to disinfect such places using sanitisers. Be prepared with extra clothes, diapers, a double nappy, pull-ups, snacks your baby loves, teethers, feeding bottles, infant formula and with little surprises for your baby, like some new toys in addition. If you have made any special meals requested earlier with the airlines, ask and get them.
Kids above 3 years
Staying at one place seated may be the most impossible task for your playful kid. Your kids might get easily agitated, frustrated, and hungry. May even kick the front seat or trouble like saying need to go home, can’t stay here, and so on.
First, don’t overstimulate your child. If your baby is quiet and is enjoying the views, let it be so.
Before the flight, just talk with your kid, tell them about the flight, role-play how to stay, about the destination and make it feel nice and interesting. Kids tend to do better when they have a sense of what’s going to happen.
Yes, kids can stay calm only for some time. So make sure you pack a surprise bag with lots of little things your kid loves. Favourite snacks, toys, and colour books they love. It’s better if you come up with a new toy.
Additional Tips
– When flying with children, especially babies and toddlers, the fewer stops, the better. Purchase direct flights whenever possible.
– Try to keep your baby normal and calm down. Stick to a normal routine. Carry some surprises and their favourites. Make sure you have given all medications, food on time.
– Try to order duty-free online to save queuing time with your little rascals.
– Spills can happen anytime. Hand sanitiser and baby wipes will come in handy in such instances.
– Have most essentials nearby with quick access in carry bags/ diaper bags. Pack spare clothes (for unexpected vomits), toys, snacks they love and all necessities packed with proper organisation and quick access. If you are not sure how to pack your bag properly, read our blog on how to pack your bag for long travels, explained simply.
Final Thoughts
Flights with your baby are no longer troublesome. With everything known, prepared, planned and organised in advance, any longer travel is a beautiful memory for you and your baby.
For safe travels, hygienic, trusted baby-friendly products are essential. Kidzcare supports you in all your parenting occasions, meeting the needs of your baby at different stages. Explore our range of trusted baby care products and feel the ease of parenting with happy kids.
