Any tip to travel with a 3-month old infant in a national flight?

Beth - posted on 05/13/2012

Most of my family and friends are in the UK so I don't need to fly anywhere, all within a few hours drive. Though I have learnt a few tricks along the way. In the UK, we can buy ready made forumla in tetra-pack style boxes so bought a few of them for the longer journeys so that I had made up stuff and didn't have to worry about running out of made up bottles. Also made up the expected amount to be drunk during the journey.

As for clothes - finding it's easier now as my girls need less clothes as they've grown up - due to the clothes being dirty. Certainly when my girls were younger would take more clothes than needed. I've improved - taken clothes that they would need for definately fresh every day, and a mixture of clothes that they could wear, hopefully, 2/3 days on the trot.

Easiest thing would say was to work out how much milk they would need normally, plus take a bit extra, just in case. Hardest thing - getting the ratio of clothes right. Certainly when my girls were little, overpacked quite often. It's a skill that I've improved on, and now pack what I know they need, with maybe one spare outfit.

Each airline will have a size/weight limit - so would need to check what they are. As for baby formula - the only thing I can suggest is check what the current rules are, even though I haven't flown for a while, I know that the rules have changed quite a bit. I'm guessing here, but they will expect that as you've got a baby with you that you will have bottles of formula made up with you and also other baby essentials with you (including nappies, wipes etc). the best thing I can suggest is that you talk to someone linked with the airline you're planning to travel with and get their latest guidance for everything.

As for take off and landing, I've got friends/family who've flown with young children/babies. I think that one thing that was mentioned was that during take off/landing that they made sure that the child had something to suck on (either a bottle of milk or a dummy/pacifier, I think it was). I'm not sure if it works, but worth checking out with friends of yours who have flown with children before.

Louise - posted on 05/13/2012

My advice is to ring the airline and book her a seat so that you can take her car seat. We took our daughter on a 5 hour flight in her own car seat and she slept most of it and was really unfussed the whole time. The other children on the plan that were being held by parents the whole time were miserable as they were cramped up and the mother could not eat because there was no room for the table to come down. My daughter was older than yours but we got her out half way through the flight and let her have a stretch and then put her back in. She was used to her own chair and I took a bag of her toys in my hand luggage. Although I had to pay for the flight for her it did mean that she had a luggage allowance as well as us so we took everything we needed.

Another tip is make sure you buy a buggy bag for your pushchair or cot as this stops the wheels being ripped off whilst on the luggage racks at the airport.

Monica - posted on 05/12/2012

We will be going to a place where the closest supermarket will be 30 min away, and an actual hospital will be 1.30hrs away.
We will be only leaving for 5 days. But, it is the first time we will be travelling with a baby in a airplane.
I would like to know about your experiences. Things that you didn't prepare for and new things you have seen have changed. From the simplest thing to most-complicated thing. For instance, I'm not sure if the baby formula should be already mixed to be accepted through airport security. Another example, now airlines have a size/weight limit on the stollers and whether they have to be registered.

Beth - posted on 05/12/2012

Depends on where you end location is. If you're going to stay with friends/family then you can make slightly different plans to if you're staying in a hotel. Do your research to what shops are available locally (like supermarkets), so that you only have to take a set amount of nappies/formula with you.

Your best weapon on this will be research - check out which airlines/airports are child/baby friendly - will/do they allow you special seating area. Same goes for your end destination - is it child/baby friendly. Are the basic essentials - kettle, baby food warming services, able to buy more baby things (food, milk, nappies, baby wipes etc). Also other essentials like making sure that there's laundry facilities available where you're staying. This will help when it comes to reducing the amount of clothing you need to take (especially for your daughter).