Travel with Kids

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Last updated: October 27, 2026. This update replaces outdated airline, airport-screening, and medication guidance with current FAA, TSA, and CDC information; the family stories remain historical. Date information added October 28, 2026.

First published June 11, 2020. These are Leslie’s experiences and preferences; airline and screening rules can change, so check current guidance before each trip.

Have a baby and want to travel? Fear no more! I’ve got all the tips you need to fly with your baby and make it as smooth as possible.

We’ve been traveling the world with our five kids for two years and have flown dozens of times with kids of various ages. When the time came for my first flight with my first baby, anxiety haunted me. How would I make the 3 hours from Denver to Chicago with a baby?! Babies are so unpredictable. Absolutely, I did not want to be that person with the crying baby.

We breezed through that first flight without any major hiccups, despite my tension. Since then, I’ve taken five different babies on flights around the world. You can too!

Our related family video: Flying To Bali With 5 Kids! | Our Epic International Adventure!.

Before You Get On the Plane with a Baby

Calm Your Emotions

Try to stay calm. This is my top tip for helping yourself through a travel day. I felt my babies picked up on my stress, but babies can cry even when their parents are calm. A fussy flight does not mean you have done anything wrong.

For this entire flight, you will project calm. Nothing is going to ruffle you. Security may be nasty, the flight might be delayed, your neighbor on the plane might be grumpy, and your baby might cry. You are going to tell yourself right now that all of this is OK. In fact, you may just want to expect it.

Visualize how you would like to respond. Staying calm helped me feel more prepared, but a baby may still fuss and parents cannot control every part of a flight.

Plan Enough Time To Get There

Arrive early. I am late for everything. I struggle to not over-commit, in general, and our schedule gets the worst of my ambitions. We were late a few times to our initial flights with kids and I swore to quit that habit right away. You do NOT want to be late for your flight, ever, but especially with kids. It is so stressful!

At the time of this guide, we planned to arrive at the airport 3-4 hours before many of our flights. Often we budget more time for an international flight. If we only have a few hours in a city before our flight, we don’t try to fit in any more sightseeing and we just head to the airport instead. Better to relax at the airport, trust me! Bring books, homework, work, whatever, and plan to do that instead while you wait for your flight. Follow your airline and airport’s current arrival guidance for your itinerary.

Bring the Baby Gear for Your Flight

Bring that car seat out of the car. You DO want to bring the fancy car seat and stroller combo from your baby registry all the way to the plane. Whether you have a seat for your baby or not, which I’ll discuss in a moment, you want to bring that car seat with you to the plane.

We preferred bringing our own car seat for a rental car or an extended family member’s car at our destination. Check that it is suitable for your child and the vehicles you will use, and confirm airline requirements if you plan to use it aboard.

Check the car. Triple check you haven’t left the diaper bag, passports, or anything else essential in the car. Learn from my mistakes.

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Wear Baby To The Plane

Wear your baby into the airport. I enjoyed babywearing, but it is one option for getting through the airport; use the gear and routine that work for your family.

A carrier can be one way to move through the airport, if it works for your family. In my U.S. TSA experiences, I was often able to keep a baby in the carrier during screening, but officers may ask you to remove the baby or screen you another way. Check current TSA instructions and follow the officer’s directions.

Note: My favorite baby carriers for infants are this Ergo Carrier and the Baby K’Tan. My favorite for toddlers is the MiaMily Carrier.

Going Through Airport Security With A Baby

Dealing with security checks demands patience from everyone, but parents have extra challenges. Little ones bring extra gear and demand more attention through security.

With infants, your biggest challenge will be all your gear.

• Car seats and strollers may be screened differently depending on the equipment and checkpoint. Follow the screening officer’s instructions.
• Keep diapers, bottles, baby food, and diaper-bag liquids easy to reach in case officers need to inspect them.
• At U.S. TSA checkpoints, formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby or toddler food may be carried in reasonable quantities over 3.4 ounces. Tell the officer at the start of screening and expect additional screening. Other countries have their own rules. For details, see the US TSA rules and Traveling with Children by TSA; follow the officer’s instructions about screening methods. If you do not want these baby liquids X-rayed or opened, tell the officer; TSA describes alternate screening for the liquids and additional screening for the accompanying traveler and belongings.

After Airport Security

Find a notice board and double-check your gate and flight info. Sometimes, in the process of boarding a plane, your gate might have changed. Even worse, your flight might be canceled! Best to find out now and not at the gate.

Hit the bathroom before boarding. A fresh diaper was part of our routine. I had heard of double-diapering for a long flight, but had not tried it myself. Pack spare diapers and clothes where you can reach them.

Once You Are Waiting At Your Gate with a Baby

Get baby some sleep. If there is time, I like to offer a nap before boarding; I like walking with a baby in a carrier, and a stroller or rocking them in my arms may work for other families.

Ask about gate-check tags. If you plan to gate-check a stroller or car seat, ask your airline or gate staff how its tagging and handoff work. The process and pickup location can vary by carrier and airport.

Ask about family boarding. Every airline is a bit different about family boarding. While you are getting your stroller tags, ask about family boarding, and make sure you are in the right spot at the right time.

Boarding the Plane with a Baby

The big moment is here! Remember to BE CALM.

I like to make important items easily accessible. I put them on top of the diaper bag or carry them onto the plane. Getting to your seat, buckling, and dealing with fellow passengers and a baby can get tricky.

If your airline allows gate-checking a stroller, ask where and when to leave it; the process and pickup location vary by carrier and airport.

Seats for a Baby on a Flight

Should your baby have a seat? On our earlier trips, I held my newborns or infants; with five kids, I found another ticket price hard to stomach. For U.S. flights, the FAA permits lap children under two but strongly discourages it: it recommends an approved child restraint in the child’s own seat for the entire flight. Buying a ticket is the way to guarantee use of that seat. You can ask a gate agent about an available seat, but do not count on one. Fares, bassinet availability, eligible seats, and booking requirements vary by airline and route; check before booking.

Tips For Having a Baby on the Plane

Settle in. Follow the airline crew’s instructions about your baby carrier during taxi, takeoff, and landing. Under U.S. FAA rules, baby carriers may not be used during ground movement, takeoff, or landing. They are not approved substitutes for an aircraft child restraint. Carrier use during cruise also depends on airline policy. If your baby has a seat, use an approved restraint and check airline requirements in the FAA child safety-seat guidance. See also this earlier FAA reference.

Get your diaper bag where you can reach it and take out the things you’ll need right away: a bottle or nursing cover, pacifier, any travel accessories like your neck pillow, headphones, etc. Get comfy and be as relaxed as possible.

How and When to Feed a Baby on a Flight

Some parents offer a feed or pacifier during takeoff and descent, when sucking or swallowing may help ease ear pressure for some children. Follow your baby’s cues; you do not need to delay a hungry baby’s feed. The FAA recommends keeping children in an approved restraint throughout the flight; follow crew instructions when deciding how to feed or comfort your child.

If your baby is not hungry, a pacifier may be another option for sucking. Follow your baby’s cues and the crew’s restraint instructions; do not remove a child from a required restraint to follow a feeding timetable.

With my infants, I basically took out the boob before take-off and kept it out and ready the entire flight! I wore the nursing cover the entire time. On those past flights, I found nursing convenient because I could comfort nurse my baby throughout the trip. In fact, I enjoy flights more than road trips with infants! (I even tried nursing while a baby was in their car seat in the car—talk about a challenge. That is a past experience, not a reason to lean out of a seat belt or change a child’s restraint.).

Medications and a Flying Baby

Ask your child’s clinician about medication before a flight, especially if your baby seems uncomfortable or may be ill. The infant Tylenol “just in case” advice in the original guide should not guide a medication decision for your baby.

One pediatrician once advised me about giving an infant Tylenol before well-child shots. That was a past conversation about shots, not advice about flying.

If you suspect an ear infection or your baby seems to be in pain, contact your child’s clinician rather than assuming it is pressure or giving medicine just in case. The CDC notes that sucking or swallowing during descent may help with ear pressure for some children.

Tip: One of our boys was diagnosed with an ear infection the day before a flight. At the time, his pediatrician advised me to use a nasal decongestant spray for my baby when we boarded. That was guidance for our child on that occasion. Current CDC guidance says antihistamines and decongestants have not been shown to help flight-related ear pressure, and it notes age-related cautions. Ask your child’s clinician before using any medication.

Seatbelts While Holding Your Baby on the Plane

Buckle up, mama! A lap infant may be allowed, but the FAA strongly recommends a child’s own seat with an approved restraint as the safest option. Restraint requirements differ internationally, so ask the airline about the approved arrangements for your route and follow crew instructions. A lap belt or carrier is not a substitute for the FAA-recommended child restraint in a separate seat.

Dealing with Other People While Flying With a Baby

Once you are settled on the plane, take a minute to meet your neighbors. Clear the air right away and chitchat for a minute or two. Ask them about themselves and they will see you more as a person than an annoying baby mama.

Never be ashamed to be on a flight. You paid for a ticket, you deserve to travel and your baby will benefit from this travel with you. If the baby starts to fuss your new friend might even offer to grab the dropped pacifier or give you a consoling look.

I’ve heard of bringing small gifts for the people sitting around you. Think of a cute gift/snack/candy to share with your immediate neighbors. You might even include a note with something like, “Baby Lily is taking her second flight today near you. She promises to do her very best, but sometimes babies are unpredictable! Thank you for your patience today!”

What To Do When Your Baby Cries on the Plane

It’s going to happen eventually. Expect it. When it does, do your best to ignore everyone else and stay calm. Imagine yourself and your baby in the nursery room at home. Pretend no one else exists.

Remember, you have as much right to be there with your baby as anyone else on the plane. Calmly and slowly use your techniques to soothe your baby. Is he/she hungry? Overtired?

Try handing the baby to your partner, if you have one with you. This will give the baby a change of scenery and let you chill for a second. Take turns if you can. If nothing works, just keep doing you and endure.

What To Do With Baby During The Flight

Enjoy your flight as much as possible. Relax. Watch a movie. Soak up your napping baby.

Your next goal is to get your baby to sleep. A cranky, overtired baby is much more likely to cry through a flight. Use your tricks for your baby that get them to sleep. Nursing works like a charm for me!

If you need to change a diaper on the plane, ask the crew where a changing facility is available. I have changed diapers on my lap in the past; keep changing away from food surfaces and follow the crew’s guidance.

When Your Flight Is Nearly Done

During descent, sucking or swallowing may help with ear pressure. Offer a feed or pacifier when appropriate for your baby and consistent with crew instructions and the child’s restraint; there is no need to aim for a particular wheels-down feeding schedule.

If baby sleeps through landing, even better. You do not need to wake them to feed them instead.

Don’t rush off the plane. It’s ok to take your time and not pop right up. If your baby is sleeping, be the last ones off. Let all the anxious people off first.

You made it!! Congrats on successfully flying with a baby!

Our related family video: Flying To Bali With 5 Kids! | Our Epic International Adventure!.

Now that you know how to get through your next flight with a baby, be sure to visit my Tips for Dealing with Jet Lag with Children.

Have older kids and a baby? I’ve got tips for Flying with Toddlers and Flying with Older Children.

At the end of the day, your flights are just the stepping stone to amazing memories together. Travel days fade in your memories, but this trip won’t. You won’t regret going, I promise!

Wishing you the best in your flights,

Leslie

Additional Reading

10 Tips For Surviving Jet Lag When Traveling With Kids

Why You Should Use Flytographer For Your Next Family Vacation Photo Shoot

21 Best Audiobook Series for Family Road Trips