To Fly or Not to Fly?

Flying with a baby can feel like a mission, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. We flew four times with Milo when he was 9 and 11 months old, and it was a really positive experience for us!

Of course, every baby is different. We’ve definitely seen parents on the same flights struggling to calm their little ones, so it really depends on your baby’s temperament and how prepared you feel.

One thing we learned quickly is that your experience changes as your baby grows. When flying with a baby, it isn’t just about how many months old they are; it’s about their development.

For example, if you are flying with a baby who is 10 months old and who is happy sitting in a carrier, it is a completely different travel companion than one who is ready to crawl or walk.  When we headed to Portugal, Milo had just started walking, which changed our rhythm completely

The Basics & When to Start

When can an infant fly?

If you are wondering when can an infant fly? The general rule is that a healthy, full-term newborn can fly as early as 7 days old. However, most doctors and airlines recommend waiting until they are at least 2 or 3 months old to allow their immune systems to develop.

Don’t feel like you have to wait for the “perfect” age to be flying with a baby, though. Whether they are crawling or walking, the best time to start is now.

Booking your infant’s flight

When booking an infant flight, you generally have two choices for children under 2 years old:

• Lap Infant: Your baby sits on your lap for a small fee. In Europe, they’ll give you a special extension belt that loops through yours.
• Reserved Seat: You buy a full seat for the baby. This is more expensive but allows you to bring an FAA-approved car seat for them to sleep in.

When we flew with Milo, we stayed within Europe, visiting countries like Serbia and Portugal. Even on low-cost carriers like Wizz Air and Volotea, the experience was quite similar and manageable

Adjusting to the Rhythm

The “best” way of flying with a baby is to lean into their new skills. In the airport, this might mean letting them walk around to burn energy. Milo was so excited at the airport before our flight to Portugal that he was walking from person to person, saying hi!

This meant he couldn’t fall asleep right away and pushed his nap time, but it made him much more tired (and ready to sleep) once we were actually in the ai

Strollers, Gear, and Navigating the Airport

Getting through the airport with a baby feels like a workout, but knowing the rules about your gear can save you a lot of stress (and money).

Baggage and Baby Equipment

From what we’ve noticed, at least within Europe, you can usually bring two pieces of baby equipment for free if your child is under two years old. This typically means a stroller and a car seat or a travel cot.

However, we highly recommend checking with your specific airline first, as rules can change depending on how far you are flying. We found the process very similar on both Wizz Air and Volotea.The Stroller

Strategy

One of the most frequent questions when flying with a baby is whether to bring a stroller or a carrier. Our advice? Bring both.

• The Stroller: Perfect for long walks or when your baby needs a nap while you explore.
• The Carrier: Essential for stairs, cobblestones, or when you just need your hands free.

For our infant flights, we chose to bring our full-size stroller rather than a compact travel version for sentimental reasons. While it was great for Milo’s comfort, it did have drawbacks, like having to change our rental car in Portugal because the trunk was too small!

Unless you have a specific reason to bring a big one, a dedicated travel stroller that folds down small is the easiest way to go.

At the Airport: Gates and Lanes

When flying with a baby, you can usually keep your stroller with you all the way until the airplane door. Just keep in mind that if there are steps to get onto the plane, you’ll have to carry the baby and the folded stroller at the same time.

If your stroller isn’t “cabin-size,” you’ll leave it at the foot of the plane. Getting it back can be a bit of a surprise:

• In Germany, we got ours back directly outside the plane.
• In Serbia, Portugal, and France, we had to find it in the oversized luggage area.

Priority Perks

Flying with a baby often means you can use priority lanes for security and customs. However, this doesn’t always apply to the check-in counters. On our way back from Portugal, we still had to wait an hour in line to check in. It’s always best to arrive early, just in case.

Surviving the Flight: Seating, Sleeping, and Snacks

Once you are finally on the plane, the real challenge begins. Whether you are flying with a baby for one hour or three, keeping a baby occupied in a cramped space takes some strategy.

Choosing the Best Seats

For our infant flights, we usually book the window and middle seats. This gave us a bit of a “private” corner so Milo could look outside. Surprisingly, the most interesting thing for him wasn’t the clouds; it was opening and closing the window blinds over and over again!

If you are flying with an infant, those little built-in features can be your best entertainment.

The “Special Belt” and Safety

During takeoff, landing, and any time the seatbelt sign is on, your baby has to be strapped in with a special extension belt that loops through yours.

Our top tip for flying with a baby? Keep it on as much as possible, even when he’s asleep. If you hit turbulence and the sign comes on, you won’t have to wake him up just to click the belt back in. Luckily, the belt is long enough that they can sleep in almost any position, forward, backward, or curled up.

The Secret to Sleep

We found that matching flight times with nap times is a total game-changer. For one of our early morning flights, Milo fell asleep almost immediately. However, be prepared for “airport adrenaline.”

When we went to Portugal, Milo was so excited by all the people that he pushed his nap time back by hours. He eventually crashed on the plane, but it took longer than we expected!

Snacks and Toys: Your Secret Weapons

Anytime that you are flying with a baby, you should definitely bring your own food. We packed plenty of small snacks for Milo, and since Tina was still breastfeeding, that was our go-to for comfort and ear pressure during takeoff.

When it comes to toys, you don’t need a whole suitcase, just a few key items:

• Silent Toys: Bring things that won’t annoy your neighbors, like soft books or “fidget” toys.
• The “Accidental” Toy: Sometimes the best toy isn’t a toy at all. Our action camera became Milo’s favorite thing to hold and explore during the flight!
• The Pacifier Rule: Always carry more than you think you need. We lost a few just during the transit process, and you don’t want to be without one during a mid-air meltdown

The Magic of Layers

When flying with a baby, we always recommend dressing your little one in easy-to-remove layers. This was a huge lesson for us during our travels through colder spots like Serbia in January.

Pushing a stroller or carrying a baby through a cold airport, then stepping onto a heated plane, means you’ll be constantly adding or removing clothes. 

If you have layers, you can adjust their temperature without waking them up from a nap.

Always Bring a Blanket

When flying with a baby, never rely on the airline to provide a blanket, especially on shorter flights within Europe. We always carry a dedicated baby blanket in our “everything” bag.  It’s not just for warmth; a familiar blanket smells like home and can help your baby feel secure enough to fall asleep in a strange environment.

While we are talking about clothes, don’t forget to pack a full change of clothes for the baby, and maybe a spare shirt for yourself, in your carry-on. Between mid-air blowouts and spilled juice, you really never know when you’ll need a fresh start.

Finding Your Rhythm and Avoiding Burnout

The biggest lesson we learned from traveling through 9 countries with Milo and flying with a baby is that your itinerary belongs to the baby as much as it belongs to you. If you try to stick to your old “pre-baby” travel pace, you’ll likely end up exhausted. We have a complete article about that but here are the most important things to know.

The “Slow Travel” Secret

In Portugal, we stayed in 11 different accommodations over 21 days. While it kept us close to the sights, packing and unpacking baby gear 11 times was draining. If we did it again, we’d choose three or four “base” locations and do day trips instead. This gives your baby a familiar “home” to return to, which helps them wind down.

Managing Meals and Nap Times

As Milo’s “wake windows” got longer, he started going to bed later, around 8:30 PM. Instead of trying to find a baby-friendly restaurant late at night, we found our sweet spot:

• The Big Lunch: We would eat a nice meal out during the day when everyone was energized.
• Early Returns: We aimed to be back at our accommodation by 5:00 PM.
• The Kitchen Rule: We always recommend booking an apartment or a place with a shared kitchen. It’s cheaper, less stressful, and gives you the flexibility to prep baby food whenever you need it.

Letting Go of the Guilt

You might feel pressure to provide perfect, homemade organic meals every day, but doing that while living out of a suitcase is a recipe for burnout. We found that combining our meals with store-bought baby food jars was the best way to stay sane.

In places like Portugal, grocery stores are well-stocked, though in other spots like Serbia, it can be harder to find specific cereals or jars.

Our Final Tips for Your First Trip

• Check the Boot Space: If you’re renting a car, ensure the trunk is large enough for your specific stroller, we learned this the hard way!.
• The Highchair Factor: When booking accommodation, look for a place with a highchair. It sounds small, but being able to eat without a wriggling baby on your lap is a massive win.
• Pack Spares: Bring more pacifiers than you think you need; we lost three in Portugal alone!.

Flying with a baby is definitely more logistics-heavy, but seeing the world through their eyes—and finding the best local playgrounds along the way—makes every bit of effort worth it.