A couple of weeks ago, we took Seth on his first big trip. As I shared in Monday’s post, we flew to Dallas at the beginning of the month to surprise my best friend Elena for her birthday. We’re definitely not experts on traveling with a baby after two flights, but we did learn some things. In the lead up to our trip, I was asking everyone for tips and reading blog posts. So, I thought I would share my perspective. I’m not going to lie, it was stressful, but it was so worth it!
Our Experience
We decided it would be worth it to get Seth his own seat and bring his car seat. Recently we decided to get a more compact stroller that we could leave at daycare and use for travel. It folds up super small and fit in the overhead bin. The only downside is that our car seat isn’t compatible with it, so it made carrying stuff a little more cumbersome. That aside, we managed okay going through security and just took Seth out of the stroller and carried him. Word to the wise: you can bring full bottles, but they will likely get inspected. Make sure those lids are screwed on tight!
In terms of scheduling, we had some flexibility on the front end, so we scheduled our flight for around the time of Seth’s morning nap. The flight was a little more than three hours long, and he did great. He fell asleep as we were leaving the gate and slept right through takeoff. When he woke up, he wanted to play and look around, and then I ended up giving him a bottle as we were landing. Honestly, the time he was the fussiest was in the Uber on the way to the airport.
For the way home, we prioritized having more time in Dallas. Our flight was scheduled for late afternoon, when Seth’s naps are a little more unpredictable. And then, we were an hour and a half delayed. He was fussy before we boarded and then for most of the flight. Fortunately, he wasn’t screaming his head off, but he was unhappy. I plied him with snacks as much as I could. Eventually, he fell asleep laying across our laps and I was somehow able to move him to the car seat. A very kind flight attendant comped us a round of drinks, which we greatly appreciated. Getting an Uber home took a while, and needless to say, we were all wiped when we got home.
Lessons Learned
- Pre-boarding for people with small children isn’t automatic anymore. At least for American Airlines, you have to ask the gate agent for permission. But, do it, it’s worth it to have that extra time and not be rushed.
- Fold up the stroller before you get on the plane. Even our compact travel stroller wouldn’t fit down the aisle (and we learned that the hard way).
- Even for a relatively short flight, being able to put Seth in the car seat to sleep was great for us.
- Bring snacks. Teething crackers were especially clutch.
- Bring portable toys that don’t take up much space.
- Be patient, with your kid and yourselves.
