1. Prep-work : Seating selection for the family

• Make sure to call the airline that you’ll fly with an infant (less than 2 years old) They will ask for your baby’s name and birthdate. They will mark her/him as “infant at arm”. She/he’ll still have a boarding pass.
• I highly recommend that you upgrade seat to “premium economy” or above. It has more leg room and also, a peace in mind that your neighbor in front won’t slam his/her seat backwards by accident and hit your baby because there will be more room.
• Pick an appropriate seat location. I mainly sat at aisle seat (my husband in the middle/next to me) with my daughter because the flight was short, and it was easy to get in and out. And I didn’t have to nurse her. Our flight to the East Coast was more than 4 hours that I nursed her. In that case, I have chosen window seat for privacy reason. I also like that there was no one behind me in one of the trips.

2. Sleeping in the plane? Best schedule to fly the baby in my opinion.

On the way to Washington DC, we flew red eye flight. It was VERY exhausted for me. But my daughter had a very good sleep. She wasn’t fussy.

When we came back, we left DC around noon, so she was up and about. It turned out that it gave us more work to play with her and made her happy so she didn’t scream and shout.

Overall, I think I do like the red eye flight if flying domestic. Our next flight is international, so regardless when, we would have to deal with her being awake and fussy. More experience and strategy to share next January.

3. Safest and the most convenient way to transporting an infant to the airport all the way to the plane.

We drove our car and parked at long term parking because both trips are over a 3 day weekend. We could afford the long term parking. Next trip will be 2 week international, so we’ll get a shuttle service that provides car seat.

Wear the baby in the baby carrier during boarding process, including taking the shuttle bus from long term parking to departure lobby. Gatecheck stroller, carseat, and/or carseat base. We gatechecked carseat base so we don’t have to worry about missing our carseat base at the baggage claim. Carry on your Diaper bag. Have your husband or relatives push the stroller, car seat, car seat base, diaper bag, and any baby belongings. Or you can carry all those, and have your husband wear the baby. Tag team.

4. Feeding Strategy:

1. Check itinerary and find out when to pump/nurse.
2. Need to locate the nursing room information of each airport you stop by ahead of time. You can either pump there or just nurse there.
3. Use this app Mamava to help. More info, read about my review (working in progress)

– Feeding in the plane?

I did that only once just to sooth my daughter to sleep. I was sitting on a window seat without any passengers behind me. I was on class where they gave us a pillow and a blanket. So I set it up so that she was comfortably in front of me. And I brought the nursing cover to cover myself.

– Feeding in the Airport?

Nursing room is your best friend, or find any Mamava pod. They are quite a lifesaver.

-What form of formula to get?

If you bottle feed formula, I would suggest 1) get those liquid forms in the bottle for convenience and readiness (imagine your baby is fussy). 2) also bring some 4oz travel-on-the-go packets if you have the space to mix some with warm water 3) Or buy those milk powder travel storage to save the cost. But those do take up space in your diaper bag.

5. Diaper changing strategy:

Change diapers before the flight (e.g. at the airport after security check while waiting to board) and change diapers while transferring.

Diaper changing in the plane?

We haven’t done it yet. I’ll be able to share experience in our next international flight. The changing platform in the lavatory usually is located in front of you or on the side. I did notice it’s more spacious in the lavatories in the middle of the aircraft. Meaning, lavatories in the first class or business class if they’re located in the front, might be a bit small and doesn’t have enough head room. Check that first before bringing your infant there.

Diaper changing in the Airport?

Change in the family room if you need your husband to help, or do it yourself in women’s room.

I always bring a pee pad and I have a swaddle blanket in my diaper bag so the pee pad has a protection layer between my baby and the changing table. The swaddle served as a cushion for my baby’s head. I forgot what airport, might be ATL, they have granite as their changing table. Imagine if your infant is fussy, she/he might ended up getting some head banging!

No changing table? SFO women’s bathroom has a couple couches, I am sorry, the family room/nursing room was occupied, I took out the pee pad and just changed my daughter on those couches.

6. What about Adults’ needs?

Tag team strategy: 1 person feed, the other person sleeps/rest/do whatever. 1 person eat meals, ask the flight attendant to delay serving the other parent. (if provided and served on the airplane) the other person holds the baby. 1 person changes the diaper, the other person do whatever. Take turns. Make sure both parents get enough rest during the trip.