Travel Tips - Getting Ready Does my child need a
passport?
Yes!
There are new rules regarding passports.
Even US
babies now are required to have passports.
Click here for help on organizing one.
Visas?
Babies
and children are subject to the same visa requirements as adults. Click here to find out what your destination
requires and what you need to organize in advance of your trip.
Buying a ticket?
If
you child is under 2 years old you do not have to buy a seat for the child.
However, if the plane is full you will have to hold your child on your lap.
There are bassinettes available for infants, but these cannot be guaranteed
ahead of time. (Seat vs bassinette – see
more details below)
Airlines
charge a fee for your child to be onboard, but it is minimal compared to a
ticket. If you do purchase a seat ask
for child discounts as usually their ticket price is about 70% of an adult
ticket.
Before you pack
Check
the luggage restrictions associated with your child’s fare before you pack! We
found that a backpack or the skiphop diaper bag were the best hand luggage so that our hands were free.
Also, we pushed our stroller and car seat right up to the gate. They check the stroller at the gate.
For
tips on the best items to take with you see The Gear!
Health
(1) Vaccinations - Make
sure your child is up-to-date on their vaccinations. We have found it handy to have a copy with us on our trip. Read more at the Center For Disease Control.
 (2) Pediatrician and Hospital - Get
the names of pediatricians and a hospital in your destination ahead of time. You will feel a lot better knowing that if a
problem came up you already know where to go or who to call.
(3) Organize
Travel Insurance! - We highly recommend
that you always travel with insurance. You never know what emergencies can come
up and for a small extra cost you can save yourself a lot of hassles. Click here to get a free quote.
Travel Tips - At the Airport Smooth negotiations at the airport
(1) Leave
plenty of time for check in or transfers.
As you well know things can take extra time with kids.
(2) Keep
your tickets/passports and important papers safe, but easily accessible.
(3) Try
and ask for help. Some airport officials will escort you through long lines and
allow you to have special treatment.
Marti: In New York JFK airport we did not have luck
with getting special treatment. However,
in Sao Paulo we
were escorted to the front of every line – check in, immigration, security and
boarding.
Car seats and strollers on
board?
Most
strollers will have to be checked at the door of the plane. The flight
attendants will direct you. You usually
pick the stroller up at this door of the plane. However, some airports like NY
JFK does not do this. Breastfeeding in public
This
can be a hassle especially in the airport as there are no real private
areas. If blankets do not help you find
the privacy you want then maybe get over your embarrassment! CDC has further information - Breastfeeding and Travel
Traveling Tips - On the Plane
We
recommend you bring on the plane all the important items you may need for your
child - Medicines, extra diapers, wipes, disposable mats, purell, toys, extra
outfit in case of spills/leaks.
Ears
What to do about their ears during take-off and landing is probably every mother's first question when taking their baby on a plane. We have heard that babies who sleep during take-off and landing are usually not effected. If they are awake then make sure they are sucking on something - pacifier, bottle, breast, etc.
Meals
Airlines
offer infant meals. Make sure you
request one. We always recommend that
you bring all the supplies you need on board with you. We had one mother run into a problem where
she could not even get milk on the plane.
They had run out!
Seat vs bassinette
Most
airlines do not allow you to pre-book a bassinette (especially US carriers).
Most make you wait until check-in or even at the gate! The problem is that if you do not get the
bassinette and the plane is full you will have to hold your infant on your lap.
(see safety questions below for safe tips on how to do this.) For long flights
this can be hard. However, if you do buy a seat for your infant then you may
not be able to get the bassinette. You
may be able to bring your car seat on board as a comfy alternative for your
baby. Check with the airline ahead of
time because there are some airlines that actually require you to register the
car seat beforehand. Other people have
said that even when they do not have a seat they walk right up to the plane
with the car seat and let the flight attendants work it out.
You
should also note that many bassinettes are located right underneath the big
screen in economy. It can be difficult
to settle a baby with the lights flashing in their eyes.
If
you do book a seat then you may want to read more about safety for travel. The child will need an approved child
restraint system (CRS). See more details
below.
Child Restraint System (CRS)
The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends a child be secured in a Child
Restraint System (CRS) for their safety on board a plane. FAA approved CRS’s state “this restraint is certified
for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”
To see if your car seat or other CRS is FAA approved check the base of
your infant or toddler car seat to look for the FAA approved sticker. if you do not see this statement double check
with the manufacturer to find out if the seat is approved for use in airplanes.
Also, note that car seats must be placed in a window seat otherwise they
restrict evacuations in case of an emergency.
The
FAA has given its thumbs up to using CARES
flight harness for children aged 1-2 years old who weigh 22-44 pounds. The CARES flight harness is an
easily transportable 'H' construction harness that you attach to a regular
airplane seat and lap belt. It is easy to transport and can be used in any
airplane seat. This devise has received
a lot of press lately and it appears to be a lot lighter to take with you then
a car seat!
Another
devise we came across in our research is the Baby B’aire. In North
America & Canada you cannot use this during take off and landing or any
harness devise for that matter, but in Australiasia and Europe
this is a good alternative to a belly belt. (Note that belly belts are banned
from the US.)
The
FAA has compiled a pamphlet about safety when flying. They recommend that you download it and take
it with you.
Childproof Your Flight
Dehydration during flight
Dehydration
is an issue for everyone when flying, but especially for children. This is due
to the air conditioning on the aircraft.
Encourage children and infants to take regular drinks from a bottle,
sipper or straw-cup or even from mom if you are still breastfeeding.
Clothing
The
flight can feel extra long when you are caring for a little one. Comfortable clothing can be key to helping
you through. You may even want to take
an extra outfit to change into if there is a spill or a leak!!
The Gear
Traveling with a baby can be a very daunting
experience. What to take? Here are a few items that we think will
help you on the trip.
- Pack n play - Before
you lug a pack n play with you check if your hotel has one (ours did in
Brazil). If not we found it to be very handy. Ours has a bassinette
and we attached the tiny love first book to the side and our little guy
was right at home.
- Disposable mats – If the sanitation is not
great you can just put these down before putting him down.
- Purell – of course!
- Tiny Love portable mobile – it hooked onto
the car seat so he could sit there and stare at his mobile anywhere.
- Tiny Love first book – we put this in his
pack ‘n play and it reminded him of home.
- Tiny Love chimes – these hooked onto his
stroller and were great distraction as we walked around.
- Baby Mozart DVD – this was such a
life-savier at times!!
- Skip Hop Diaper Bag – this was the best diaper bag to have because it is so versitile and quickly clipped on and off the stroller.
Single Parent Important information for Single Parent travel
Travel Tips for the Single Parent travel tips
Food
If you want organic or special baby food sent to you while you are traveling across the US, check out these companies:
Evie’s Organic Edibles
Homemade Baby – free shipping for Southern California and Las Vegas,
and $9.95 flat rate per bundle everywhere else
in the country!
Bohemian Baby - they have a weekly menu order that can ship anywhere in the US overnight.
International Adoption
You don't have to be Brad & Angelina or Madonna to adopt overseas. It's one of the biggest trend now. Here's a resource to help you out.
International Adoption
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