It’s official, by Cayson’s first birthday he had taken over 45 flights, including multiple flights just the two of us (including round trip flights from NYC to Phoenix and Miami to NYC). We’ve experienced the good, the bad and the really, really ugly. While I still don’t like flying alone with Cayson, we’ve learned a few tricks on how to make flights more enjoyable. So here are my 20 tour tips for solo travelers with a baby!
- Dress your baby in white onesies or outfits you wouldn’t mind tossing :: Babies and toddlers can be messy- and explosive diapers happen. The last thing you want to do is carry a completely dirty outfit with you all day long. I always dress Cayson in comfortable, simple outfits with layers. Think short sleeve onesie, joggers and a light sweater that buttons up if it gets chilly.
- Arrive early :: Give yourself ample time. I’d always rather spend extra time strolling around the airport than stressed about missing my flight AND flying solo.
- Check as much as you can :: You will want as few items as possible. I like to only bring my diaper bag and my YOYO stroller, on the airplane. Everything else gets checked.
- Change diapers before you board :: Babies are always more comfortable in a clean diaper.
- Bring sanitizing wipes :: Airplanes are SO dirty. They did a study and it is just gross. Wipe down any areas your baby may touch prior to getting cosy.
- Get an aisle seat :: When flying with Caleb I prefer a window so I can discretely breastfeed. But when flying alone I like the convenience of getting up to walk the aisles. Sometimes babies need to walk or be walked. If you are flying with someone, book an aisle and a window and hope no one books between you. If someone does book the seat between you, just trade to have your preferred seats together. Someone will always give up their middle seat for an aisle or window.
- Try to book a bulk head seat :: I love booking a bulkhead seat so I can lay a large blanket on the ground and Cayson has some room to play. Again, wipe everything down first- Lord knows whose feet have touched that area and when it was cleaned last. But between the wipes and the blanket you should be pretty good!
- Red eye :: If you’re flying far and your baby is young, I love red eye flights. We flew on the red eye to Italy and Cayson slept the entire time. However, I think I would only do this if you buy your baby a seat and he/she does well in a car seat. Now that Cayson doesn’t sleep well in his car seat, red eyes can be hit or miss.
- Buy the extra seat :: If the price is right, we buy Cayson a seat. It guarantees us more space, Cayson can stand or sit in his seat, and he is less likely to try playing with your neighbor.
- Ask for an extra seat :: If you didn’t buy an extra seat, ask if the flight is full at check in. Sometimes the check-in agent or the gate agent can block off a seat next to you! It doesn’t hurt to ask!
- Get a seat near the front of the plane :: We are always so excited to get off the plane asap when we land.
- Board early :: Use that extra time to wipe down your space and get settled.
- Feed during take off and landing :: Breastfeed or bottle feed! The sucking helps with ear pressure! If your baby isn’t breastfeeding or bottle feeding, give him/her a snack or a cup of water.
- Bring extra clothes :: Bring clothes for you and the baby. Messes happen.
- Bring snacks for your baby :: Cayson eats pretty healthy at home. But on airplanes, we bring all the crackers! He LOVES crackers and they always distract him when he starts getting fussy. I also love packing pre-cut clementines (I cut them in half and put them in zip locks) and avocados. This way I know Cayson is getting vitamin C and protein.
- Bring snacks for yourself :: The last thing you need when traveling is to have low blood sugar. Pack nuts and easy grab-and-go snacks for you!
- Bring a sippy cup :: I always bring a cup for Cayson. When he was under one I brought tons of pumped breast milk- like way more than he would normally eat in a day. But breastmilk always soothed him when he got fussy. Now we just fill his cup with water. Remember, flying is dehydrating- babies need to hydrate too!
- Toys :: I always bring toys- from suction-cup-spiny-wheels to an empty water bottle. You know your kid, whatever does the trick! I normally bring multiple toys!
- Be prepared to walk the aisle :: Sometimes babies just need movement. Stand up and walk the aisle.
- White noise :: I always bring our white noise machine to help remind Cayson to nap.
***Bonus***
21. Relax & don’t be afraid to ask for help :: You are amazing and this travel experience is going to FLY by {literally- ha}. Once you get there the flight is over and it’s time to enjoy your trip. You’ve got this!
Find my 25 tips for flying with a baby here
great tips! Or just bring a Grandma
The best way to travel with a baby is to bring Bunya and Pop Pop.
These are such great tips!
Baby Cayson is such a well-traveled baby already — that is so impressive! I don’t have kids, but I think your suggestions are also helpful for solo travelers like myself. I always bring sanitizing wipes for the tray tables, etc. They are so dirty and covered in germs! I think a white noise app is also really important if you want to drown out the sound of the plane’s engines while you sleep or to just make you zone out and relax. Great tips!
Chloe,
I don’t yet have any children but I can imagine flying with them is not the easiest! I think this post will help a ton of woman who have yet to fly with their munchkins!
Also, I had no idea that sucking would help with the pressure, when breastfeeding and flying. That is a great idea!
I think the aisle seat is the best idea. I can only image a mother sitting by the window then baby gets fussy and you have to ask everyone to move so you can get out and walk the aisles, possibly multiple times. Yikes!
I admire you for being willing to travel so much with your little guy!
I don’t have any babies yet, but these tips seem to be very helpful. Although sometimes I tend to travel with my aunt together with her kids; so I know how difficult it is to travel with kids. Maybe I could show these tips to her. These might be helpful to her when she traveled alone with her kids.
Excellent tips for travelling solo with a baby. With one of my boys, I travelled solo from London to Sydney when he was 5 months old. The lady with her baby next to us had chicken pox and cried all the way to Singapore. It was a nightmare of a flight. The attendants tried to help as much as possible, they were really lovely. I was exhausted at the end. Always ask for help! Cayson is a true traveller.
Oh my God! I took one long distance (16+ hrs) flight with my gal when she was 10 months old and that itself was just so so tiring. I don’t think I’d do it again. But those are some great tips indeed.
Wishing Cayson a very very happy birthday and a lot more travels.
Great tips! We traveled with our toddler quite a bit and I know all of these tips are gold. I agree keeping buffer time to reach athe airport and figure out things there peacefully always helps.
I can barely travel solo with my husband, can’t imagine myself traveling solo with a baby :P I can totally understand the walk the aisle. I have seen parents do that a lot while I fly!
This is really helpful. Though we tried to avoid taking flights due to ugly experiences, there are a lot of times that we cannot avoid traveling with our babies. Thank you for all these tips. All parents should know this.
Wow you are a champ! Sometimes I feel like I can barely handle myself on long trips, but you’re living proof that as long as you’re prepared enough, you can make anything happen. Love these tips, and off I go to tell my friends with kids that they can in fact travel still!