9 Crucial Tips for Flying with a Baby and Toddler, From a Mom Who Survived 14 Flights

Flying with a baby and a toddler can feel like auditioning for a circus act, juggling snacks, diapers, and meltdowns, but it doesn’t have to be a total stress fest. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s that preparation (and a good sense of humor) is everything when it comes to surviving—and dare I say, even enjoying—the journey. These tips for flying with a baby and toddler are here to help you focus on the adventure instead of the chaos.

I still remember my first flight with a baby, and the sheer panic that came with it. Then once she grew, I was flying with a toddler. And eventually, after having my second baby, the ultimate challenge: both at the same time. It was… a lot.

But after 14 flights with a baby, a toddler, or both, I’ve lived to tell the tale (and maybe even enjoy a snack on board). Now, I’m sharing all the little tricks I’ve picked up so you can make your trip a little smoother. You’ve got this!

Pack Toys For The Flight

Why is it a parent’s worse nightmare for his/her child to get on the plane, especially a small child? Because once restlessness settles in, hell will break loose. Hell, I can’t even get my toddler to focus on one thing for one hour, not to mention sitting in one place for several hours.

Luckily, you can avoid this if you plan in advance.

For toys to bring on a plane, I recommend that these toys:

• are lightweight
• are reusable
• don’t have a lot of pieces
• are not devastating if you lose them
• are new or have not been played with in a while

Toys for Babies

For babies, I would only pack maybe 1 toy or no toys. When babies are being fed milk, they can’t cry, so I breastfed on the plane a lot. They also don’t stay awake as long as toddlers as they have much more naps, so I found that packing toys for babies is less crucial. If you do want to bring a toy, bring something small that fits in your diaper bag like a rattle or a soft crinkle book.

Some ways I’ve entertained a baby under 1 year old on the plane

• crunch an empty water bottle
• put something in an empty water to make it rattle
• pull out the colorful safety instruction sheet or menu and start reading and pointing
• pull out a magazine and start reading and turning the pages
• tap 2 utensils together or start using it as drum mallets on the desk

Toys for Toddlers

I usually pack about 3 toys for my toddler plus the iPad to engage my toddler in flight. Make sure, you carry these toys on the flight, or else you won’t be able to use it when you need. You can also buy a souvenir at the airport as your toy for something last minute.

See 9 interesting toys that have entertained my toddler.

Pack Snacks For The Flight

Besides toys, snacks can also be a fun activity that occupies them, nourishes them, and can be a mood changer if they are hungry and cranky. Make sure to pack this as a carry-on, which can mean either stuff it in your diaper bag, put it in another carry-on bag that you’re already carrying on with you (another backpack, duffel bag, or rolley luggage), or carry a separate bag for it that you can fold down, roll up, or get rid of like a generic grocery bag.

Snacks can include fruits (tangerines, bananas, cut grapes, cut apples), cereals, chips, granolas, crackers.

Don’t make the mistake of overpacking or packing way too many snacks. Just pack a few snacks for the plane ride. Remember that the flight will serve you food and snacks as well, depending on the length of the flight. Furthermore, when you arrive at your destination, part of the fun is trying foods and snacks from a new place, so I always recommend stopping by a grocery store and picking up a few snacks after you settle in at your accommodations. 

Remember that milk, juices, fruit pouches are considered “medically necessary” and allowed through TSA when you’re traveling with a baby or a toddler.

Be Hands-Free As Soon As Possible

Use Baby Carriers

I usually baby-wear my baby in the front and my husband sometimes wears my toddler or she walks half the time (she’s under 3 years old and is 26-ish lbs so she’s on the light side). This helps us stay hands-free to handle documents and luggage and prevents the kids from running.

Get a Luggage Cart At The Airport

Bryan and I have done 2 international flights with kids. What works best for us is as soon as we get to the airport, we get a luggage cart first to throw all of our luggage on top. That way, only 1 adult can push the cart with all the luggage. I usually have Baby Huntington in my carrier and sometimes our toddler, Serena, is with Bryan in a carrier as well. This allows us to weave in and out of lines and move faster through the airport past security.

Before, when Bryan and I had no kids, it was more important to carry-on bags to avoid any bags getting lost and to avoid waiting at the baggage claim now. Now, with kids, it is more important to be hands-free and weight-free, so checking in bags just does a body good, even though we have to wait a little longer for baggage claim.

Carry On Essentials For The Flight and Check-In Everything Else

Shit gets real heavy real quick. This is exponential with small kids because they are not contributing any muscle to the trip (we have a baby and a toddler). In fact, they’re adding weight to what we’re carrying! We have our baby and sometimes our toddler in the carrier too, depending on if she wants to walk or not. It’s just a lot of moving pieces that we are carrying, so as soon as we check-in our bags, drop off our luggage, and pass security check, we both sigh a sigh of relief.

Between the 2 of us, we usually carry on 1-2 backpacks to the plane. One of these backpacks is the diaper bag that contains essentials for both our baby and toddler. We bring on only what we need, and everything else gets checked in. It’s not a vacation if we are being weighed down by all the luggage and the kids.

What To Carry On To The Flight For A Baby

Make sure these items are carried on the flight with you, most likely in your diaper bag. If you check it in, you won’t be able to use it until you arrive at your destination!

• carrier (so you can carry baby and roam around hands-free)
• 4-6 diapers
• wipes
• changing pad
• 1 extra change of clothes per child, just in case they get food, spit up, pee, or poo on their outfit
• snacks for the flight and waiting periods (if your baby is eating solids)
• 1-2 toys (I find that this is less necessary for a baby as you can crunch a water bottle and it will be entertaining for them. Babies also sleep a whole lot more than toddlers do.)
• empty water bottle that you can fill up after you past security check (if your baby is eating solids)
• jacket for each person, including adults and children (it often gets cold in the airplane when they turn up the air conditioning)
• 2+ pacifiers (if your baby uses it)

Depending on how you’re feeding the baby, you’ll need 1 of these:

• If you’re breastfeeding: nursing cover (if you use it), dry nursing pads (to catch your leaking milk)
• If you’re bottle feeding milk: breast pump, milk bottle, and milk storage bags, possibly ice pack in a lunch box
• If you’re formula feeding: milk bottle, possibly ice pack in a lunch box if you don’t think baby will finish

Download a printable baby flight checklist.

What To Carry On To The Flight For A Toddler

Make sure these items are carried on the flight with you, most likely in your diaper bag. If you check it in, you won’t be able to use it until you arrive at your destination!

• carrier (so you can carry your toddler and roam around hands-free)
• 4-6 diapers (if your child is not yet potty-trained like mine)
• wipes
• changing pad
• 1 extra change of clothes per child, just in case they get food, spit up, pee, or poo on their outfit
• snacks for the flight and waiting periods (avoid liquids to pass security quicker)
• 2-3 toys plus iPad/tablet
• empty water bottle that you can fill up after you past security check
• jacket for each person, including adults and children (it often gets cold in the airplane when they turn up the air conditioning)

If your toddler is still taking breast milk or toddler’s formula, you’ll need 1 of these:

• If you’re breastfeeding: nursing cover (if you use it)
• If you’re bottle feeding breast milk: breast pump, milk bottle, and milk storage bags, possibly ice pack in a lunch box
• If you’re bottle feeding cow’s milk: milk, ice pack in a lunch box
• If you’re formula feeding: milk bottle, possibly ice pack in a lunch box if you don’t think baby will finish

Put Passports and Boarding Passes In 1 Place

Get a family passport holder and put all passports and boarding passes together. We went through a bunch of TSA checks and immigration checks and it’d be terrible to rummage through different pockets and backpacks and purses. It made it so much more efficient when 1 parent (that’s me!) is in charge of all the passports and boarding passes.

11 Smart Packing Tips For Traveling With Babies And Toddlers

Look For a Priority Lane

Bryan and I noticed that at some airports and most international flights, there is a priority lane for people with disabilities and families with babies or small children. This lane has allowed us to skip long lines when checking in baggage and has allowed us to board the plane early, right after business class. At Ninoy Aquino International Airport, there are even HelperPros that help assist people in this line with the baggage!

Look Up Lounges

Lounges provide some comfortable chairs and tables along with some food, snacks, desserts, and wifi for you to enjoy. It made the wait for boarding much more comfortable, especially with kids.

If you have a lounge pass, then look up lounges at the airport you will be going to. Since we have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, we get the Priority Pass lounge pass, which is a benefit that comes with us paying the expensive annual fee. On our Thailand/Philippines trip, we were able to hang out at lounges in both Bangkok and Manila.

Nursing on Take-Off and Landing

Flying is different from driving in that you are moving through different elevations, the air pressure changes rapidly, possibly causing your ears to hurt. This is called “Airplane Ear.” Swallowing or yawning helps with the air pressure.

Some things to help:

• breastfeeding or feeding milk during take-off or landing
• sucking on a lollipop or pacifier