Top 5 tips for flying with a baby!

Are you a new Mum and are taking your little one on their first trip abroad this Summer? Well I know flying with a baby can be an extremely scary and stressful thought, but don’t panic! Here are my top 5 tips to help make your babies journey as smooth as possible!

Protect their ears

Descent and take off can be painful for delicate small ears! During these times keep your baby sucking on something to help relieve ear pressure. A bottle or a dummy should work fine. Swallowing also helps equalise the pressure and can help avoid ear pain, so make sure they have a drink at hand.

Plan your seat ahead of time

Book your seats at least a week in advance and let the airline know that you are travelling with a baby as there are restrictions about where the safety restraint may be placed. My advice would be to try and get as far forward as possible because the back of the plane is generally noisier and vibrates more.

Pack extra supplies

The golden rule about travelling with small children is to be sure to pack extra essentials! The last thing you want on a long haul flight is to get caught short of anything! Pack double the amount that you normally would just to be extra safe.

Look for child-friendly airlines and airports

You can have a good experience, or a bad one, on any airline. Mostly, it depends on how stressed the ground and cabin crew are. (This is a reason to fly off-peak.) In general, though, I’ve found that the same few airlines that have good reputations overall tend to be the most child-friendly.

Take a buggy

Check with your airline, but you can normally take a small collapsible buggy to the gate – though do bear in mind that you probably won’t get it back again until baggage reclaim.

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