The first time we flew with Grayson, he was almost 9 months old. The most recent, he was 17 months old. I'll be doing it all over again next week, by myself, with MUCH less.
(8 months and 17 months)
When Grayson was 8 months, we flew with him as a lap child. This means the baby has no option of sitting alone and a parent must be holding him at all times. For a relatively active child, this will be challenging although it can be done.
If you can afford it, I highly recommend purchasing your baby or toddler their own seat even if they're under 2 years. For one, it is the safest way for them to travel by air. Secondly, they are strapped in and unable to wiggle all around the airplane. Given that airplane tickets are usually $300+ a ticket and money doesn't grow on trees (darn), this may not be an option. If it isn't, my advice would be to bring a lightweight car seat and a wheeled car seat transporter attachment. If the flight is not full, they will allow you to use your child's car seat in an extra seat if one is available. If the flight is full, you simply gate check the car seat and transporter and your child will then ride in your lap.
With the car seat transporter, they can ride in their car seat through the airport like it is a stroller. Practice hooking up and unhooking the device from the car seat several times before you get to the airport.
If you don't use the car seat transporter, you will need a stroller. The cheaper the better. If you are going to have to bring your stroller to use at your destination anyway, I recommend gate checking it so it isn't ruined during normal baggage checking. They sell gate check bags for relatively cheap if you are concerned with your gate checked items getting dirty.
If your flight has a layover, make sure you pack enough clothing and supplies for yourself and your child to last 24 hours. I had always heard this was a good idea. I have done it each time I've traveled with Grayson. I was beginning to think it was pointless because I had never needed any of it. That was up until our last flight when we ended up in Detroit overnight spontaneously after a missed flight and lots of airport drama. Now, I cannot stress this enough. I had told Jason he should put some extra clothes in the carry on while we were packing and he chose not to. Guess who was scurrying through the airport purchasing travel sized everything and wore the same outfit 2 days in a row... I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Grayson or I. ;) Besides, odds are that even if you don't end up somewhere unexpected, your baby will spit up on you, have a blow out, spill something, throw up, etc. It happens to me every time.
I purchased a backpack diaper bag specifically for use while traveling. In my opinion, this is essential. It frees up both of my hands to carry other necessary items and tend to Grayson. It's spacious enough to put 24 hours worth of diapers and snacks as well as other items that I feel are crucial to airport survival.
Toys. Leave the toy box at home or pack the toys you will need at your destination in your checked bag. I packed an entire Trunki full of toys for the airport. Grayson pulled each toy out for about 3 seconds during our layover and then stood up and wanted me to take him for a ride on the escalator instead. Let's face it, if you have a child under 2, toys don't hold their attention for very long. Children at this age are far more interested in exploring the world around them. I did not open the Trunki a single time on the airplane. Not once. He did enjoy a nice game of airplane ticket fetch with his dad. Another fun one was smack dad in the head with an empty water bottle. Another hit was learn how to remove and put socks back on his feet. My point is, bring a couple of toys but don't waste good carry on space with junk that will satisfy your child for 3 seconds. You'll end up overwhelming your baby and yourself.
When we're on the airplane, whatever keeps Grayson quiet goes. I pay the consequence later when I have to despoil him, but if it gets us through the flight it's worth it. This is bad for consistency, which is key to parenting. However when I'm flying with my son I go straight into survival mode. If he's not screaming, I remain calm and happy. He gets away with things he wouldn't normally. For instance, as much milk as his heart desires and lollipops, Cheetos and junk food galore. I would recommend keeping the sugar at a minimum since it will most likely backfire in the form of a sugar rush. If he wants, he gets to watch his portable DVD player the entire flight. We play the throw it down and watch Mom pick it up game repeatedly. Again, if it keeps him seated and relatively silent it's simply worth it to me.
Everyone recommends feeding the baby during takeoff and landing. I have always attempted this, but even when Grayson isn't receptive to the idea his ears seem fine. Others on the airplane expect that your child maybe fussy during this time anyway. Don't over stress about this.
If you're worried that your child may cry and bother other passengers, keep in mind that most people wear earphones on airplanes these days. I will be bringing a cheap box of ear plugs on our next flight for anyone around us who may want a pair. Grayson decided to let out an excited high pitched scream on our last flight. There was an 80+ year old man in the seat in front of him and it startled the poor man so much that he jumped and let out an audible yell of fear. Luckily, everyone thought it was hilarious because it was so random and he was so happy. It was Grayson's first time to scream like that, but I will be prepared next trip so that we don't cause any medical emergencies for our elders.
Bring a thermometer and any treatments for illness. You won't want to be caught off guard with a sick child on an airplane. Bring children's Benadryl. You never know when your baby might develop an allergy and you definitely won't want an airplane emergency. I carry Benadryl with me on a daily basis because Grayson is always trying new foods. You'll be glad you did if a problem arises.
While I'm thinking about germs and illness, bring travel sized Lysol and Clorox wipes. On our last flight, I opened my tray table to discover crumbs and stickiness. It was gross and I was so glad that I had disinfectant wipes. Airplanes are disgusting and kids like to touch things and then stick their fingers into their mouths. Bad combination. Yuck!
Bring a blanket for your baby. Airplanes can get cold. Cold babies get mad. Mad babies cry... You get the point.
Bring as much as you need, but as little as possible. Keep in mind that everything you bring will have to be carried and most airports are pretty big. You won't want to be lugging a ton of unnecessary baggage around all the while trying to content your baby.
If you're really lucky, your child will nap the entire flight. It's happened to me a few times and I felt like super mom with the perfect airplane baby. Just don't get too big of a head, scream time will come sooner or later.
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