Travelling with babies & small children
Before you travel: Pay for allocated seats, remember airlines are only obliged to have one adult together with children so if you’re travelling with your partner, they may be seated somewhere completely different. If you're long haul, reserve the row with the bassinet. Pre order baby food to any Boots airside. Please note this can take up to 5 days. Also think about how much formula you are going to need in resort as it’s not always possible to get your preferred brand. Pack hand luggage as lightly as you can because you are going to have to carry it onto the plane along with a baby or cajoling a toddler etc. That said, you need a full change of clothes for both you and the children. Aeroplanes and turbulence do funny things to little tummies so prepare for the worst. Have over the counter medicines packed in hand luggage. I found the Calpol sachets really useful because who wants to mess with a bottle and spoon or syringe on a plane. Bring lots of snacks, aeroplane food is hit and miss and if you’ve a fussy eater then you need to be prepared. Check your luggage allowances, infants on laps don’t get full allowances, some airlines allow buggies on board, some airlines let you bring a car seat and buy an extra seat for it. Work out what you’ll need and if you need to purchase any extra luggage. Pre-Booking your transfers with the necessary baby/child car seat included saves you having to bring it. If possible, borrow/buy a cheap fold up buggy. Baggage handlers will wreck your expensive buggy and it's heart-breaking. Our bugaboo was never the same after the first flight, so I bought a MacLaren umbrella type buggy, it had a shoulder strap which was useful. A baby carrier is also really useful for keeping your hands free and encourages babies to sleep. If your child has a dummy or favourite toy, consider having a hidden double of these.
Security: You can bring as much food as it's reasonable for the length of flight, but you will be asked to taste some or all of it. I thought I was smart one trip with the premixed formula cartons, and I had to open them all at security and ended up with milk I couldn’t use so old fashioned powder is probably your friend here. Footwear is very important as a lot of airports still expect you to take shoes off, this is tricky when you are holding babies. Most security will ask you to fold your buggy and put it through the scanner so ensure you've got everything out of the basket before you get that far.
Boarding: Most airlines let you take your buggy right up to the boarding gate and then it’s taken from you there but you most likely won’t see it again till baggage retrieval. I found some airlines will allow you to take a travel buggy on board, and they’ll store it in the Business/First class coat store. Another reason to have one! Do you take advantage of priority boarding? Two trains of thought on this one, if you are travelling with a baby then I’d say 100% yes but if you have a toddler then in my opinion, I would let them burn as much steam as possible in the departure lounge and board last. Up to you.
If you are on a night flight then I’d have little ones in pj’s and teeth brushed before boarding and have had the conversation that it's bedtime once we get on board.
On the flight: I have a friend who never let her toddler’s feet touch the ground of an aeroplane until they were old enough to understand that they can’t run up and down the aisles. That’s hardcore, I was never that committed and spent many an hour wandering up and down aeroplanes! If the cabin crew offer to take your baby for a few minutes, take them up on that offer, don’t be a martyr. Depends on the crew and the child but my son was taken on loads of adventure with the crew of an Emirates plane, even into the cockpit. The dreaded cabin pressure and children’s ears: I’m no expert but cabin pressure starts to equalise at about 8000 ft which is when the screaming will start. Babies don’t know to hold their nose and swallow so you must have a bottle ready to go (and bear that in mind on previous feed time). Also, don’t peak too soon! If you’re travelling from a really busy airport, taxi time can be longer. I learned the hard way, don’t start feeding the baby until the wheels are off the ground! Changing tables in planes are tiny as you well know so only bring with you what you need otherwise you’ll get yourself in a total tangle! If you're unfortunate enough to be flying with a crew who like to keep the seat belts signs on all the time then use your call bell and ask them if you can use the changing facility. Also, most cabin crews are really helpful at heating up bottles etc, but it is the old-fashioned way with boiling water so make sure you ask with enough time.
Keeping toddlers entertained – download enough (insert favourite cartoon) onto a tablet and invest in a good set of children’s headphones. Nothing will annoy fellow passengers more than having to listen to Peppa pig on repeat for 9 hours. Personally, that sounds like SAS style torture to me! Also, aeroplanes are noisy so it will help keep little one’s attention. Also practise with them at home so the child is used to them.