Whether it's Spring Break, Summer or the holidays, travel with baby can be hectic, with crowded airports and frazzled nerves. But a flying with a baby during the busy times like the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful, according to
MiniTime.com, the family travel website that provides parents with travel recommendations based on the ages of their kids. Here are MiniTime’s top tips for stress-free holiday air travel with a baby:
Consider an alternate airport.
Not only can it be significantly cheaper to fly in and out of a regional airport within a short drive of a major hub, but smaller airports tend to offer a more pleasant experience anyway, with fewer crowds, shorter lines and cheaper parking.
Grab the first flight out.
You can greatly reduce your chances of getting delayed if you book a morning take-off. As the day goes on, there’s often a domino effect as one delayed flight bumps back into the next, which is why afternoon and evening flights are more likely to get log-jammed.
Skip the line at the airport.
Within 24 hours of your departure, hop online and check into your flight, print out your boarding passes, and pay for any checked luggage you will bring.
Keep calm and wear your baby.
No matter how streamlined your packing system, you still only have two hands.
A
baby carrier lets you keep your baby close and your hands available for handling bags and important documents. Once on the plane, the car seat, however, is
the safest place for baby on the airplane.
Bring paperwork.
You already know to bring your itinerary, boarding passes, and either a passport or photo ID. Your child’s birth certificate can also come in handy if her last name is not the same as yours, or if the airline requires proof of her age.
Dress your baby in layers.
The temperature in airports and planes can be notoriously inconsistent—hot one minute, freezing the next. Dressing in layers means your child will be comfortable in any situation.
Be smart about gifts.
Ship holiday gifts ahead if at all possible, but if you must bring presents on the plane, leave them unwrapped until you reach your destination. Otherwise, security agents may have to rip off your wrapping paper in order to do their job.
Board last.
If your airline allows families to pre-board—some do, others don’t—be aware that pre-boarding adds an extra 30 to 45 minutes of being cooped up in a restricted space. A better idea: Have your partner claim your seats and stow your bags, but wait until the last moment to board with your baby.
Research family-friendly lodging.
Looking for a baby-friendly hotel for your holiday getaway? You can tell a lot from reading reviews on MiniTime.com, which delivers reviews and recommendations from parents whose kids are the same age as yours.
For more
tips on flying with a baby and all your family vacation-planning needs, visit MiniTime.com.
