All of us have experienced uncontrollable shrieks of a baby or toddler waking us up during air travel. You can only imagine the absolute embarrassment and stress being faced by the parents, having to deal with their infant and profusely apologising to fellow passengers at the same time.
Only now you are a parent and about to take your baby on a flight for the first time. Although nothing can guarantee smooth travel, here are a few precautions you can take:
1. Plan your flight according to baby’s schedule
All babies develop their own sleeping schedule and you would not want them to be up and about while travelling over clouds in varying air pressure. It is the best if they sleep through the majority of the flight and hence if it is feasible, you should book your flight tickets accordingly.
2. Take a close relative or willing friend along
Long flights can prove to be taxing for adults, so it’s not a surprise if your busy body toddler gets restless. Get your parents or siblings to tag along to look after the kid in turns. Also among the sea of unknown faces, it would comfort the child to see one more familiar person.
3. Have the documents ready
Often airport officials would not ask for the identification of a baby but it is better to be safe. Always carry the baby’s birth certificate on flights if their passports are not ready. Passports become compulsory on non-domestic flights though, so plan a foreign trip keeping that in mind.
4. Travel on kid friendly airlines
While no airline is going to visibly throw a fit if you carry a baby around, some companies serve better providing passengers with bassinet support, toys and chewing distractions for the kid. Then there are hostesses who remain helpful throughout.
5. Fly direct
Travelling is already making things irritable for the child, so whenever possible, avoid stopovers and connecting flights. Catch a direct flight, at least the hassle of going through security checks, carrying the child on your shoulders and getting settled in your seat will be a one-time affair.