Traveling With an Infant

Earlier this month my wife and I flew with our 2 month old son to Bozeman, Montana to catch up with the rest of my family for our annual family vacation. The trip had been planned a few months before he was even born, and from the get go we had some anxiety about flying with an infant. Thoughts of a screaming kid and every other possible thing that could go wrong went through our heads, but we didn’t want just the thought of mishaps prevent us from doing something we love as well as miss out on time with family. In hindsight, there were 5 features/options of the whole experience that helped things go smoothly.

Little Man's First Flight!

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - Bozeman (BZN)

AA2292, 737-800

17:30-19:35 – 3 hours 5 minutes

Seat 6E, 6F (First Class)

(Shout out to 500 mile upgrades for getting us into first class, but although some of our favorite features/options were due to us having that priority tag, all are achievable on some economy fares or having any level of status with an airline.)

5). Early Boarding: This is a common practice available to anyone traveling with small children, but we still found it very beneficial for two reasons; you don’t have to wait in any boarding group line and it allows you to get settled in your seat with as little hassle as possible.

4). Worry Free Luggage allowance: Our checked bags were already included, and most airlines allot one stroller or car seat per ticketed passenger to check at the counter. It’s very common to use dedicated bags to put each of these in, which we did, and we were able to include a travel bassinet in the stroller bag without it being overstuffed. Some airlines are lenient, but others will inspect these bags to insure there is only a car seat or stroller within each. Perhaps it was the priority label, but we were able to check everything without any inspection, hesitation, or added fees.

3). Seat location: With first class we were seated 4 rows from the front, but the features we were most fond of would also apply to a seat toward the rear of the plane. We were close to the lav which made diaper changes a breeze and also served as a close spot to stand and get “away” if he started crying (Which thankfully we never needed). We also felt as if having a smaller “radius” of passengers around us would help us feel more comfortable while also disrupting as few people as possible. Possibly an unnecessary thought, but something that even potentially made things easier for us and affected as few passengers as possible was a plus in our book.

2). Priority security lane: The need for this is usually circumstantial, but it was HUGE for my wife and I on this trip. The general security lane was upwards of a 20 minute wait which usually isn’t much of an issue, but in our case meant 20 minutes of carrying a baby in a line and would have put us at our gate once boarding had already started. In this instance the priority security really helped relieve a common travel stress, and we wanted to reduce stress in any way we could.

1). Two abreast seating: This was easily the biggest luxury on the flight. With no one else next to us except for across the aisle, we were able to have at least some sense of privacy which was most beneficial during nursing. Also, we didn’t have to bother anyone to get up and out of our row whatever the reason was. Although it was a perk of first class on this flight, it is most certainly can be found on all ranges flights, regional to international.

Every kid is different, and the same goes for the experience while traveling with them. Ultimately, no one knows your kid better than you do, so chances are you have a pretty solid indication of how a trip could/would go. Having a solid game plan ahead of time can help things go smoothly, but there always the chance hiccups. Believe me, the thoughts and the "what-ifs" can be nerve-racking, but (for our experience) they're more stressful than traveling with our son (which was freakin' incredible!)

A solid nap at 30,000 feet

Highlight of the flight!