Are long flights safe for babies?

Generally, you should avoid flying with your newborn until they are at least 7 days old. Ideally, wait until your baby is two or three months old to fly. Air travel (and being in crowded airports) can increase a newborn's risk of catching an infectious disease.



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While experts recommend waiting until after the 2-month mark to fly with a newborn, you may find that after that your baby is a great traveler. For many families, the sweet spot is between months 3 and 8.

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Typically, air travel is appropriate for most healthy, full-term infants. However, before you fly with your baby, consider: Your baby's age and health. Your baby's health care provider likely will discourage unnecessary air travel shortly after birth.

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The best time to fly with kids The best times, most agree, are between three and nine months, when kids aren't yet mobile, and any time after age two or three. The idea here is to bypass the toddler phase, and, more importantly, to avoid flying with young infants. The latter is especially risky says Dr.

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Experienced traveling families already know this, but in most cases the hardest time to travel with a child is from when they become squirmy and mobile by about 9 months old until they hit the age of reason bargaining/cartooning/snacking at about 18 months.

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In general, doctors recommend you wait to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as soon as one month for full-term infants, though most doctors recommend anywhere between three months and six months.

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Children under 5 can't travel alone under any circumstances. If you don't choose seats in Main Cabin or Basic Economy, we'll assign seats a few days after you buy your tickets so children under 15 are next to at least 1 adult they're traveling with.

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On long-haul flights, you can request a bassinet/sky cot for your baby to sleep in. You'll need to book a bulkhead seat (a row with no other seats in front) to get those though. Contact the airline as soon as you know you're travelling to see if you can reserve one (Flying with a baby, 2018b).

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Young babies have not developed the ability to regularize their ear pressure by yawning or swallowing, so they don't know how to relieve the abrupt changes in pressure when the plane is taking off or landing. To prevent ear pain and discomfort, babies should wear ear protection whenever they're travelling on a plane.

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Technically, most airlines require you to show proof of age for your lap infant. This can include a birth certificate, passport or sometimes hospital or immunization records. In reality, most airlines will not ask you for that information unless your baby looks like a toddler who could be past that second birthday.

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We may ask for age verification at any point within your journey, so you should travel with the documentation. If asked to provide proof of age and unable to do so, Customers will be required to purchase a ticket for the child.

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Tips for Flying With a 1-Year-Old
  1. Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks. Snacks make every flight easier. ...
  2. Schedule the Flight Around Nap Time. This is one of my favorite tips, but I think whether or not a flight is timed well will depend on your child. ...
  3. Bring New Toys and Activities. ...
  4. Pack Smart. ...
  5. Go With the Flow.


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But the pain is only temporary — it won't cause any lasting problems for kids and usually will ease within a few minutes as the Eustachian tubes open to let the air pressure equalize on both sides of the eardrums.

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A pacifier might ease discomfort during flights. Babies can't intentionally pop their ears by swallowing or yawning to relieve ear pain caused by air pressure changes. Sucking on a pacifier might help.

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For small infants, feeding can help, as the sucking and swallowing can help to equalize pressure more quickly. Encourage older kids to take small bites of a snack, sips of a drink with a straw, or keep chewing gum throughout takeoff and landing to help equalize the pressure.

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How to Nurse on an Airplane
  1. One-sided. If the flight is short or you find yourself uncomfortably close to your seatmate, nursing on just one side while saving the other for when you get off the plane may be an acceptable option.
  2. At an Angle. ...
  3. Covering Up. ...
  4. Layering. ...
  5. Stalling.


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Lap infant fares on international flights Most international flights allow children under 2 to fly as lap children, but with one big difference — it's usually not 100% free. Typically, if you're flying on a revenue ticket, you must pay the taxes and fees for your lap infant plus, in some cases, 10% of the fare.

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