Can babies travel at 1 year old?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) doesn't require a ticket for children under the age of 2 years. But that means your baby will be on your lap. If there is turbulence, or worse, it may not be physically possible to protect your baby in your arms.



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Keep in mind:
  • Only 1 infant may be seated in the lap of each ticketed accompanying adult and the infant must be included in the reservation.
  • Additional infants under 2 years old must be ticketed and occupy an infant safety seat or in a separate aircraft seat.


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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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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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If it's a long journey, allow plenty of time for breaks so they can stretch their legs and get a break from the car seat. It's important not to keep them in their car seat for too long anyway (Baby Routes, 2012; Baby Can Travel, 2017).

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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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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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An infant is considered fit to fly if:
  • You can produce a passenger medical form, also known as a medical release for travel, signed by a physician stating that the baby is healthy enough to fly.
  • You have a copy of the baby's birth certificate as proof of age.


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Diaper bags, soft-sided cooler bags with breast milk, child safety seats, strollers and medical or mobility devices don't count toward your personal item or carry-on.

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You may transport this item in carry-on or checked bags. For items you wish to carry on, you should check with the airline to ensure that the item will fit in the overhead bin or underneath the seat of the airplane.

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Although TSA does not require a baby to have identification documents when traveling with their parents, they may be asked by the airline at check-in to prove their child is, in fact, under 2. The easiest way to prove a child's age is by presenting their US birth certificate.

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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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Toddler Airplane Activities for 12- 18-Month-Olds
  1. Window Gel Clings. Window clings are great to pack for your flight because they are inexpensive and easy to clean up. ...
  2. Play Foam. Play foam is similar to playdough. ...
  3. Themed Play Packs. ...
  4. I Spy. ...
  5. Non-Toxic Wax Sticks. ...
  6. Coloring Books. ...
  7. Finger Puppets. ...
  8. Animal Erasers.


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