flying with 6 month old

mplesset23

Anyone flown with a  6 month old?  My MIL wants us to come visit in a few months when LO will be 6 months, but DH is freaking out about the whole process.  We're planning on taking SouthWest.  We weren't going to get him a seat, just sit on our laps, but how does that work with the carseat etc.  We'll need to bring one for the car when we get there. 

Any info. is greatly appreciated!

bonitatinabina143

You can check your car seat for free. Buy one of those nice travel bags to put it in that are made for carseats. We're flying with our 3 month old next week. Tell your husband not to worry! It's easier to fly with them while they're little and aren't trying to run away from you all the time.

mplesset23

bonitatinabina143:

You can check your car seat for free. Buy one of those nice travel bags to put it in that are made for carseats. We're flying with our 3 month old next week. Tell your husband not to worry! It's easier to fly with them while they're little and aren't trying to run away from you all the time.

Thanks!  and funny you should say that.  I apparently ran away from my parents as a todler in the airport

Mrs.Purdue

we just finished our 3rd round trip flight with our almost 6 month old. 

it's fine flying with them right now.  take your carseat and either check it with your luggage at the counter, or if you have a snap-n-go stroller that you want to use, you can take the stroller and car seat through security and just gate check both of them.  

our last flight (this past weekend), we checked the car seat (in a travel bag) at the counter and then just put her in the stroller for the airport.  gate check the stroller. we always keep her in our laps and it works out fine.  

nurse or bottle on takeoff and landing, if possible.  if they're asleep, let them stay that way, or if it's not time to eat, then a pacifier is fine too.  

we took a few little toys (oball, rattle, bag of potato chips!) to keep her entertained this time, but until now, she didn't need entertainment and just slept the whole time. 

you can take bottles of bm/formula or water through security.  just pull them out ahead of time and declare them.  they'll probably test them, but it's usually finished before i've got my shoes back on.  

 

Pockety

Southwest is FANTASTIC for flying with babies!  They let you board between groups A and B, without paying extra or checking in early.  They also check luggage for free, so you don't have to drag everything through the airport along with the baby.

You can gate-check both your stroller and your carseat (or you can check the car seat like regular luggage.)  You can actually roll the stroller down the jetway all the way to the door of the plane, and they'll take it from you there, and give it back to you there when you land.  If the flight isn't full, you can have a seat for LO free of charge (and probably even take LO's carseat to sit him in on the flight.)  If it is full, then obviously that can't happen.  

One really nice thing is, since seating is open, whoever sits next to you is consciously CHOOSING to sit next to a baby.  So if LO isn't perfectly behaved, you don't have to feel quite as bad about it.  

Also, note that on Southwest flights, the bathroom in the FRONT of the plane has a changing table; the ones in the rear do not (at least on the ones I've been on - ask a flight attendant to know for sure.)

I flew Southwest with DS when he was just shy of 4 months, on a 3-hour flight, by myself (without DH), and it was really no big deal!  We checked our luggage and used an umbrella stroller to get through the airport.  I fed DS on take-off, and sat near the engines where it'd be loud, and he pretty much just slept the whole rest of the flight, both ways.  

mplesset23

Pockety:

Southwest is FANTASTIC for flying with babies!  They let you board between groups A and B, without paying extra or checking in early.  They also check luggage for free, so you don't have to drag everything through the airport along with the baby.

You can gate-check both your stroller and your carseat (or you can check the car seat like regular luggage.)  You can actually roll the stroller down the jetway all the way to the door of the plane, and they'll take it from you there, and give it back to you there when you land.  If the flight isn't full, you can have a seat for LO free of charge (and probably even take LO's carseat to sit him in on the flight.)  If it is full, then obviously that can't happen.  

One really nice thing is, since seating is open, whoever sits next to you is consciously CHOOSING to sit next to a baby.  So if LO isn't perfectly behaved, you don't have to feel quite as bad about it.  

Also, note that on Southwest flights, the bathroom in the FRONT of the plane has a changing table; the ones in the rear do not (at least on the ones I've been on - ask a flight attendant to know for sure.)

I flew Southwest with DS when he was just shy of 4 months, on a 3-hour flight, by myself (without DH), and it was really no big deal!  We checked our luggage and used an umbrella stroller to get through the airport.  I fed DS on take-off, and sat near the engines where it'd be loud, and he pretty much just slept the whole rest of the flight, both ways.  

 

soooooooooooooooooo helpful!  thank you!!

amywoods824

mplesset23:

Pockety:

Southwest is FANTASTIC for flying with babies!  They let you board between groups A and B, without paying extra or checking in early.  They also check luggage for free, so you don't have to drag everything through the airport along with the baby.

You can gate-check both your stroller and your carseat (or you can check the car seat like regular luggage.)  You can actually roll the stroller down the jetway all the way to the door of the plane, and they'll take it from you there, and give it back to you there when you land.  If the flight isn't full, you can have a seat for LO free of charge (and probably even take LO's carseat to sit him in on the flight.)  If it is full, then obviously that can't happen.  

One really nice thing is, since seating is open, whoever sits next to you is consciously CHOOSING to sit next to a baby.  So if LO isn't perfectly behaved, you don't have to feel quite as bad about it.  

Also, note that on Southwest flights, the bathroom in the FRONT of the plane has a changing table; the ones in the rear do not (at least on the ones I've been on - ask a flight attendant to know for sure.)

I flew Southwest with DS when he was just shy of 4 months, on a 3-hour flight, by myself (without DH), and it was really no big deal!  We checked our luggage and used an umbrella stroller to get through the airport.  I fed DS on take-off, and sat near the engines where it'd be loud, and he pretty much just slept the whole rest of the flight, both ways.  

 

soooooooooooooooooo helpful!  thank you!!

Agreed... so helpful!  DH and I are flying with LO over New Year's (she'll be almost 8 months) on Southwest and I've already started getting anxiety about figuring out the logistics of it all.  Since LO is already in her convertible seat, and the family we're visiting have an umbrella stoller, I'm planning on just buying a tote-a-tot (or something similar) so I can just strap the carseat to our small suitcase and wheel it through the airport, then check both at the gate. 

MeggM1

We got something like this and attached it to our convertible seat and it was AWESOME:

https://www.rightstart.com/britax-travel-cart.html

We gate checked the car seat (with one of those gate check bags) and pretty much followed the other advice given - fed during take off and landing to prevent ears popping, held baby in our lap, etc.

My extra advice is to bring TWO changes of clothes for the baby - my son doesn't normally need a change when we are out and I only brought one, and he made every sort of mess he can possibly make.  

I had so much anxiety about flying with a five month old and it worked out, even with an hour delay on the runway and a subsequent two hour car trip.  And I'm so glad that we've started traveling early!