Babywearing in airports

twoitalians · June 2013

Hi, lurker here.

I'm traveling next week with DS who is 10 months old. We are flying and I'm debating whether or not to carry him through the airport in my ergo. I don't carry him in it all the time but he loves being in the back carry. What are your experiences with traveling and baby wearing? Do most airport securities let you wear them through the detectors? Any tips? TIA!

blu-eyedwife · June 2013

theresat858:
Wear him for sure! We used my Tula when LO was 11 mo and will use it again next month when we go to HI.
You don't have to take baby off to go through airport security and they will send you to the regular metal detector instead of the new thing, but they will swab your hands after you go through. You do have to take LO off for takeoff and landing (not an issue if you were planning to have him on your back - that wouldn't be comfy anyway, lol).
ETA: While baby can stay on, your jacket still has to come off if you're wearing one...so plan for that.

All of this.

I LOVE wearing my son at the airport. It makes it so easy. I can breeze right through security without having to do anything but toss my bag on the belt and take off my shoes. I have 2 free hands to deal with boarding passes/water bottles/buying my son a smoothie once we're through security (our airport ritual - he gets it to drink for takeoff). I've been traveling a lot this month with my son on my own, and it's even more convenient when you're traveling solo.

Mrs.Slick · June 2013

Wear him! You won't have to take him out when going through security checks. They may swab your hands and look at any of his liquids (bottles, meds, etc) in a special check thing, but it's worth it to not have to worry about who holds what and shuffling stuff around. I traveled through 3 international airports in three different countries and they all let me wear ds though with no fuss and he was old enough to walk at the time too.

Emerald27 · June 2013

I always use my ergo when we fly. Makes everything so much easier. Have a safe trip!

SCBride2007 · June 2013

I would absolutely wear him! I will say though, that I've worn my DD 3 times in the airport when she was younger--every single time I've had to take her out of the carrier when I went through security. That was in the Boston airport, Charleston, SC airport, Nashville airport, and Rhode Island airport. Not sure if it was just bad luck, but they always made me do it, and I always get ticked!

I'm wearing my son in the airport when he will be 1 month, and I am so hoping they don't make me take him out since I'll also have my 4 year old DD with me by myself!

cheesecakerunner · June 2013

Semi related : Do you all check your car seats?

I fly with DS next month and would love to waltz through the airport with him in a sling, but I'm scared of what might happen if I check his carseat. Like it getting tossed around and beat up.

so, I was thinking lo in the ring sling, infant seat on a stroller, luggage in the stroller. Oy!

emilykathleen511 · June 2013

Well, in a ring sling, you'll for sure have to take him out through security because of the metal rings. And yeah, I wouldn"t recommend checking, not even gate checking a carseat.

Meganequine · June 2013

We did the ergo when we traveled. Loved it! We did have to gate-check our car seat because we were on little planes, but I never would have actually checked it.

cecilyandgautam · June 2013

cheesecakerunner:
Semi related : Do you all check your car seats? I fly with DS next month and would love to waltz through the airport with him in a sling, but I'm scared of what might happen if I check his carseat. Like it getting tossed around and beat up. so, I was thinking lo in the ring sling, infant seat on a stroller, luggage in the stroller. Oy!

We've always checked the carseat and if your'e traveling with LO as a lap infant, I think you have to check it at the gate by the latest. There are protective bags you can buy at Babies R US or BuyBuyBaby for traveling with a carseat. If you check the seat with the luggage, rather than at the gate, they have these extra thick plastic bags they wrap the seats in - worked out for us. Personally, I hated having to push a stroller full of stuff while wearing a baby who refused to be in the stroller - not worth the trouble for us.

To OP - TSA will generally let you through security while wearing baby, but if you need to be patted down, some one else has to hold the baby while you get check out. Also if your'e traveling internationally, in my experience the European guards make you take the carrier off and hold baby in your arms through security - just FYI.

blu-eyedwife · June 2013

cheesecakerunner:
Semi related : Do you all check your car seats? I fly with DS next month and would love to waltz through the airport with him in a sling, but I'm scared of what might happen if I check his carseat. Like it getting tossed around and beat up. so, I was thinking lo in the ring sling, infant seat on a stroller, luggage in the stroller. Oy!

I usually gate check the car seat. That way I can use it if there's an open seat on the plane, and if not, it doesn't get tossed around with the rest of the luggage. We have a padded car seat bag with backpack straps which serve as extra protection, but also makes it easier to carry around the airport. This is from last month:

Ms. Lisi · June 2013

Ive flown with DD about 6 times, and have always had her in a carrier through security. They wipe your hands to test for explosives and they don't make you do the Xray thing. It saves a ton of time.

SarahinMD · June 2013

W have flown several times with DD. Till she was old enough that she preferred to walk around a lot, I always used our Moby. Can't imagine doing it another way...was so easy. DH carries the car seat in a backpack carrier (like the one in photo posted by PP) and he much prefers that to a roller carrier. We hate check it mostly so that we mostly eliminate the risk of it not arriving with us. For the last couple of trips, DD has been to big to be carried, and we've finally brought the stroller for her (which we also gate check). One trip or two, we'd have the stroller even though I carried her, because we'd need it on the trip, and we used it to cart around our other carry on bags.

Jenny952 · June 2013

Another vote for baby wearing! I used my moby with DD until she was about a year and then took the boba. I'm traveling with her in a few weeks and will bring the boba again and let her run around on her own a bit too. It never seemed to be a problem going through security. I can't take DD through a metal detector so we do the regular pat-down. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made us go through the full-body scanners, just the metal detectors. For me I preferred to wear her in the front and then have my backpack on my back, and then I could even pull a roller bag. It was quite the operation, but it worked!

MrsNash37212 · June 2013

SCBride2007:
I would absolutely wear him! I will say though, that I've worn my DD 3 times in the airport when she was younger--every single time I've had to take her out of the carrier when I went through security. That was in the Boston airport, Charleston, SC airport, Nashville airport, and Rhode Island airport. Not sure if it was just bad luck, but they always made me do it, and I always get ticked!
I'm wearing my son in the airport when he will be 1 month, and I am so hoping they don't make me take him out since I'll also have my 4 year old DD with me by myself!

I believe the TSA laws changed 2-3 years ago where you never have to take the baby out and they just swab your hands. I've flown with DS probably 15 times now and have never had a problem at any airport, large or small. Nashville is my home airport, too.

OP, it is so easy, I swear I'll be wearing DS at the airport until he's 5 just because it is so much easier and I hate those x-ray things anyway!

Want a personalized experience?

Babywearing in airports

Re: Babywearing in airports

Choose Another Board

Search Boards