As we head in to the second half of Annabelle’s first year
on the planet, I thought I’d check in with a little practical advice on flying
with an infant aged 0-6 months.
We’ve had a "bit" of practice over the last 6 months, and
have experienced a variety of flying situations including both small planes and large carriers,
20-seaters and long and short layovers.
Here are some insights and some practical advice for those of you planning to travel with a small infant. I've broken it down into the different stages related to flying.
Booking
I am very lucky to have an excellent manager, Helen Britton at
Six Shooter Records. She books all of our flights. Here is her experience and advice when it comes to
booking a flight with a baby:
“I book literally hundreds of flights a year, but when Annie came along it was my first experience booking for an infant. Assuming it would be a breeze I added her to our flight list and jumped in. Who knew what a maze it would be? In her short life she has been on 30 flights through 8 different airlines. Every airline has a slightly different policy about how you book an infant. Some simply allow you to enter the child like any other passenger online (thank you Westjet and Porter), others require a special phone call to add the infant to the ticket (pretty much everyone else). Once I get an agent on the phone, add the name, birthdate and double check they have correctly connected Annie to her mother (not some unsuspecting musician..that happened) then there are tax payments and tickets to sort out. Some airlines (Delta) require a PHYSICAL mailed paper ticket be issued for infants. Complicated is understated. For anyone who is planning on touring with an infant, here is a synopsis, as quoted from a manager/artist email earlier this year -
Date: 7 Jan 2013
Subject: Annabelle/airlines
Hello,
I called all the airlines today to clarify what is required for Annabelle. You pay taxes for her flying from Canada to the US, not domestically in the US or from the US to Canada. Air Canada say they are sending me an e-ticket for her for the YYZ-Orlando leg, but not the return leg. No one needs a paper ticket, although US Airways (JFK-Phoenix) say you can't check in online, you will have to do it at the desk if you have an infant. Porter have her listed and need no tickets of any kind."
All I can say is: GOD BLESS HELEN BRITTON.
Check-In
As with everything else that relates to baby, give yourself
ample time to check in for your flight. Airline booking systems are glitchy and
even though you may have indicated online that you’re flying with a baby,
sometimes for no apparent reason, that information gets lost. It takes the
airlines time to fix these “errors”. Just plan for it.
As Helen mentioned, when you fly to the US, some airlines will ask to see the
infant’s paper ticket, which they send in the mail “around a month” after the
booking (exact-inexact words from an airline agent). As we often book our flights
within 6 weeks of flying, we never get these in time, and they need to generate
them at the desk. This also takes a lot of time. Last time it took the agent
more than 20 minutes.
Make sure you hold on to this ticket, because some of these
airlines will ask to see them when you check in to fly home with baby. I still
don’t understand this system, as it seems random, but what can you do. Airlines
don’t make a ton of sense, and often don’t even understand their own systems.
Also *sometimes* when
you fly to the US, you will have to pay a tax to land with the baby. It
seems to correspond with the airlines that require a paper ticket…but not
always. Case in point: last time I flew with Porter to Washington, DC, they had
no idea what I was talking about when I asked them about the landing fee.
While you’re at the check in desk, why not check on baby’s
weight progress?
What to do with the car seat/stroller?
Airlines will allow you to check strollers and car seats for
free. You can either do this when you check in the rest of your luggage, or at
the gate of your flight.
If we have a direct flight or a long layover, I always carry
the car seat with me.
I have found that if we have short
layover, it is easier to check the car seat. That way we can get off the plane
and run on to the next flight (sometimes literally) without waiting for checked items to be brought
out to the landing. Bear in mind that this is risky; if the airline loses your car seat, you’re up
the creek without a paddle. You won’t be going anywhere with baby when you get
to your destination, and will be sending someone to Target to buy a new car
seat.
For me, checking the seat is worth the risk. That thing is
not light (on the good side, my arms are getting pretty buff.)
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| Good Lovelies (and the baby) do not pack lightly. |
Security
There’s nothing like going through security with a baby to make
you wish you were an octopus.
It’s mostly the same rigamarole; shoes, belts and scarves
off, computers out, change in the tray. If you are carrying the car seat, it
will either go through the scanner (on the belt), or in the case of some
airports, it will be checked manually (a new policy at YYZ, for example).
A couple of differences for parents traveling with kiddos:
1 – No full body scanner: Instead, you carry your baby
through the old fashioned metal detector (does make you wonder what those
scanners are doing to us regular adults!).
2 – Liquids: You are allowed to carry through food/formula/breastmilk for the baby. Check out liquid allowances for people travelling with babies
HERE. This is Canada-specific, so make sure you check allowances when you are flying to/from another country.
3 – The family lane: Some airports will put you through a
special family lane, which can sometimes be awesome (yay for jumping the line!). It can also suck pretty badly, when you get caught behind a
family with 5 children aged 10 and under on their first plane trip together.
Then you’re just screwed.
Once we get through security, I find that it’s easiest to
wrap the baby up in her body-carrier. This gives me two free hands to carry the
mandolin or a coffee or the empty car seat (and to pass my tickets to the agent when boarding). It is much more manageable when
she’s not in it. It is just easier to move about the airport, pick up a
sandwich and head to the gate.
Customs
If you are not traveling with the baby’s other parent, make
sure you have a letter from that parent acknowledging your trip. I learned my
lesson coming back to Canada from the U.S. without Colin, and had to convince
the customs official that I wasn’t stealing my baby (which was ironic, because
he was outside the arrivals gate, waiting to pick me up).
I have never had to show this letter when entering the U.S., but I carry a copy of it with me at all times now when I am not travelling with the hubby.
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| Please let me go home. |
Supplies for flying
In my short months flying with a baby, I have found the
greatest challenge has been managing all the “stuff” (a metaphor for life now,
really). What to pack? What will we need?
For long flights, with a caretaker to help manage all the
“stuff”, I find that it’s best to pack a full diaper bag, complete with
receiving blankets, two sleepers (honestly we’ve gone through both on a single
flight), 10 diapers, and changing supplies. My mom pointed out that you can
never pack too many diapers; who knows when you’ll be stuck on the tarmac or in
the airport for longer than expected!
When flying on my own, I have found that it is easier to
pack just a small diaper-changing kit. This one is very useful, and is made by the company
Skip Hop. It can fit in my own backpack so that I don't have to carry a separate bag for her.
My best advice for baby-supplies is to always have a diaper
and some wipes handy. Like in the seatback-pocket-handy. Annabelle’s new trick
is poop on takeoff. And so, I have learned the fine art of the in-seat diaper
change, which is easier if you are familiar with your seat mate…strangers don’t
think it’s very “cute”. If you’re not comfortable with the in-seat diaper
change, have a receiving blanket handy and wrap it around your baby’s
midsection until you can get to the washroom.
Also: have an extra pair of pants for long plane rides.
You’ll be thankful when the baby’s diaper breaches all over you. Wheee!
Pooooop!
Note: some small planes don’t have a change table in the bathroom. It’s a tough one, but, while the baby is still small you can rig up a decent situation on the toilet seat.
Boarding
Early boarding for parents of small children? Don't mind if I do! Take
advantage, because there’s nothing crappier than struggling to find a place to
put your diaper bag while juggling a baby and all your stuff when the plane is
packed with people.
In-flight
As comfy as it is, you will not be able to keep the baby in
a carrier when you fly. The flight attendant should go over safety procedures
with you as soon as you are settled into your seat. This doesn’t always happen,
so if you have any questions about oxygen masks, infant life vests (which are
stored in a separate part of the plane, not under the seat), and the proper way
to hold your baby during turbulence, just flag down the attendant.
In terms of takeoff and landing, the best advice I received to help baby deal with pressure
changes was to nurse/feed her a bottle as the plane ascends and descends. This may contribute to Annie's knack for filling her diaper on take off, but it seems to work; she has only cried once because of pressure changes. And another benefit? She’ll nurse as
we take off, and then *usually* fall asleep.
Sometimes it's too squishy to nurse. On my last flight with Annie, I was travelling alone and was seated to a rather large man who took over alot of our space. I was feeling quite claustrophobic, turned toward the wall of the plane andsuccessfully fed her on one side. I may have been able to swing the other, but it was not a comfortable situation (also, breastfeeding so close to a stranger wasn't making me feel great). Luckily she fell asleep after takeoff, but had she been hungry it would have been a bad situation, as I didn't have any expressed milk on hand. It's nice to have a backup if you are nursing.
On that note, I have found that when I am travelling with a caregiver, I prefer the inside, window seat. It feels more private. The downside is that I often have to get up to change her diaper or settle her down with a bounce up the aisle. When travelling on my own, I prefer the aisle. It feels a little more room-y, and you can call on the flight attendant to help you out if you need assistance.
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| In-Flight entertainment |
Note, planes can get very warm, and Annabelle and I end up sweating all over one another. I learned this the hard way when I dressed her in a jogging suit sleeper on our trip to Alaska, which was a very long flight. I felt so sticky and gross by the end of that flight, mostly because she was such a heat bag. Have a blanket
on hand in case it gets chilly; it can double as poop protection in case
of a breach!
Landing and Baggage Retrieval
Unless you are in a major rush, wait to de-board the plane after everyone else gets off. It allows you to collect your things (again, the stuff!), and make sure you haven't forgotten something in the seat back pocket or on the floor. It also allows you to set the baby down on an empty seat while you pack everything up.
The same advice goes for picking up baggage as with security; keep your load light by strapping the baby to you. Splurge on a baggage cart (yes, sometimes it costs $5.00); it may suck for your pocketbook, but it allows you to have free hands and a healthy back.
A final note: I have found that in general, people are very helpful.
When I am flying on my own, the offers for extra hands are overwhelming; anything from holding my Annie while I hit the lavatory to carrying my bags. Annabelle helps too; she is very charming, and flashes smiles at our seat-mates and coos at flight attendants. She’s even been known
to stick her fingers in these strangers mouths. Safe to say that she’s broadening her germ-palate.
These things have all worked for me, so your experience may
be very different. I hope this helps in some way. The next phase is traveling
with baby food and pack-and-plays. Each day is new, as they say.
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