You may be wondering what your little one needs to board a flight. Do you need to bring identification? A birth certificate? A car seat?
In this article, we will give you a checklist of what you need to bring plus what you should take when you fly with your child. My daughter boarded six different flights before she turned 6 months old to visit family across the country. I’ll let you know what worked for my expert little traveler!
What You Need to Bring to the Airport When Flying With Kids
Domestic Flights
When you board a domestic flight with your kids, the Transportation Security Administration does not require children under 18 years old to provide identification.
However, your airline may require proof of age. Most airlines allow children under 2 years of age to travel for free if they ride on your lap. If you are not purchasing a separate ticket for your infant, bring a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate to show proof that he or she qualifies as a lap infant.
International Flights
If the family is flying internationally, every member, including babies and older kids, must have a valid U.S. Passport. This is not only to show identification but also proof of U.S citizenship. Here is a step-by-step guide for how to apply for a U.S. Passport for children under 16 years of age.
Minors under 16 years of age may also require evidence of the relationship between child and parent and/or guardian and parental consent. It is a good idea to pack a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate, as well.
What You’ll Want to Bring to the Airport When Flying With Kids
The list in the previous section is short because it requires the bare minimum you need to get your kids boarded on an international or domestic flight. In this section, let’s dive into what you should pack to make your life in a crowded airport and on a long flight more bearable.
FAA-Approved Car Seat
Whether you purchased a separate seat for your child or your little one is flying free as a lap infant (under 2 years old only), bring his or her car seat to the airport. For one, you’ll need it once you arrive at your destination if you will be traveling by car, taxi, etc.
Secondly, riding in a car seat when flying is the safest option for young kids. While not required, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly recommends child safety restraint systems for children under 40 pounds. This includes either a car seat or the CARES harness system, which only works for children 22 pounds to 40 pounds.
Even if you do not purchase a separate fare for your infant or young toddler, you can always ask your airline to see if the flight is full or if there is an empty seat next to you. If the flight is not full, (nice) gate attendants may accommodate your family to allow you to bring the car seat onboard the aircraft, free of charge. This beats having to hold your baby the entire flight. If the flight is full, you can easily check the car seat at the gate.
Tip for parents: car seats and strollers do not count toward your baggage allowance and are not subject to baggage fees. This is regardless of whether you have purchased a separate fare for your child. You can check both at the gate. Or if you’d rather not lug the car seat and stroller around the airport, you can check them before going through security (though I don’t recommend this. Even when protected inside designated car seat or stroller bags, there is a higher likelihood of the items to get damaged).
Also note, it is your legal right to bring an FAA-Approved car seat on a US-based carrier if you have purchased a seat for your child. Most car seats are approved for air travel, but double-check with your specific car seat. There should be a sticker on the seat that reads that it conforms to Federal motor vehicle safety standards and is certified for use on aircraft as well.
Stroller
Airports are busy, and it is not fun to chase toddlers through crowds. It will make your life exponentially easier to have your stroller, even if only to hold extra bags since traveling with children requires a lot of extra stuff!
When going through security, in my experience, TSA required me to put the stroller on the conveyor belt rather than allow me to push it through the metal detector. We had to remove the wheels to get our stroller to fit. It was an extra step but not too big of a hassle.
Families who travel frequently love the Doona Car Seat to Stroller. With one motion, this car seat easily converts to a stroller. It is expensive, but you only need to take this one baby item with you. This car seat is rear-facing only, so it would only work until baby hits a max weight of 35 pounds or max height of 32 inches.
Remember, you can gate-check your stroller for free. Traveling with young kids – and everything that they require – takes a lot of patience and extra time. So here’s another tip for parents: be sure to take advantage of family boarding. Most U.S. airlines give families traveling with young children priority boarding to give them extra time. For example, at Southwest Airlines, it is even before the “A” group begins boarding.
Infant Carrier
If you have an infant or young toddler who tolerates being in a baby carrier, I highly recommend bringing one to the airport for several reasons.
First, as mentioned above, TSA is most likely going to require you to take your baby out of the stroller and collapse the stroller through security. If you are wearing your baby in a sling or carrier, this frees up your hands to load up the conveyor belt while also safely carrying your baby.
When you walk through the metal detector yourself, TSA may ask you to remove infants from their carriers and carry them in your arms. But TSA also says infants may be carried in a sling through the metal detector, but you may be subject to additional screening.
Tip for parents: bookmark this link! If baby fell asleep during the check-in and security checkpoint process, I would choose the latter option and show TSA agents who give you a hard time the guidelines posted on TSA’s own website.
Another reason to bring an infant carrier is to make boarding the aircraft easier. You will need to gate-check the stroller well ahead of time. Putting your baby in a carrier when you are walking onto the plane gives you free hands to carry other items you’re bringing with you.
Breastmilk, Formula, Juice… and Snacks!
Depending on the age of your children, make sure to pack their milk and plenty of snacks. You never know how long you might bet delayed!
A quick word about screening breast milk and formula: both are allowed in your carry-on bag in reasonable quantities that exceed the 3.4 ounce limit on other liquids. Be sure to let the TSA officer know that you have formula, breast milk, or juice with you and remove them from your bag to be screened separately.
I would always let the TSA agents know that you do not want them to open the containers of formula or breast milk. They will take the liquid to a separate area to be screened without opening the bottles and potentially tainting them. It will require you or another guardian to undergo additional screening procedures, including a pat-down and screening of other carry-on bags.
Tip for parents: If possible, designate the parent or other adult not wearing the baby in a carrier to undergo the additional screening to clear the milk.
Also, ice packs, freezer packs, and other accessories needed to keep formula, breast milk, and juice cool are allowed in your carry-on bag. Gel or liquid-filled teething toys and canned or jarred baby foods are also permitted. You may need to undergo additional screening.
Changing Pad and Extra Diapers
This may go without saying, but be sure to bring a changing pad and extra diapers with you – more diapers than you think you will need. Airport bathrooms can be very dirty, and with the amount of time you’ll be spending at the airport, you will most definitely need to change your little one’s diaper there.
If you need to change baby while on the plane, grab the changing pad as well. The changing tables on planes are not very large and they are awkwardly placed above the toilet, so it is helpful to make sure they’ll be lying down on a clean surface!
Tip for parents: If you are a germaphobe like me, take a couple of puppy training pads with you. I always found it a bit gross to put your changing pad that touches all those public restroom surfaces back into your diaper bag. Keep things extra sanitary when traveling by laying down a puppy training pad under your changing pad. When you’re done, toss the training pad and you’ll be good to go!
Other Items to Bring With You
- Change of clothes for baby and you: Spit-ups happen. Blowouts happen. They can both happen on flights. Be prepared by having a change of clothes accessible, meaning don’t put it in the overhead compartment.
- Portable white noise machine: Yes, airplanes provide ambient white noise. But flight attendants and pilots often relay messages over the intercom, which can wake baby! Take a separate portable white noise machine to give you the best chance at a long nap on the plane.
- Blanket or nursing cover: A nursing cover offers privacy if you need to breastfeed on the flight, but a cover or blanket can also help block out overhead lights or windows to create a darker environment that is more conducive to naps. Especially if you have a car seat on the seat next to you, draping a blanket around your little one is a great idea.
- Quiet, no mess toys: For toddlers and older kids, make sure you pack plenty of activities to keep them busy. Think puzzles, stickers, coloring books (these Crayola Mess-Free Coloring Pages were practically designed for long flights!), and of course, trusty devices and headphones. No shame in screen time when you’re traveling.
Final Word About Traveling with Children
Flying with kids takes an incredible amount of preparation leading up to the flight and patience once the day arrives. Prepare yourself that everything – from getting to the airport, security, boarding – will take exponentially longer. Yes, it will be a pain. Yes, you may find yourself in the middle of an epic toddler tantrum when you least expect it.
Just breathe, and know that it is temporary, and most passengers will be understanding of your situation. Always take advantage of family boarding and make a checklist of the tips above to anticipate all scenarios and prepare as best you can. Good luck!
