Flying with kids: seats, strollers, milk and the cabin bag
Most of a flight with children is decided before you leave home: which seats you booked, what is in the bag under the seat, and whether you read your airline's infant rules. Here is what to sort out, by age.
The short version
- Under 2 can fly on a lap, but the FAA and AAP both recommend a seat and a restraint.
- Baby milk and food over 100 ml pass security in the US and UK. Declare them first.
- Most airlines take a stroller at the aircraft door for free. Confirm where it comes back.
- Feed or offer a pacifier on the way up and on the way down to help with ear pressure.
Pick the seats before you pick the fare
A cheap fare that scatters your family across the cabin is not cheap. Check whether the airline seats children next to an adult for free or charges for seat selection, and add that cost before comparing prices.
Children can't sit in exit rows. If you bring a car seat on board, airlines normally put it in a window seat so it doesn't block anyone's way out.
- Baby under 1: bulkhead row with a bassinet position, requested when you book
- Toddler: window seat for the child, adult in the middle, aisle free for walks
- Two adults, two kids: two and two in consecutive rows beats four across an aisle
- Night flight: the back rows are closer to the toilets and the galley noise
- Short connection: sit near the front so you get off first
Under 2: lap, own seat or bassinet
Airlines let a child under 2 travel on an adult's lap, usually for a fraction of the adult fare on international routes. The FAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend something else: the child's own seat with an approved restraint, because your arms can't hold a baby in strong turbulence.
A bassinet is for cruising only. The baby comes out for takeoff, landing and any time the seatbelt sign is on.
- Lap infant: cheapest, fine for short flights, tiring past three hours
- Own seat with car seat: the seat must carry a label certifying it for aircraft use
- CARES harness: FAA-certified for children of 22 to 44 lb and up to 40 inches, forward facing
- Bassinet: weight and length limits differ by airline, so check yours before counting on it
- Booster seats are not allowed during taxi, takeoff and landing under FAA rules
Strollers and car seats at the gate
Many airlines carry a stroller and a car seat free of charge on top of your baggage allowance, and let you push the stroller to the aircraft door. Ask for a gate-check tag at the check-in desk or at the gate.
The question that matters is where it comes back. At some airports it returns to the aircraft door. At others it goes to the baggage belt, and you carry a sleeping child through passport control.
- Ask at the gate: "Does the stroller come back to the door or the belt?"
- Fold it and remove cup holders, toys and the rain cover before handing it over
- A padded travel bag protects it and is rarely weighed
- Keep a carrier in your cabin bag for the walk after landing
- Compact strollers that fit the overhead bin skip the whole problem on airlines that accept them
Milk, formula and baby food at security
Baby liquids are an exception to the 100 ml rule in the US and the UK. The TSA allows formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food, including puree pouches, in larger amounts and outside the clear bag. UK rules allow enough baby milk and food for the journey.
Rules elsewhere follow the same idea but the details change. Check the departure airport's page for every leg, including the flight home.
- Tell the officer at the start and take the items out of your bag
- The TSA suggests clear bottles, which are quicker to screen than pouches or bags
- US: ice packs and gel packs for milk are allowed, frozen or slushy
- UK: formula, sterilised water and baby food need the baby travelling with you
- UK: frozen breast milk is not allowed in hand luggage
- Carry twice the milk you expect to need. Delays happen on the tarmac, not near a shop
Ears on the way up and down
Pressure changes during climb and descent are what make babies cry on planes. The AAP's advice is simple: have the baby nurse, drink from a bottle or suck on a pacifier during takeoff and landing. Swallowing helps.
Descent starts well before the wheels touch. Begin when the crew announces it, about half an hour out, not when you see the runway.
- Baby: breast, bottle or pacifier
- Toddler: water in a straw cup, or a snack that needs chewing
- Age 4 and up: chewing, sipping water, yawning on purpose
- Wake a sleeping child for descent if they tend to have ear trouble
What goes in the cabin bag
One bag under the seat in front of you, packed so you can reach everything with one hand. The overhead bin is out of reach whenever the seatbelt sign is on, which is exactly when you need the wipes.
Pack by moment: a changing kit, a food kit, a boredom kit. Three pouches are faster than one deep bag.
- Nappies: one per two hours of travel door to door, plus three
- A full change of clothes for the child and a spare top for you
- Snacks the child already eats, in small portions
- Empty water bottle to fill after security
- Two or three small new things, handed out one at a time
- Passports and booking references in the outside pocket
Ages 3 and up: what changes
From 2 every child needs a paid seat, and from about 3 the flight gets easier each year. The job shifts from carrying to keeping them busy and fed.
Download everything at home. Airport wifi is slow and seatback screens are not guaranteed, especially on short flights.
- Ages 3-5: child-size headphones, sticker books, a toilet trip right before boarding
- Ages 6-10: their own small backpack that they pack and carry
- Ages 11+: a charged power bank, and a say in which seat they get
- All ages: a layer for the cabin, which is colder than the airport
The week before you fly
Common questions
Does a baby under 2 need their own seat on a plane?
No. Airlines allow a child under 2 on an adult's lap. The FAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend buying a seat and using an approved child restraint instead, because it is safer in turbulence.
Can I take baby formula through airport security?
Yes in the US and the UK, in amounts over 100 ml. Tell the officer before screening and take it out of your bag. In the UK the baby has to be travelling with you for formula and baby food.
Is it free to take a stroller on a plane?
On many airlines, yes: one stroller and one car seat per child travel free and can be checked at the gate. Low-cost carriers set their own limits on size and number of items, so read the policy before you get to the airport.