https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 15 May 2026 04:52:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830985 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:38:38 +0000 jennlin821 2830985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: I'm so glad my tips helped!! Sorry about your travel disasters. I hope the rest of your tip went well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830982 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:29:46 +0000 periwinklebee 2830982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shybee23: I followed every detail of @jennlin821: 's amazing advice for my solo trips with the baby, and it totally saved me, even when the airlines royally screwed things up (eighteen hour delay after a red eye, lost our gate checked infant seat (twice), etc). Seriously, best advice ever! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830980 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:12:44 +0000 jennlin821 2830980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here is my very long answer! (It is copied and pasted from this thread: <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-flying-solo-with-an-infant" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-flying-solo-with-an-infant</a> which also has great tips)</p> <p>Last summer I had to fly with my DD 5 time solo. It was a short trip (4 hr flights) but I did my research!<br /> Here are a few of my tips:</p> <p>-Get a baby carrier! I bought the lillebaby specifically for this, and it has been great. I wanted one that the child could face in or out, especially for the plane ride.<br /> -I had a graco infant carseat with the stroller frame. Get a carseat cover. and if the frame is important to you get a stroller bag too. My frame was damaged, so I can't use the one-handed grip to collapse it anymore. I had no problem, checking them, but they do both need to go through the xray machine at security.<br /> - I really pared down my packing, so I could do it all carry-on. I had one rolling suitcase, one backback, and one pump bag. The suitcase and pump went in the overhead compartment&gt; no packing anything in those I needed during the flight. The backpack (my own personal one, from llbean) has 3 big pockets. This had my wallet, earphones, phone, ipad (ya know all the purse stuff) 2 changes of clothes for the two of us, snacks for me, toys for her, extra diapers and a diaper clutch. (more extra diapers in the suitcase)</p> <p>So here is how it worked, I wore DD, and pushed the stroller. Security was not helpful, but everyone in line was patient, because you have to put all your luggage through, and take you shoes off (&lt; wear some kid of slip ons!) and then fit the carseat and stroller frame through. I had no help from security but MANY fellow passengers helped. I think it helped them knowing that I knew what to do, and was doing it quickly.<br /> By wearing the baby, the stroller was free, so I piled all my luggage on/under it.<br /> After security, I found the gate immediately, and got situated. I think I let DD down, on a blanket (she wasn't crawling yet) while I resituated everything. I think I fed her a bit if she needed it but I tried to time it so she was nursing during take off. Once we both had a chance to stretch our legs and for me to stuff my face with some kind of snack, I started getting ready for the plane.<br /> I went to the gate attendant, and requested to gate check tags (stroller &amp; carseat), put the car seat in the car seat bag, and then put it back on the stroller (sometimes it clicked in, sometimes it just sat on top). I put my pump bag underneath, and my backpack in the car seat. I put DD back in the baby carrier, and rolled us all into the bathroom. I peed (while wearing her, so make sure what you are wearing is compatible!)<br /> Then changed her diaper, to try to avoid changing on the plane.<br /> After we were all done there, I put DD back in the baby carrier. I put the pump bag on one shoulder, and then put the backpack on. I roller the stroller and the suitcase over to the boarding area, ready for our call.<br /> MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS A TICKET or you child is ON YOUR TICKET! I almost couldn't get on one flight, because my DD's name wasn't showing up on my iPhone ticket!<br /> Ok, so roll to the end of the tunnel, leave carseat, collapse stroller, and head onto the plane.<br /> Suitcase above, pump bag above, backpack at feet.<br /> As soon as I got on the plane, I took anything I needed out of the backpack (water, diaper clutch, toys, snacks, phone, ipad, etc. its very difficult to search for something in a bag in a plane seat with a baby in your lap!)<br /> DD was amazing during the flights, its was a good age. She just nursed and napped most of the time. We walked up the aisles, sometimes just standing in the aisle. We only had to do one complete outfit change on her, some poop leaked up the back of her onsie. Change in the bathroom is difficult, but again, at that age not to bad. </p> <p>I hope that helps a bit, I know it was a lot of detail. I'd be happy to give more information if you have more questions!!</p> <p>Oh a few more things I remembered:</p> <p>-wear pants with pockets you can reach. I had some pants that had a zip pocket right around fingertip length, which was perfect because I could put a credit card, ID, DD's birth certificate, the boarding passes, my phone and headphones in there. (once you are sitting, you can't reach into regular pockets) Make sure your top is nursing compatiable as well, if you need to. I wore a nursing top and nursing sweater.<br /> - DD's outfit. She wore a onesie, with a hooded sweatshirt, baby legwarmers and socks. The legwarmers were one of the best tips I read, because it streamlines diaper changes. All you do is unsnap the onesie to change, no having to worry about pants! (good for diaper blow-outs too.) And with the constantly changing airport/airplane temperature<br /> I could easily adjust her outfit as needed.<br /> -We cloth diaper, but I used disposables on the plane. I did however put a diaper cover over the disposables for extra containment. &lt; Not sure if this applies to you, its not a necessary step, just extra insurance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830943 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 13:30:01 +0000 periwinklebee 2830943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've traveled solo a couple of times with my infant. I wore him through security in a carrier. TSA didn't even ask me to try putting the stroller on the x-ray. They just rolled it through, swabbed it, and had it waiting for me on the other side. I agree that in the airport the carrier is easiest. However, for both my trips I needed the stroller and infant seat at the destination. I put them in the gate check bag at the end of the jet bridge, with help from friendly fellow travelers. People (and the TSA) were very friendly and helpful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830925 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:47:51 +0000 MamaBear87 2830925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've always worn my little through security. Even at 2.5 I still sometimes back carry her if I'm alone so I don't have to worry about her running off. </p> <p>I've never had to take her out and they just swab my hands. I use a stroller to carry the diaper bag and other stuff so I vote leave it out but babywear the little. </p> <p>Oh do make sure you don't use a ring sling if you do use a carrier as the metal Rings set off the metal detector</p> <p>And it will be easy! Traveling with a little baby is no big deal and I've always found other travelers to be really helpful </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830920 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:32:04 +0000 kiddosc 2830920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They will need to inspect and swab the stroller and car seat if they don't fit on the xray belt, so don't bother packing them up before security. I would just hold the baby through security if you're already planning on taking the car seat/stroller. </p> <p>That being said, I've always worn my kids through the airport and left the stroller at home. I've never had to take them off, or had a wand passed between me and baby. They do swab my hands after we walk through the metal detector. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830919 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:25:17 +0000 tinyperson 2830919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've never brought a stroller (never needed one at destination), and so we've used the carrier. I will say though that I've been asked to either take her out at security, or they have to pass the wand between her and me. I've just taken her out and carried her through. It probably depends on who you get. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830918 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:24:35 +0000 erinbaderin 2830918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Every time I’ve flown with a baby and a stroller they made me take the baby out of the stroller but not fold it up - I’ve taken the baby out and then carried him through, my husband has pushed the stroller through the walk-through scanner, and then they’ve done an inspection of it. I only found it to be a hassle when the baby has been asleep and I had to disturb him to get him out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830917 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:17:34 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2830917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did it both ways, the stroller needed to be folded up and placed on the x-ray belt either way when we went through security. Either carrying her or wearing her we went through the regular metal detector rather then the full body scanner. We have pre-check and global entry cards so we don't have to remove shoes or our liquids/electronics so carrying her still worked out, if you have to do the usual tsa requirements wearing her in a carrier would at least leave you hands free. I liked having the ability to push her in the stroller in the airport and have a place to put her while we ate. We gate checked our stroller and it survived the flight just fine. I liked having the stroller when we got off the plane and it was great to push her while we got our luggage and sorted out our rental car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/airport-with-infant#post-2830908 Wed, 27 Jun 2018 10:44:07 +0000 Shybee23 2830908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Looking for tips on getting through airport security with an infant! I read that it might be easier to wear him through security rather than leaving him in the stroller - but we are also bringing our stroller (Uppababy Cruz with the Mesa car seat.)<br /> We have the travel bags for the car seat and stroller so I am trying to figure out if it’s easier to have the stroller and car seat packed up in the bags to go through security (does the stroller need to be broken down to go through security regardless?) or to leave them out in case we end up wanting to put him back in the stroller to walk through the airport? </p> <p>Thanks for any tips!! </p>