27. Arrive early at the airport

From personal experience, I cannot emphasize this enough. Unforeseen things happen if you are traveling with a baby, and leaving early seems to solve most of those hassles. These include insane traffic on the way to the airport, a diaper blowout at the airport, a ticketing problem, lost infant tickets, the list goes on.

If you are not convinced, consider this:

• If you are flying international, you’ll need to park your car at a long-term facility, which is usually not right by the airport. You will need enough time to get from the parking garage to the airport;
• Even if you are packing light, you’ll have baby gear in tow. It will therefore take you a little more time to get around.
• Sometimes there are long check-in or TSA lines. If they are not long, they may move slowly.
• As you go through TSA and security, the process takes way longer if you are traveling with a baby. If you have a stroller, you have to take your baby out of the stroller and collapse it before it can go through an x-ray. If you are wearing your baby, you’ll need to take your baby out, then back in again.

By leaving your house early, you reduce risks. But even if there are no hassles and you end up being early, you have time to regroup, grab a meal, do a diaper change in the terminal, or buy a book that you won’t be able to read.

28. Ask to be put next to an empty seat

If you are on an international flight and you’ve requested (and received) the bulkhead seat, you’ll want to stay where you are. However, if you did not get that seat and you are flying “infant in arms,” the next best thing is to ask that you be put next to an open seat. That way, you have a little more room for your baby. Keep in mind, there may not always be an extra seat available on the flight.

29. Be prepared for security

When you go through customs and security, people with children will often be allowed to go through the shorter lines. This is great, but it’s not offered at every airport.

The protocol for going through security differs from airport to airport. If you have a stroller, they will usually ask you to take your baby out and collapse the stroller before it is taken through the x-ray. If you are wearing your baby, they may ask you to take your baby out before you walk through the metal detector. This is never any fun but you can make the experience easier by being prepared before you get to security.

• If you have liquids, put them in a zip-lock bag and keep them separate for inspection.
• If you have a laptop, separate it ahead of time so that you don’t have to open bags to go find it.
• It is always a great idea to wear slip-on shoes when you go through security.

30. Take advantage of priority boarding, or don’t

When it is time to board, parents with small children usually get priority boarding. This allows you to board first. This is a great perk of traveling with babies but think about it before you take advantage of it.

The benefits of priority boarding when traveling with baby:

• If you board early, you don’t have to pass all the other passengers, which can be a little uncomfortable if the flight is full and you are carrying a baby;
• You get to choose the best spots for your carry-on, instead of merely taking what you get;
• You get to settle in with your baby before most other passengers get on.

While that sounds great, consider that it could take up to 30 minutes for everyone else to board. This means you will have to sit and entertain your baby in a cramped seat for all that time.

Another option could be that you and your partner board separately. One parent could board early to check the stroller, stow the carry-ons, and disinfect the seating area. The other parent could walk around and entertain the baby while everyone else boards ahead of him/her.

31. Check strollers at the airplane gate

If you are traveling with a stroller, be sure to check it at the gate as you board the airplane. This is very convenient because you get to use your stroller right up till the very end. Once the airplane lands and you disembark, be sure to pick it up as you leave.

32. Feed your baby during takeoff and landing

If you have never flown with a baby, this may seem like an insignificant travel tip. If you have flown with babies and children, you’ll understand the meltdown that may occur if you don’t do this. Babies’ ears are sensitive to the changes in air pressure during takeoff and landing. To help ease the problem, you should have your baby sucking. You can either nurse or offer your baby a bottle. Swallowing and sucking will keep their ears from popping. If your baby is not hungry, offer a pacifier (and attach it to a pacifier clip so that it’s always within easy reach.)