Recently I had the great privilege of taking a 2 week trip to Europe with my 10 month old son. My husband and 4 year old stayed home and got some great daddy-daughter time in while I got to traipse along through three countries in Europe. It was a dream! I know some of you reading this might be thinking that I am crazy - taking a long haul flight with a baby and no one to help sounds awful to you. Well, never fear, I am here to tell you that it CAN be done, and it even can be FUN!

The first thing to do upon booking your flight is to request a bassinet

If you booked the flight yourself, you will need to call in to request the bassinet. It isn’t something you can request online for most airlines. If you’ve booked through me, you can just let me know you would like one, and I will do the legwork of requesting it for you. Most long haul planes have a few spaces on the bulkhead wall for bassinets. They are first come first serve, as the seats in front of them must still be unclaimed in order for someone to get them. The airlines typically state that the bassinet can accommodate babies up to 20 lbs, but I saw that the actual warning label on the bassinet said for babies 25 lbs or less. So they give a small bit of leeway there.

The bassinet itself is attached to the bulkhead at three points - two at the level of the bassinet and one below with a pole to help the bassinet stay upright. The bassinet is not allowed to be set up until you are at a higher altitude, and it must be taken down before descent, so just know that flight attendants will be in your bubble for a bit at both of those times. Once it is up though, it is quite nice, as it has a cover that you use to enclose your baby within the bassinet (in case of turbulence or baby waking up and trying to crawl over the edge).

The one downfall to sitting in the seats that allow for a bassinet is that there is no seat in front of you, so while you do get extra leg room, you must store all bags in the overhead compartment until you get to a cruising altitude and can unbuckle your seatbelt and grab your things. I found that to be rather inconvenient, as I wanted to have some things on hand and easily accessible at all times.

Bring a Boppy or a pillow for your baby to sit and sleep on

I brought a thin pillow for my son to sit and lay on. It saved my legs from overheating or from any potential diaper malfunctions (thankfully I only had 1 for the duration of the trip and it didn’t cause a wardrobe malfunction for me), and it gave somethings soft and comfortable for Malcolm to sleep on. I did not request the bassinet in time on the way home, so for that flight I was in a normal seat and had to make do with what I had. The pillow made it a lot more bearable for both of us.

Thoughtfully consider which select few toys to bring

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “I need to bring every toy so my kid never makes a peep!” and overpack. I’d say bring 2-3 toys for the plane and that’s it. I definitely overpacked toys that were never played with or touched during the trip. Some good toys for planes would be soft books that have a handle for you to hold to keep it from being dropped on the floor, a loved stuffy, a ball that can easily be stuffed somewhere, etc. Loud toys, or toys that light up may not be the best toys for airplanes, as they can disturb your neighbors a bit more. Malcolm ended up enjoying an empty Dasani water bottle that he could crinkle more than any of the toys I brought.

Be willing to nurse or give a bottle at takeoff and landing

Basically anytime the air pressure changes in flight, it is a good idea to feed the baby. A pacifier is not going to help with alleviating the pressure in their ears, as they aren’t consistently swallowing while using a pacifier or dummy. It can be a little unnerving to nurse in such close quarters, so if you breastfeed and feel uncomfortable doing so in public areas, either bring a coverup or bring a bottle (the 3 oz rule for TSA does not apply to bottles for babies. You can bring a whole slew of bottles through the security checkpoint as long as you declare them). On one descent I forgot to start feeding him and Malcolm definitely let me know that the pressure was affecting him. Once he started feeding though, he was fine.

Make friends with your nearby neighbors

Sometimes you get the luck of the Irish and get a seat (or even two!) that are empty near you. Even if you do, make friends with your immediate neighbors on the flight. You may need help and most of the time, people are more than willing to help the person carrying the sweet little baby. I had people who had grandchildren at home offer to hold Malcolm while I got my stuff situated, and while I didn’t take them up on it (as he can sit unassisted on the seat), the gesture and sentiment was much appreciated.

On my flight home, I was not as lucky to have an empty seat next to me, however the gentleman that I was sitting with was very gracious and offered to get a flight attendant when I missed the beverage service. He also shared his tray table with me when meals came by, as Malcolm is a bit grabby when it comes to things that are not for him. I started out our interactions apologizing for if Malcolm ever kicked him (as I knew I would be nursing him and he’d be laying in a position that would make that an almost certainty), and I let him know Malcolm is a good traveler and shouldn’t disturb him too much.

Figure out the bathroom situation ahead of time

Before you travel, practice using the toilet while wearing your baby. I cannot stress this enough - if you learn nothing else from this post, this should be what you learn! You are going to be walking around places that have big bathrooms, small bathrooms, tall toilets, short toilets, clean places and disgusting ones - and you need to be able to relieve yourself without putting the baby down! If you can’t use the toilet in your own house while using the carrier, it’s time to think about a new carrier, or rethink the trip.

Once on the plane, figure out which of the bathrooms have changing tables. Not every lavatory has the changing table on planes, many times it’s just the ones in the middle of the plane. Also pack a gallon sized ziplock with a puppy pad or two (these are your friend. Buy a pack to use throughout your trip. When one gets dirty, throw it out and use a new one), a small package of wipes, and about 2-3 more diapers than you would normally need for the duration of the flight. Babies’ bodies can do weird things in flight - sometimes they stop up, and sometimes the dams are loosened. You want to be prepared in the case of the loosening.

Final thoughts

Even if it seems a bit daunting, flying alone with a baby absolutely CAN be done, it just needs to be properly planned for. Packing light, having the right suitcase that you can maneuver while carrying your infant, and having different expectations for the flight are key. Below you can see a video of what I looked like walking around with my full amount of luggage. I used Tach brand luggage as the pieces velcro together, making it much easier to haul around when I sometimes had only one hand free.

Asking for help when you need it will be key as well. Don’t stand on ceremony and try to do everything on your own if you can get help from someone. Although I made sure that I was physically able to do everything I needed on my own, I definitely asked for help sometimes for things like moving my luggage up onto trains, into overhead compartments, onto buses, etc. People were more than willing to help me in those situations. Also letting the flight attendants know I was traveling alone was useful as they could provide me with additional waters and beverages, or snacks.

Even if you don’t take your baby to Europe alone, hopefully these tips help you to be able to experience culture with your newest addition to the family!

Tips for flying with a baby, ALONE!