How do u fly with an infant?

When traveling by plane how do u travel with an infant. I mean do u have to have a carseat?
Yes, it is unsafe when they're not strapped in. Never strap them in with you and never use any sort of devise to attach the baby to your seatbelt. That's dangerous too.

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I spent hours and hours doing emergency training and the ONLY way to fly safely with a baby is to bring a car seat on board and use it. There is no alternative.

The chances of anything going wrong on a commercial airline are extremely unlikely so babies up to age 2 are allowed on laps for commercial reasons.

Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft. If you're flying on a U.S. company, see the below link for information on if it's approved. Most car seats, including infant buckets, sold in the U.S. are.

If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see the information for your airline. If you search with the name of the airline, followed by "children", that will usually give you the right page.

This way, the seat will get to your destination without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. On my last transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it. While looking for them, I saw at least two car seats. We had the car seat with us and had used it onboard so my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later).

If you don't have a seat for him, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.

Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk. It also gives you to last minute to try to get that extra seat.

If it's an infant bucket-style seat, make sure you're comfortable with the seatbelt installation, especially if you use LATCH (or Isofix in Europe) to install it in the car. Most of them do not need the base for air travel. Check your manual.

I also recommend trying to sit at the bulkhead. These are the seats with the wall in front, located in different places depending on the aircraft. Some airlines provide mounted bassinets. Nice when you can get one but even if not, bulkheads are easier with children since no one is leaning in front of you. Safety-wise, bassinets are no replacements for car seats.

If you have a travel system, you can use the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and then it'll be "gate checked". If not, use a stroller frame for a infant seat. You'll have it again, by the door of the aircraft when you arrive. If you have a convertible car seat (going to 40lbs), there are a number of contraptions you can use to wheel it around.

I simply strap mine to a small metal luggage cart and that works great. I also fly 11 1/2 hour flights alone with three children and I manage quite fine. I always bring a car seat.

If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden.

Bring at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. I saw so many parents run out on flights when I was working! Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.

For a formula fed baby, I really recommend using the bottles with plastic liners. Traditional bottles are too difficult to wash onboard because of the kind of sinks on airplanes. I premeasured the powder and rolled them up, placing the rolls in a ziplock bag. Then you throw the liners away as you use them and only have the ring and nipple to clean.

If you use bottled water, be sure to give yourself enough time to buy some once you're past security. Make sure you have enough! Do not expect the crew to supply you with bottled water for your baby. The water on the aircraft is filtered tap so decide if you're comfortable using that for him. Bottled water runs out fast on flights and we never had any extra for baby bottles.

Be sure you baby does not need the bottle warmed. Get him used to a room-temperature bottle before leaving. This is unnecessary health-wise and a real pain to do while travelling. I warmed many bottles on my flights but I wasn't there in the check-in line, the security line or the waiting area! Babies do great with room-temperature bottles.

Make sure you have at least one change of clothes. I would bring two. At that age, I simply dressed mine in sleep suits for flying. No one will care so keep him comfortable. Bring extra socks if he crawls so that he doesn't pick up anything nasty on the floor and to keep his hands clean.

Hopefully you have a good baby carrier. They're so useful for flying, especially at this age. I had a sling but other parents swear by their wraps and pouches. The Ergo and Becco are two other popular carriers for travel. I liked the sling because I could slide my babies from into and out of a stroller or car seat without waking them. It also doubled as a blanket, baby changer and sunshade! My sling was magic for calming my babies during the flight. Other parents wanted one when they saw how easy it made my travels. Avoid front packs like the Bjorn since they're so bad for both the parents' and child's back. A good carrier should go to at least age 2.

Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have the child awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).

I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. By contrast, if your child does have an ear infection, no amount of sucking will relieve the pain. Take your child to the doctor in the last few days before you fly to make sure his ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes.

For more information, about 8 years ago I wrote an article on this subject for a local expat newsletter. I later put it on a blog to share with other parents, who have in turn contributed. I'm in the middle of re-editing it so check back if you're not flying soon.

Decide what you're comfortable doing but make sure it's an informed decision.

Good luck!