Flight attendant's actual combat experience, 12 with suggestions for infants to fly easily.

It is very challenging for parents to take their children abroad by plane. For children, this is a strange and closed space, and even adults are tired of flying, let alone babies.

I have seen many families take their babies on the plane, and some friends have asked me related questions, so I want to sort out an article on how to make the flight with their babies more complete from the perspective of flight attendants and mothers, hoping to help you a little ~ (mainly China Airlines)

According to the stage of the voyage, it is divided into the following sections:

Preparation before departure

1. Book baby tickets+meals

"Baby" refers to children under 2 years old. The fare is about adult ticket110+tax (depending on the destination). You can order a baby basket, which takes up no space, but the most troublesome thing is that the baby basket is not heavy. Take China Airlines as an example: 71cm&; 1/babies under kloc-0/kg can lie down, but they can't (airlines have different regulations, please ask first). According to this standard, my Lucy Bao is over seven months old ... For flight safety reasons, flight attendants can't carry baskets for over-sized babies.

If the short flight is okay, the baby under 2 years old is the parent who holds the child all the time, and it is very tired to hold the child all the time on a long flight. If the baby exceeds the basket &; You can sit by yourself (usually around 7 months, the baby can sit upright, but you can't lie down with a basket).

The solution for long-distance flights is to buy another child ticket (2~ 12 years old, occupying a seat), but for safety, parents still have to hold the baby when taking off and landing or encountering bumps. Children's tickets are about 75% off adult tickets+tax, but not every destination has children's tickets.

Please ask first, such tickets can't be bought directly online. Tickets must be booked through airline customer service, or some destinations of China Airlines have parent-child bunks to choose from, and economy class seats can be laid flat. Please contact customer service, or adults can buy business class tickets, at least a bigger seat+you can lie down, so that even if you have been holding the child, it will not be too crowded and tired.

The food is simpler. When booking a ticket, you can tell your child's age at the time of departure, and you can get his baby meal (&; Diapers and other supplies), the key is to book in advance! At the check-in counter, the baby wants to eat, and it is usually too late to say. He should book a baby meal at least 24 hours ago.

2. Insure the whole family

If there is an accident, the whole family will not enjoy themselves. Usually, if you buy a plane ticket by credit card, you will be given different levels of travel F.P.A. insurance according to different credit cards (only the basic amount, and some only the protection in flight, please ask the credit card company yourself)

If you want more complete protection, please remember to insure yourself against travel FPA or travel inconvenience. If you get sick or have an accident in the hospital, you will be more secure. After all, these expenses are surprisingly high abroad!

Recommended reading: Can I travel abroad if I am pregnant? Pregnant women beware of high risk.

It is most important to prepare all the baby products!

Don't expect to have too many baby products on the plane or in the restaurant. It's safest to bring your own. Get used to the portable area on the extension &; Load it into the check-in area of the suitcase.

Carry-on area: put all baby products in one big bag, personal belongings, certificates and valuables in one small bag to avoid rummaging around at the check-in counter/customs/security checkpoint, and use transparent chain bags for liquids (leak-proof, no more than 100 ml per bottle).

Check-in area: Depending on the destination, location and weather, if I take my baby with me, I will definitely use a 29-inch suitcase, which is divided into bags (neat and easy to find), transparent chain bags for liquids (leak-proof), shoe boxes/hard boxes for fragile things, and clothes/socks stuffed in the middle (anti-collision).

Empty shoe boxes can also be used to fill the luggage compartment space on the way, so that the contents of the box will not roll around (the box and its contents are not easy to roll and break), and if you buy things abroad, you will have more room to put them. If you want to bring your own non-staple food out of the country, you'd better look at the local customs regulations first. A lot of food, especially meat/fresh fruit, can't be brought into the country.

List of essential items on board: increase or decrease the quantity carried on the voyage.

Baby clothes: It is best to wear thin long sleeves when flying (adults can also wear them), and you can bring an extra set for backup.

Blanket: The air conditioner on the plane is quite cold, and the blanket is sanitary.

Baby food: enough milk powder/non-staple food/snacks (non-staple food, bread, biscuits, etc. Vacuum packaging at room temperature, it is best to prepare the baby to eat&; Acceptable).

Hot water bottle/can: You can ask the stewardess for hot water. Thermos flask can also pack his own non-staple food, but he must eat it before getting off the boat. Many foods are not allowed to enter the country in violation of customs regulations.

Diapers: Take more diapers just in case. You might as well change your pants and diapers in the airplane toilet. Even babies who have given up diapers are well wrapped, because toilets are not always available, and there may be too many factors when flying.

Children's tableware spoon/fork/bowl/bib: pay attention to metal tableware and baby food scissors! All the articles belong to Wei 'an, and they were lost after the exit security check. Remember to put it in the consignment box, and knives and forks (or forks made of plastic or wheat products) in the tableware bag on the plane can be used.

Baby back towel: choose according to your baby's age. If it is not sour to hold hands with a shawl for a short distance, I think it is quite convenient to carry/fix the child's back and free up both hands to take things (as shown above).

Baby's favorite toy/quilt: Some babies just like their own things to make themselves feel safe.

Baby medication: prepare according to your own needs, the space on the plane is closed, there are many people and bacteria. It's really easy to get infected. It is recommended to take some spare medicine to pediatrics a few days before going abroad.

Disinfection and sterilization liquid: super essential! Hygiene on the plane ... spray around before sitting down and spray your hands before eating, which is necessary for me to go out at ordinary times.

Moisturizing lotion: It's very dry on the plane and can be used by adults and children.

Recommended reading: take non-staple food abroad, but also learn to pack, save and heat!

Let me tell my parents what we can provide for the baby on the plane:

You don't need to bring your own cold/hot water: because you will get lost when you go through the exit security check, the hot water on the plane will not reach 100 degrees, but it must be 70 degrees before you can soak the milk powder (there are cold and hot water dispensers in some waiting rooms of Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan Province Province).

Water-proof container: it can help to heat vacuum-packed non-staple food at room temperature. Frozen non-staple food may not work (nor is it convenient to carry). Not every plane has a microwave oven.

Baby Meal: Only book in advance. Please tell me your age when you make a reservation, but the baby may not pay the bill, because he has never eaten before, so it is better to bring his own insurance.

Diapers: small quantity+only size L adhesive type+not a big brand, it is recommended to bring your own habits.

Pillows and blankets: but their hygiene ... I'm not a neat freak, but I pay great attention to all aspects of hygiene after giving birth. After all, children have poor resistance, and I didn't know until the stewardess that the cleaning on the plane is surface cleaning, so adults should be fine. But if I bring my own children, I will definitely bring my own blanket (which is usually put in my mother's bag anyway). If I really want to use the pillow on the plane, I will spread a layer of cloth/paper towel on it and spray disinfectant.

Toys: Although it is not a powerful toy, the baby likes it when he sees it. Children, they like the new and hate the old.

Baby carrying basket: Take China Airlines as an example: babies under 7 1 cm and 1 1 kg can lie down, but they can't. When the take-off, landing and seat belt light is on, you must pick it up and not lie down. A small amount must be booked! Some low-cost airlines don't, please ask first.

Diaper table: It is located in the toilet, but it is not very big. It is recommended to wear pants-type diapers for easy replacement. So there is no standing microwave oven, milk powder, non-staple food, children's tableware and nursing room (please bring your own nursing towel and sit in the same place)

Check in

4. Keep your baby awake/play for a long time before flying.

Before boarding the plane that day, it is necessary to make him a little tired (but not too tired, the baby will be happy), let him have a good sleep on the plane, and have a good trip to the whole family. This is the same as sleeping at home.

5. Report to the airport early

Ordinary passengers check in at the airport counter about 2 hours (about 3 hours before flying to the United States), so they can take care of their babies half an hour in advance. If something happens temporarily, they will be more calm (uh-huh, hungry, crying and not cooperating, etc. Many, many ...)

The reason for arriving early is that it is easier to get a bulky seat behind the partition. This seat can't be booked directly from the internet (usually locked), and there is a little more room for the baby basket, even if there is no need to carry the basket. That row is most likely for families with children.

Also, because you arrive at the airport earlier, you can introduce the airport facilities to your baby, so that he won't feel strange and afraid of this place. Especially when you see a plane, you can say to him, "We will take this plane later. We usually see it in the sky. Today, we are going to sit inside. After we sit in the plane, it will fly so loudly and rumble, but mom will always hold you. It will be fun ~ ~

Then if you are tired, go to bed. You will wake up soon. "Let the baby be psychologically prepared for flying, not afraid or even like it, because he knows what will happen, or let him read the story book about the plane in advance (no matter how young the child is, you can do/say it! ), change diapers in the lounge bathroom before boarding the plane ~

6. Check the stroller by the door.

When you take your baby abroad, you will usually bring a portable folding cart (please ask the ground crew first depending on the airport situation). Some must be towed directly to the check-in counter, and some can be pushed all the way to the boarding gate and then consigned to the ground crew (Taiwan Province Taoyuan Airport can). No matter which way you ship it, you'd better wrap it in a big bag/cover to prevent pollution.

Although some luggage case propagandizes that luggage lockers can be put on the plane, I still recommend consignment, because bringing machines takes up a lot of space (luggage lockers are everyone's) and parents bring enough things, so it will be even harder to bring luggage case. If you really want to take the plane directly, you can choose YOYO or a pocket cart, which can be folded very small and put on the luggage compartment.

In flight

7. Eating during takeoff and landing

Because of the change of air pressure, babies are most likely to feel uncomfortable when taking off and landing, so there are often symphonies that babies cry to listen to. At this time, they can eat and drink/suck nipples, which will greatly improve tinnitus if the baby swallows. If the baby basket is ordered after the plane is leveled, the flight attendant will help put it on the shelf, but the airlines have different regulations to meet the height and weight standards. Please ask when booking.

8. What should I do if my baby cries?

This is what happens to me in almost every flight. Please don't be too nervous. You can feed him/play with toys/try to calm him down or pick him up and walk around, but you must never let the child run in the cabin, it's dangerous!

9. What should parents do if they want to go to the toilet?

The main reason is that the toilet on the plane is very small. If only one person takes the baby on the plane, the suggestion is: take a short trip and go to the toilet in the waiting room before boarding the plane (the toilet is big enough to take the baby with you), but if you really need to go to the toilet on the plane, you can ask the flight attendant to take a look at it for you and then go back quickly. But try not to choose when delivering food, because there may be no manpower to help you, and you will be blocked in the aisle by the dining car.

Recommended reading: the cart is no trouble at all! Six reasons to take your baby abroad

In my own experience, when I go out, I usually take my baby into the toilet and let him stand or sit in the baby chair in the toilet. Although some kind passers-by said they would take care of it for me, I still don't feel at ease, but the plane is a closed space and the children are unlikely to be taken away, so it is feasible to ask the stewardess for help. (Again, please calculate the workload of the flight attendants at that time)

10. Be polite

Now I can understand that it's tight to take the baby on the plane, but parents are often angry with us on the plane ... but getting angry with the stewardess can't solve your problem. On the contrary, polite parents are more willing to help, because we all know that it is very tiring to take the baby on the plane.

Arriving and disembarking

1 1. Change diapers/go to the toilet 40 minutes before arrival.

In order to avoid temporary delay or other circumstances, it is best to change one first, and parents can go to the toilet for the last time (the toilet can't be used again). Take off&; When landing, babies under 2 years old must be held by their parents, and some airlines have baby seat belts.

Recommended reading: parent-child travel, three skills for children to fly.

12. Pack your bags slowly and get off the plane.

Pack your bags slowly after the plane stops, and remember to take everything off the plane. After all, I know that the baby has too many things, and it is easier for you to bypass others when they get off the plane. At this time, the stroller should have been waiting for you at the gate of the plane (some airports can't get it until the baggage carousel, please ask the ground staff first). Congratulations on reaching your destination!

B Usually, when you pass the security check or passport check, if the staff see a family with children, they will ask you to check first (but not necessarily, don't tell the airport staff loudly that you want to cut in line)

After the flight, you must remember to praise the baby: "You did a good job on the first plane. You had a good time on the plane. You just saw many clouds like cotton candy in the sky, didn't you? " ~ ~ We'll sit next time ~ ~ "Let him know what he did not do, and it will be easier for him to accept the next flight.