Firstly, rest assured, flying with a two month old baby is so much easier than when they are crawling or walking! But if this is your first baby, then just driving the car with a newborn baby inside can be daunting (at least it was for me), let alone flying in a plane.
Here are some flying with a baby tips and information to help you on your travel adventure. (If you are looking for tips to fly with a 3 month old, please see here and my bumper guide with many scenarios covered for flying with a baby is here)
Traveling With a 2 Month Old On A Plane
Can a 2 month old baby travel on a plane?
If you need to travel urgently or perhaps you have a holiday or vacation booked before baby arrived, then you need to know the rules on how soon can you travel with a baby. As a very general rule, most airlines specify a baby must be over 14 days old to travel.
However, flying with a newborn baby rules can vary from airline to airline. Many airlines state a baby can fly from 48 hours old – but there may be certain conditions met such as the birth had no complications or that a doctor’s letter is needed. If the mother is travelling she may have to wait a few days if it was a Caesarean section.
Do Children Need ID to fly?
If you are planning international travel with 2 month old, then a passport is always needed. If you are flying domestically in the USA or Canada you do not need ID, but I always recommend taking a copy of their birth certificate.
Various other countries require all different sorts of ID and paperwork. With some airlines, lap babies may not be issued a boarding card but may need a boarding verification document. There is more information on travel documents here.
When is it Safe to Travel with a Two Month Old?
- It’s always best to ask your medical professional for advice on this as there are so many variables. Eg consider where you are travelling to, whether any additional vaccinations are needed, general health etc. We opted to fly international with our two month old after she had her first two rounds of injections and then we flew to South Africa.
- Travelling with a two month on the plane means they will possibly be exposed to more germs than at home. Tray-tables, TV handsets, air vents etc can all be breeding grounds for germs. Although, it is unlikely your infant will touch them as they won’t be as mobile as an older baby, other people, including you will. Therefore adding anti-bacterial wipes to your carry on is a good idea. Use disposable gloves before you use wipe the table and other surfaces and then dispose of these gloves carefully without cross contamination.
Do babies fly for free?
- Traveling with an infant on a plane gives you the option for them to fly as a lap baby, or if you purchase a seat, to fly in their car seat. If you are traveling with a 2 month old as a lap baby, typically they either fly for free, or at a reduced fare of approximately 10% of the adult fare plus any applicable taxes. This obviously depends on the airline, the destination and whether it’s a domestic or international flight. If you purchase a seat to use your carseat for your infant, then it will be at the applicable child fare plus taxes.
Can I use a car seat on a plane?
- Short, answer. Yes, in most cases. But you will need to purchase a seat for your baby. and have a valid approved car sear for air travel. Car seat use occasionally depends on the plane seat type and whether an air bag seat belt is used so some business and first class seats may not be suitable. USA and Canadian based airlines allow airline and FAA approved car seats at any age.
How to travel with a 2 month old
- If you have a bassinet, I can’t recommend the CoziGo airline bassinet cover highly enough- which shuts out the cabin light so baby can sleep even during the day time. It doubles up as a UV breathable stroller cover too – perfect for hot sunny climates. This bit of baby gear is my go to for baby shower gifts and is perfect when flying with infants.
- Several airlines allow you to choose your seat immediately if you are flying with an infant – some for free! e.g British Airways and Thai Airways. If you want to double-check for a particular seat, look at www.seatguru.com and put in your flight number where you can check the plane layout. if you don’t know your flight number, don’t worry, you can enter the route and the airline. However, with USA and Canadian airlines this does not apply: in this case, it is first come, first served at the gate – so check in early to maximise your chances.
- Look at the airline policies on hand luggage and hold luggage. All airlines allow at least a car seat or stroller – with the majority allowing both for free. Lots of airlines provide an infant baggage allowance too, some for both cabin and hold baggage. If you think you will be taking a lot of stuff when traveling with a baby, look at what each airline provides.
- Check with your airline if you are allowed to bring an additional diaper/nappy bag with you as well as your cabin bag allowance.
- If you need milk heated up – do ask in plenty of time in case the crew are about to busy with a meal service.
- Babies on planes usually likely to drink more than they usually do as the cabin air is quite dehydrating, which is another reason to pack more than you need if formula feeding.
- If you are formula feeding, then plan to bring double than what your baby would normally consume. The same goes for snacks. You never know if your flight will be delayed on cancelled and having extra will save you stressing if that happens.
- The same also goes for diapers/nappies and wipes. Always pack more than you need for the trip and have them easily accessible in your carry on, in case you are delayed on the airplane and can’t access your hold baggage. Some airlines will allow a carry on diaper bag or changing bag for free. Otherwise it will need to be part of your carry on allowance.
- Entertaining your little one on a flight, is a big part of learning how to travel by plane with a baby. Bring some interactive but quiet baby and toddler toys which will keep them busy.
- Bring a baby carrier with you, even if you have brought your own car seat. This makes it so easy to walk around the plane or settle baby inflight. Although you cannot use them for taxi, take-off phases of the flight.
- Be prepared for your baby to cry during take off, so landing. This is due to the change in air pressure: crying, feeding or sucking on a dummy/pacifier can all help.
- When traveling with a two month old, wear layers which are easy to remove one handed and dress baby in layers too.
- Pack an extra change of clothing for you and baby in your carry on. We have to rely on this several times, and once we went through our changes of clothes and my daughter ended up wearing an over sized pyjama top from first class! You never know when someone will feel poorly or an accident can happen! My husband got covered in puke on one long haul flight and no he didn’t have a spare change of clothes!
- Don’t forget to pack any essential medicine in your carry on. If it’s over 100ml or breaks the 3-1-1 liquid rules, ask your doctor for a note and check with your airline. Liquid medicines are exempt from TSA limits in the USA, but this is not always the case in other countries.
- Try and relax! You’ve got this!
Most Frequently Asked Questions
How much baby formula can I take on a plane?
You can bring as much breastmilk, formula or water as you need for your baby for the flight. This can be over 100ml or over the 3-1-1 rule.
How can I stop my babies ears from hurting?
If you are wondering how to stop babies ears popping on a plane, here are some ideas! Some babies cry with the change of pressure in their ears on landing too – sucking or chewing or feeding often helps relieve this. Alternatively, use a pacifier/dummy.
Flying With A Newborn Baby Tips
Firstly, rest assured, flying with a newborn is so much easier than when they are crawling or walking! But if this is your first baby, then just driving the car with a newborn baby inside can be daunting (at least it was for me), let alone flying in a plane.
Here are some flying with a newborn tips and information to help you on your travel adventure. (A newborn is generally considered to be under 8 weeks old)
Tips For Flying With A 3 Month Old Baby
This was the age our eldest had her first flight. She was 11 weeks old when we embarked on a long haul flight from the UK to Cape Town, proceeded by a short haul from London Heathrow to Glasgow. This is definitely one of the easiest stages to fly with a baby: When you are flying with a newborn or a little older, they stay in one place, are purely on a milk diet and sleep a fair bit!
The following tips are specific for flying with a 12 week old baby/ or 3 month old.
Tips for Flying With a 5 Month Old Baby
Flying with a 5 month old baby is easier than with older infants, as most babies haven’t started to crawl and the majority of babies are still on a liquid only diet until six months. But, there are still things which can make help you feel more prepared and relaxed about your next flight. If you have lots of questions, then you have come to the right place. Learn all you need to know about flying with a five month old baby; including hacks, rules, sleep, car seats & more traveling with a 5 month old tips.
Tips For Flying With a 6 Month Old Baby
Are you flying with a 6 month old baby soon? Worry not, whether you are flying domestic with an infant or on an international short or long haul flight, you will find plenty of tips and information here to help you feel more prepared and relaxed about your next flight. Just click on the highlighted link for specific tips fro flying with a six year month old.
Tips for Flying With an 8 Month Old Baby
Are you flying with a 8 month old baby soon? Worry not, whether you are flying domestic with an infant or on an international short or long haul flight, you will find plenty of tips and information here to help you feel more prepared and relaxed about your next flight.
Flying with a 1 Year Old Tips & Essential Information
Are you flying with a 1 year old baby soon? Worry not, whether you are flying domestic with an infant or on an international short or long haul flight, you will find plenty of tips and information here to help you feel more prepared and relaxed about your next flight.
Best Baby Travel Toys
Having a few baby travel toys for the airplane is always a good idea. Lightweight, non bulky and sound free are the best!
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