Fly With a Newborn Baby - Get your pediatrician's approval to fly if your newborn is younger than 2 weeks old or was born premature. Premature babies have weaker immune systems. Some airlines require you to provide a doctor's note of authorization if your baby is less than a week old.
Visit the airline's website or call ahead of time to find out its policy on infant passengers. United Airlines, for example, allows babies 24 months and younger to fly on their parents' laps without charge, but only for domestic destinations and Canada. For international flights, most airlines require all babies, regardless of age, to have a purchased seat and to sit in a Federal Aviation Administration-approved car seat. Both the FAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommend that all babies travel in FFA-approved car seats, in case of rough turbulence. Labels on approved car seats state: "This restraint certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft."
Fly With a Newborn Baby
Inform the airline ahead of your travel date that you'll be flying with an infant, whether or not you purchase a seat for her. If you'd like to use an airline bassinet, request it as far in advance of your flight as possible. Some airlines restrict their use to international flights.
Keep everything that fulfills an immediate need in one carry-on bag, including a changing mat, diapers, wipes, baggies for dirty diapers, disinfectant wipes, travel-size hand sanitizer, extra baby clothes, burp cloths, a few lightweight blankets and a pacifier--even if your baby has never used one. Pack one diaper--plus a few more as a precaution--per hour of travel, including airport time, flight time and the time it will take you to reach your final destination. Bring bottles of formula or your expressed milk in an insulated bag if you won't be exclusively nursing while traveling. Although the Transportation Security Administration limits liquids to 3.4 ounces, the restriction doesn't apply to breast milk, formula, juice or baby food.
Ask whether you can move to the express line while going through security. Depending on the airport and the agent, you may be able to do so. Take your infant out of her car seat and walk her through the metal detector. If the detector goes off, TSA will have to screen you as well as the baby, so make sure you're not wearing any items that will cause the alarm to sound.
Flying with a newborn baby presents its own set of questions regarding safety, airline and airport security rules, and which items you should have on hand for your newborn's--and your own--comfort. Dr. James Sears, a pediatrician who co-wrote "The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two," says that while newborns are physiologically fit to fly by the time they're 1 to 2 weeks old, waiting until the baby is about 6 months old means his immune system will be able to better handle exposure to the germs commonly encountered during air travel. - by eHow
Label: