Find and use family restrooms at the airport Before you travel, research the map of each airport you will visit. Find the family restroom closest to security (at the originating airport) and your boarding gate (at the originating and connecting airports). Despite the blowout emergency and ridiculously long queues, it's definitely worth it to wait for the family restroom to vacate, sports fitness . Unlike the cluttered airport public restrooms, they are quiet, private, and equipped with top-notch changing facilities, and any parent familiar with the ordeal of changing bathroom floors knows the importance of this.
Make the most of airport lounges For families tired of noisy terminals, crowded restaurants and stand-up gate areas, airport lounges are a godsend. They're perfect for quiet feedings for babies, quality meals for parents, and easy diaper changes.
While most lounges charge high entry fees ($30-$60 or more per traveler), many travel rewards credit cards offer free or discounted lounge access as an added benefit.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (see our Chase Sapphire Reserve Card review) provides free access to over 1,000 lounges in the Priority Pass Select network. American Express' Platinum Card® (see our American Express Platinum Card review) does the same for the Global Lounge Collection, which is a wider network.
The savings will soon add up. In three separate European lounge visits, our Sapphire Reserve card saved our party (Mom, Dad and Granny) around €270 on admission - around $300, minus their $300 annual travel credit Then double the net annual fee for the card. The generous buffet in the lounge also kept us away from overpriced airport restaurants. Conservatively, we avoided $150 of out-of-pocket food and beverage purchases on these 3 visits, bringing the total savings to $450.
Young family resting in airport lounge waiting for flight Change diapers before boarding - and wear overnight diapers Yes, even if your only option is a color-changing changing table in a crowded public restroom near the airport's busiest security checkpoint, it's better than sorting a poo emergency in a quivering toilet closet at 35,000 feet.
Before coast-to-coast or transcontinental flights, tie older babies in overnight diapers—heavy-duty diapers designed to absorb large amounts of urine. This should be enough to get them through 10 to 12 hours of regular draining.
Unfortunately, overnight diapers don't evaporate solid waste, so expect your baby to keep it together until you're on the floor. Of course, newborns and infants still on an all-liquid diet are unlikely to make it across the ocean without ranking second.
Baby clothes on the plane newborn and smaller babies Newborns and smaller babies who crave comfort work well in the body carrier facing inward. We had success with Moby Wrap and the Beco Gemini baby carrier when our son was very young as he grew up. Moby Wrap is confusing at first, but after watching a YouTube video or two, you'll get the hang of it. It works.
Our son slept soundly on my chest for most of his first flight, save for brief feedings during takeoff and landing. It's easy to read the heads and shoulders of small babies.