A Step By Step Guide from TSA to Flights, what it looks like to travel with a baby (in the USA). From a mom who did 33 solo flights with her baby.
Navigating an airport with babies or young kids can feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation, it can go smoothly. As a mom who has peacefully navigated solo flights with my baby, I’ve discovered practical ways to make airport travel as stress-free as possible. From handling TSA procedures one-handed to packing strategically so you’re not juggling too much or waking a sleeping baby, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
1. TSA with a Baby
**Please note all of my flights I did were with TSA Pre-Check experience. When you book your ticket, this will be added to your child’s ticket as well (if they are old enough to have one. If it is not at their ticket, make sure you stop at the Airline Desk at Bag Check BEFORE security). If they are too young to have a ticket, they are allowed to go through TSA PreCheck with you. Sometimes a document with their birthdate will be asked for, so make sure you pack in your bag something official l like a doctor’s record or SS Card that proves thier name and birth date.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has specific procedures for families traveling with young children. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare:
- Separate Baby Essentials: Bring all baby-related liquids and foods in a separate bag. These items will need to be screened separately at security after they go through the xray machine. This is normal and part of the process, so set aside extra time. And know, when they set aside your bag after going through the xray it’s because they need to check the food packed. For ease of access, make sure this is in a separate bag (you can add this to your diaper bag after the TSA check stations).
- Screening Process: TSA will perform a swab test and vapor test on the liquids and foods to ensure safety. This adds a little extra time, so plan accordingly.
- What You Can Bring: Formula, breast milk, and juice are allowed in quantities larger than the usual 3.4 ounces for liquids, as long as they are for baby.
A little bag like this is perfect for the food and liquids, keep separate (on the stroller) and then add to your carry-on after going through TSA. Get here.
2. Packing Food and Milk
You can bring all the food and milk your baby needs—the key is to pack smart:
- Separate Bag for Baby Food: I always keep food, hot water for bottles, snacks, and 2-3 diapers plus wipes in that small bag, rather than pulling out the whole diaper bag and digging through it. This is a super easy way to access on a flight without all your belongings spilling out.
- Water: I learned through traveling the easiest way for me to pack water to make formula was to put it in a leak-proof tumbler that keeps it warm. That way I’m not searching or needing any way to heat it up. You can also bring a portable bottle warmer like THIS. If you have longer flights or many days of travel it may be hard to keep hot water for as long as your flights are (or for heating up breastmilk in a bottle).
- Diapers: In the diaper bag make sure to pack an extra outfit (why do babies love blowouts at the worst times??) For ease of traveling, I pack 2-3 diapers and wipes on the outside of the diaper bag so I do not have to open the diaper bag and dig through it in the airport. Then, I have an extra 2-3 diapers and put the wipes in my small carry-on bag once on the airplane so it’s easy to grab. I ALWAYS take time to go change baby right before the flight, so that there’s less chance of needing to do so on the airplane. Luckily I never had to do an airplane diaper change, a lot of people tend to do so in their lap bc the bathroom stalls are so tiny. But people around you will really act like they’ve never had kids before and give you petrified looks.
Here’s a great travel bottle warmer. Make sure even though “leak proof” to always have it in a spot where it’s standing up to prevent spilling- MomCozy Travel Warmer. Get HERE.
3. Navigating Carseats and Strollers
Depending on how many kids you have, or where you are heading this will of course be up to you if you want to check with luggage, bring to gate, or get at your destination.
- Infant Carseat: The easier way I’ve found navigating and airport with a baby is to 1. Wear baby in a carrier until you get through TSA, so you can walk right through w them on you and have your hands free
- Stroller Check: Strollers and carseats brought to the gate will all go through the x-ray machine, TSA often removes parts of your stroller to get it to fit. This is normal, but may be tricky to get all the pieces back together. Baby will not be allowed to be sitting in the stroller, so that’s why I recommend wearing them to get to this point so that you aren’t having to shuffle holding them and getting everything on the x ray machine. If your stroller is too big for the Xray, most of the time it will be pushed to the side, and you’ll wait for an agent to come manually inspect (plan for extra time here).
- Toddler Carseats: Once my baby was big enough to fit in a convertible carseat, I ALWAYS paid the extra money with the rental car company to have on site. Solo traveling, or traveling with multiple kids, it was well worth the money to have to bring less through security and through the gate. It is an option to check carseats in a separate bag at the bag drop (but you’ll be paying the same amount usually as getting them with a rental company AND have to carry them from the car into the airport and to the rental company). For infant carseats, it’s easiest to leave them on the stroller, and check at the gate (I never had a bag for my items, but I have some pieces break during travel. So I do recommend having one to load everything into at the gate.)
- Gate Check: All airlines I have been on when you bring the stroller or carseat to the gate, BEFORE you board, arrive at your gate desk and they will print out a tag for each piece 1. stroller 2. carseat 3. base if you have one.
This Graco Modes travel system was what I always brought with me. It folds with 1 hand (life-changing for travel!), has a large storage basket, everything, snaps together easily, and very easy to put in a rental car. Check it out here. When my daughter was older I started bringing the BOB on trips (read my Disney travel blogs if you’re heading there), the BOB doesn’t fit through the Xray, so it does have to be wheeled through, or lots of times they try and take it apart.
4. Boarding the Plane
Depends on your flight attendants and airline, I’ve had different experiences and will layout here for you.
- Boarding: If you’ve put baby back in the stroller, after the pre-boarding diaper change I recommend wearing them on the plane so your hands are free to fold up the stroller/carseat.
- Carry on: You are allowed 1 carry-on for you and 1 for baby. I always bring the diaper bag with items that I may need but won’t need to access. Then a LARGE reusable bag with 1. the little snack/formula bag from above. 2. a few diapers and wipes 3. baby lovie/blanket that they may use during flight 4. Anything I might want out like a water bottle, book, jacket, etc.
- Feeding: It is recommended to feed the baby or give them a pacifier as the flight takes off (as we all know, sometimes the flight can just sit at the gate, so it may be hard to time this feeding-wise). If they take a pacifier or have something to suck on as the plane ascends, hopefully, that prevents any ear pain of the flight. Same with landing. I used to stress about feeding on takeoff, but honestly, it’s easier to have a happy baby during the airport and flight experience than try and time it with the takeoff. Many times it correlated, but if not, allow your baby to eat prior, they’ve had an adventurous day already with their schedule and traveling.
- Entertainment: I used to pack toys, favorite books, mess-free coloring, stickers, all the things. AND this was way more stress for me. If you are on a long flight you may need some items. But unless you are first class, all the toys/crayons/markers will be rolling under your seat the whole time and you’ll be fishing for it. When my child was a toddler we switched to ONLY bringing a tablet and wired headphones for the plane, no more books or toys. Make sure you pre-download shows for them to watch since the internet is not a given on the airplane. For babies, I bought her a new paci/teether from Ryan and Rose I’m not joking kept her busy the whole flight! She loved just laying on the seat and kicking, and as a baby slept most of all her flights.
- Take off: This varies on flight attendants, there were a few flights I was asked to have my baby that was in the carrier unstrapped for departure/take off. And that I could re-buckle once in the air. out of 33 flights, they said this maybe 2-3 times. Not sure why this is a rule, but when she was in a baby bjorn carrier that had a buckly vs a fabric carrier like a moby, she was still allowed to be in the carrier but for some reason, they didn’t want it strapped up by her shoulders, they wanted me holding her. Just be prepared, that this is a rule, but most don’t enforce it.
If you’re visual like me, this is what I’m taking on the airplane.
5. Adventure Awaits
I hope that you are able to make some fun travel memories with your family! I remember taking my baby to the ocean for the first time and showing her the waves, I truly love traveling with her. People around are always so helpful (I mean there are some Karens that look at you like they never had a kid before), but lots of people always asked me if I needed help with her stroller or boarding etc.
If you’re heading to Disneyland or Traveling for Adoption, please read those specific blogs, as there are a lot more details about what to bring, and how to pack.
Final Thoughts + BONUS
Traveling with young kids is an adventure, but hopefully, for you it won’t be a stressful experience. With the right preparation and products, you can breeze through the airport and enjoy the journey. If you’ve tried any of the products mentioned above or have additional tips, let me know in the comments!
If you made it this far I’ll give you a few bonus tips!
1. Pack 2-3 phone chargers 1. Just to keep in the rental car 2. For the travel bag 3. Hotel/Place you’re staying.
2. Pack items you will want on day 1 of travel in your large carry-on, such as: beach towels, ocean toys, baby sound machines, swimsuits etc. So you don’t have to unload your suitcase in a parking lot and be a target for car theft.
3. THE MINI BAG. I ALWAYS wear a mini cross-body bag with 1. my ID 2. Babies ID 3. CC for that day. 4. Not much else. Once I go through TSA I’ll put this in the diaper bag, but it’s super easy to lose place of your driver’s license during all the ticket checks, security lines, etc. Keep it in an easy-access place in the airport, then store it away so it doesn’t get lost.
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