Traveling with an infant?

Question

ok my duaghter is going to b 3 months old. and i am going to puerto rico .... to live there for good. and i live in ny now. i am going to have her on my lap. but i was wondeing what would i need for her to get on the plane ???? do i need her shot papers??? i am going to bring her birth certifate.... but can i get on wth her with just that ????

Answer 1

Generally, to travel to another country, infants will require the same requirements as adults: passport, immunization and visa if needed.  

if you are moving to another country for good, it's best to bring all her relevant papers and yours, too!

you also need to bring all her shot records so that the necessary follow-up can be done in the other country for the subsequent shots needed. This will ensure that your kid will not get double shots or miss the shots she needs later.

For the flight, if you check-in early enough, some airlines have special baby carriers inside the plane, but they come in limited numbers so make sure you check in ahead with other with kids, too. If you can get one, you have option to put her on the carrier once in a while.



Some children make lots of fuss during the flight due to the effect of the air pressure, so be prepared for this. During take off and touch down, try to feed her to lessen the effect of change in air pressure.

Answer 2

I would say that because the is considered a domestic flight you should be fine with just her birth certificate. I would say if both parents aren't flying with her you will need a form from her father, allowing you to take her on the flight.

Answer 3

I work for American Airlines and can tell you in confidence that if you are taking a domestic flight from NYC (jfk lga) to SJU with an infant you need absolutely no paperwork. no birth certificates, no shot papers, no letters from parents. nothing at all, as it is a domestic flight. also if you are flying AA, we usually go out of our way to block an extra seat next to you to give you a little more space. Good luck with your move. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Check with the airline but since this is a domestic U.S. flight, a certified copy of her birth certificate should be all you need. You may also look into whether you need anything from the father, a permission letter, if he is not coming with you.

Collect her records from your pediatrician before leaving to give to the new one in PR. Don't worry about the language difference. Chances are, he or she will know enough English and be able to make sense of them.

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my own three children. We usually travel between Europe and California about twice a year plus other trips.

First of all, I really recommend bringing a car seat and using it onboard. Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft. See the below link for information and what to check for on the seat you already have. Most car seats, including infant buckets, sold in the U.S. are FAA approved.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see the information for your airline. If you search with the name of the airline, followed by "children", that will usually give you the right page.

This way, the seat will get to PR without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. On my last transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it but since we had the car seat with us, my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later). I saw at least two other seats while looking for our luggage. Wonder how they got home?

If you don't have a seat for her, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.

Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk.

I also recommend trying to sit at the bulkhead. These are the seats with the wall in front, located in different places depending on the aircraft. Bulkheads are easier with children since no one is leaning in front of you and there's probably room to crawl on the floor. Some airlines have mounted bassinets that can be placed on the wall, but these are rare, especially on U.S. companies.

If you have a travel system, you can use the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and then it'll be "gate checked". If not, use a stroller frame for a infant seat. You'll have it again, by the door of the aircraft when you arrive.

If you have a convertible car seat (going to 40lbs), there are a number of contraptions you can use to wheel it around or carry it on your back. Check out Amazon or some of the travel sites. I simply strap mine to a small metal luggage cart and that works great.

If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden. Be sure to ask when disembarking where the strollers are parked.

Bring at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. I saw so many parents run out on flights when I was working! Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.

For a formula fed baby, I really recommend using the bottles with plastic liners. Traditional bottles are too difficult to wash onboard because of the kind of sinks on airplanes. I premeasured the powder and rolled them up, placing the rolls in a ziplock bag. Then I threw the liners away as I used them and only have the ring and nipple to clean.

If you use bottled water, be sure to give yourself enough time to buy some once you're past security. Make sure you have enough! The water on the aircraft is filtered tap so decide if you're comfortable using that for your baby. Bottled water runs out fast on flights and we never had any extra for baby bottles.

Be sure you baby does not need the bottle warmed. Get him used to a room-temperature bottle before leaving. This is unnecessary health-wise and a real pain to do while travelling. I warmed many bottles on my flights but I wasn't there in the check-in line, the security line or the waiting area! Babies do great with room-temperature bottles.

Make sure you have at least one change of clothes. I would bring two. At that age, I simply dressed mine in sleep suits for flying. No one will care so keep her comfortable.

Hopefully you already have a good baby carrier. They're so useful for flying, especially at this age. I had a sling but other parents swear by their wraps and pouches. The Ergo and Beccos are other popular carriers for travel that go on the back.

I liked the sling because I could slide my babies from into and out of a stroller or car seat without waking them. It also doubled as a blanket, baby changer, breastfeeding cover-up and sunshade! My sling was magic for calming my babies during the flight. Other parents wanted one when they saw how easy it made my travels. Avoid front packs like the Bjorn since they're so bad for both the parents' and child's back. A good carrier should go to at least age 2.

Babies usually fuss on boarding but it's not because of their ears. The aircraft is often hot and parents get stressed going through security and finding places for their bags, etc. They usually calm down once the plane starts moving.

Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have the child awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).

http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandalt...

So does the AAP;

http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby....

I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. Take your child to the doctor (when you go to collect the records) in the last few days before you fly to make sure his ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes.

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.

Feel free to visit;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Good luck with the move!