I recently went on my first solo flight with my 15-month-old Little Bean, traveling to visit family in the UK . This was her first time flying, and probably the first of many times we’ll do this journey together! While the experience went better than expected, I’ve learned a lot along the way—things I wish I’d known before, and useful tips I’ll definitely take with me on our next adventure.

If you’re planning to travel with a toddler, here’s what I now know that I didn’t before, and what might just make your journey smoother.

1. Pack Snacks… and Then Pack More Snacks

When it comes to flying with a toddler, packing snacks was one my first thoughts — I was told that you can never have too many! Snacks are the secret weapon for keeping a little one entertained on a flight. I packed a couple of fruit pouches (they counted as the ‘liquids’ in my hand luggage, so I made sure they were in the clear plastic bag), and three mini plastic containers: one with savoury snacks like rice puffs, crackers, and breadsticks; one with dried fruits like bananas, strawberries, and apples; and one with sweet treats like biscuits, sweet puffs, and gingerbread.

I guess it’s important to check the customs rules for your destination before you pack this kind of thing, as you’re not always allowed to take in certain items like fruits, dairy products, or anything that might be restricted. So make sure your snacks are legal for where you’re going!

In the end, my key trick was breastfeeding during take-off and landing. The swallowing helps the little ones’ ears from “popping”, and my Little Bean fell asleep in my arms and dreamt her way through most of the flight. What a win! 🙂

What’s more, some airlines allow you to book a child’s meal if food is included in your ticket price. Just like requesting a meal for specific dietary requirements, you can often choose a child-friendly option that’s suitable for a little traveller. I actually saw this option while I was checking in, but since I hadn’t booked a seat for my Little Bean, she didn’t have a meal entitlement. Still, it’s good to know for when she does.

Also, I found out that some airlines warm baby food you bring along, but most don’t provide sterilised warm water. So, if you’re planning to milk-feed during a flight, you’ll need to figure out the logistics of that. I don’t have any experience in this area – If you have tips, feel free to share them in the comments below!

2. Pack Like a Pro: Essentials for You and Baby

When it comes to packing for a flight, as someone who has flown a lot, there are some essentials I would always recommend taking in your hand luggage. With a baby, I also figured that having certain items packed in hand luggage could make the difference in case anything unexpected occured!. One thing spare clothes for both me and Little Bean, and an empty plastic bag for any clothes that get dirty — because we all know accidents happen! And don’t forget tissues, hair ties, and a thin scarf or blanket to cover you both.

At first, I thought I could manage with my usual backpack, but as I started packing, I realised I needed something bigger to fit everything in. I decided to combine all the nappy changing stuff into my hand luggage rather than taking a separate changing bag, and that simplified things, but I definitely needed that larger backpack to handle it all!

Opting for a backpack was definitely a good idea! Being able to throw it on my shoulders meant I had both hands free to wrangle Little Bean, push the buggy, manage the suitcase, hold passports, and generally keep everything under control. It’s one of those small decisions that made a huge difference in how smooth things went at the airport.

By the way, I used a small cross-body handbag for my purse, phone and our tickets/boarding passes and passports. Having that kind of thing in a bag pocket behind me doesn’t seem very secure, and the faff of trying to get it out made me opt for this kind of small, easy-access handbag.

Side note: It seems you often can’t get an electronic boarding pass, e.g. in an app on your phone, if you’re travelling with an infant, so be prepared to need a printer!

Thinking about suitcase packing, I’ll upload a copy of my packing list so you can see what I initially thought I needed (my luxury list) and then the more minimal version I ended up with after realising our suitcase for 10 days was pushing the 23 kg limit! Find it in the free downloads available to blog subscribers! It was a learning experience, finding that balance between being prepared and not overpacking.

3. Babywearing vs. Buggy: What Worked for Me

A lot of people swear by babywearing for travelling, and I can see why. It keeps your hands free and your baby close, making it easier to navigate busy airports, train stations, etc. But, in my case, I needed to take a buggy anyway to use at our destination, so I mainly used that around the airport.

Here’s a tip I’m glad I discovered: when you’re travelling with a buggy, ask at check-in to hand it over at the gate and get it returned to the gate on arrival. I was worried because I’d heard that even buggies handed in airside would often be returned on the luggage belt with the other suitcases. That would have meant carrying my 10kg Bean, along with bags, jackets, and whatever else from the plane, around the airport, through passport control, and all the way to baggage reclaim—definitely not ideal!

Thankfully, I found out that some airlines (including the one I was flying with—phew!) do a “return to gate” service – though this apparently depends on the airport. This means they label your buggy so that you can collect it right where you get off the plane, rather than waiting for it at the luggage belt. This made my life at Heathrow airport a lot easier, and it meant I wasn’t stressing during the flight about how I’d manage everything.

One small note: it did take about 10 minutes for them to bring the buggy up, so next time, I’d probably just let everyone else get off the plane first, and by the time we’re ready to go, it’s likely to be waiting for us.

Wrapping Up

I’ll be honest—flying solo with my Little Bean had me a bit worried. I figured it would either go surprisingly well or be an absolute disaster. I consoled myself with the fact that the flight is so short, and figured I could just do some yoga breathing if we ended up with 1.5 hours of non-stop screaming, and then learn my lesson to not try it again for a while! But, thankfully that wasn’t the case and it actually turned out okay, thanks to some tips I’d picked up beforehand and my own experience of flying.

That said, I know I’ll keep on learning how to manage it all even better, and I’m sure I’ll pick up more tricks as we go on more trips together. If you’ve flown solo with your little one and have any tips or ideas, I’d love to hear them! I’m still figuring this all out, so feel free to share your experiences in the comments below—I’m always up for more advice!