Some families like to take small trips first to better acquaint their child to an airplane which is honestly ideal but for my little family we felt an international trip might be best, LOL!
Preparation:
Months before the trip I started reading, showing my daughter children shows of airports & airplanes and had her play with toy airplanes. On the way to the airport we were sure to talk up “flying high in the sky” (thank you Peppa Pig) and how exciting it was going to be. My daughter was 21 months old when she flew on her first airplane to Paris on a direct 9hr flight and she did great!
Tips:
* Attempt to find direct flights to destination.
* If possible invest in TSA pre-check to avoid long security lines. As of 2017 the fee is $85 for 5 years. Well worth the investment.
* Pack an emergency pack full of essentials such as: baby Tylenol, anti bacterial wipes, baby ear plugs just in case baby suffers from ear aches, pampers, wipes, assortment of toys to keep baby entertained (stickers, crayons, paper, new surprise toy), favorite snacks!
* I highly encourage for baby to have own seat and NOT sit on parents lap. Happy baby = happy parents. I promise this will be your best investment yet!
* A light weight car seat (cost about $50, Walmart) to keep baby safe on flight.
* Check in stroller at the boarding gate so you can use stroller after passing security check and not have to struggle carrying baby all over airport.
I hope these tips help you. They helped us tremendously and we had an amazing first flight!
