Flying with your newborn!

When flying, whether on a commercial flight or private aircraft, the safest place for your infant is properly secured in their car seat, not on your lap. Not only do the FAA, NTSB, and AAP strongly encourage using a car seat in flight, if you buy a seat for your child and are flying a US-based carrier, it’s your legal right to bring a car seat on board and use it!

How do you know if your car seat is FAA approved? Near the base of the car seat, you will find a white sticker with lots of small print. In red letters it should say that it’s approved for aircraft use. Most infant seats sold in the US are FAA approved, but it’s important to clarify this on your own seat.

Here are a few more tips from the FAA for flying with your little one!

* Make sure your car seat is approved for use on airplanes.

* Measure the width of your car seat. It should fit in most airplane seats if it is no wider than 16 inches.

* Ask your airline for a discounted fare. Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a car seat.

* Reserve adjoining seats. A car seat must not block the escape path in an emergency. Many airlines have policies that require a car seat to be placed in a window seat. Do not place a car seat in an exit row.

* If you do not buy a ticket for your child, ask if your airline will allow you to use an empty seat. If your airline's policy allows this, avoid the busiest days and times to increase the likelihood of finding an empty seat next to you

And one more tip I’ll add personally: Bring your NCS along for the trip! Having a very travel experienced extra set of hands while flying can very helpful!