Traveling on the Plane with 9 Month Old

After reading a post about why babies should be secured in their car seat while flying, I wouldn't ever fly again without my infant having their own seat. With that being said, toys that attach to the car seat handle are great. I would keep the baby in the carrier as long as possible because once they are out, they won't want to be strapped back in.
I would pick up a few new things before the trip that you save until on the plane. Make sure you have security items your baby uses (favorite blanket, binkie, toy). A blanket can be used for a game of "peek a boo" or "hide the object". If your child is teething, a dose of tylenol before the trip, teething ring and teething cream/tablets. Bring baby's favorite juice and finger foods like cheerios, gerber puffs etc.
With new FAA regulations, I would go online to your airlines webpage and look up the guideline to what you can or can not take on the plane. Knowing ahead will relieve stress and prevent delays when you get to the airport. Most airlines allow 1 carry on per ticket purchased, but it has to be under certain dimensions.
Good luck and have fun on your trip

We flew when our son was 10 months old and you can bring a stroller on the plane. Basically, they will check it for you when you get to the plane and stow it right up there for you. Then, when you disembark, they will pull it out for you so you can strap him right there. Usually, you can take the diaper bag/backpack as 1 of your carry on items.
Our son slept a lot during the flight so that worked well; we also made sure we had pacifiers and bottles for him to suck on, to help his ears equalize the pressure.
Have a great trip!
K.

Here are a list of toys that can keep them entertained.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/ourcorner/550

With a stroller you can check it at the gate (right before going onto airplane and the item will be waiting for you as you get off the airplane) and I it is free (you should be able to call the airline you are using, or maybe check out their website to find out what they do). You can not bring the stroller onto the plane BUT can check it at the gate. Same with a car seat :) Some airlines do not charge extra for baby items (car seat & stroller) but you need to check with what your airline does.

If your little one drinks from a bottle and/or nuk have it ready for take off and landing. I had my daughter either drink from her bottle if hungry or suck on her nuk at those points and that helps with the ear pressure.

You can bring breast milk or formula through security just have it set out and let them know when going through so you get through quicker. You can also bring any of your little ones favorite snack item or rice cereal because it is a special dietary need. Once again just double check with airline on what is ok.

Activities/Games: What does your child like most? Bring it along if it is a small item(s) that fits in your backpack. Also maybe get a NEW item or two which might keep their attention a tad bit longer since it is new. It is hard to say anything specific since you don't have info on what your little one likes to do. Bring along favorite blanket and/or stuff toy for added comfort.

Keep the baby in the stroller through security (we'll you'll have to take the baby out) and gate check it (check in at the podium, they'll give you a tag and then you roll it down and leave it at the end of the jetway - they'll bring it to the same spot on the other end).

As far as the backpack, it'll count towards your one carry on and one personal item. Unless the child has a seat, then they get one carry on and one personal item, too.

Does your child have a seat or are you flying with a lap baby?

In either case, I'd hope for a nap as part of the flight - my DS still falls asleep almost as soon as we're in the air. And the best entertainment for my son was always the stuff in the seat back pocket, lol. I do take lots of books and a few favorite toys. Some people say something the child has never seen before, but I never felt the need to get new stuff, really.

Make sure you're either comfortable to nurse, or have a bottle available for takeoff and landing in case the baby has ear problems (my son never did).

Good luck and relax! The more you stress about it, the more baby will pick up on it!

Definately a bottle, paci or nursing at take off and landing. You can't take the stroller on the plane but you can check it for free at the gate. There is no guarantee it will be completely safe. We had a canopy broken on our stroller. My brother had a wheel broken on theirs. You can buy stroller bags at Babies r Us that do protect them some. You can check car seats for free. Before you buy a seat for your baby check with the airline to be sure your car seat will fit in the seat. We have a Graco Safe Seat that never would have fit in the seats of a regional plane we flew on. Bulkhead seats are great but some airlines charge extra for them. Be sure your diaper bag will fit under the seat in front of you. If it doesn't you have to put it in the overhead bin. It's a huge pain to get to it later. If your carry on won't fit in the overhead they will make you check it at the gate and you can't get to it until you land. If a flight is full that could happen even if your carryon would fit. I know some people frown on a baby that age watching videos, but a portable DVD player and a Baby Einstein video can be a God-send. A friend of mine always takes GOOD chocolate on the plane with her to placate her neighbors if her kids are loud. LOL

Oh boy, we just got back from Florida with a 7 month old and 5 year old and let me tell you did we have the carry ons, so much so that one of the attendants said they have never seen so many carry ons before.

This is what I learned:
Each paid ticket person gets a carry on plus a personal item. I took the carry on full of snacks and activities to keep us busy, plus I had the big diaper bag for the baby. My husband took a carry on that had one of the kids clothes in it plus his laptop bag. My 5 year old had a carry on with his clothes in it. We also 'gate checked' our stroller and our baby backpack carrier, you know the big kind that you use for hiking. We only had to check our 2 big bags, everything else was considered carry on. The cool thing was they offered to take any of our 'stuff' and put it down below the plane, so we didn't have to actually carry it on the plane and didn't have to check it, this helped tons. Oh yeah we also had 2 carseats that they took right when you check in your big bags but you don't have to pay for them, just make sure it is in a big plastic bag.

I read in the previous post that you can wear your baby through security, that wasn't the case with us. I was carrying him on our backpack carrier and they made me take him out put the backpack on the belt and walk through with him. Maybe because our carrier was big.

My 7 month old, because he was just starting to crawl and is pretty active, was a little bit hard to entertain on the way down. He wanted to pull all the guides and papers out of the little holder on the seats. No matter what toy I gave him he wasn't interested. He did go through more bottles than usual, because this was a good way to get him to stay still. On the way home, the little angel slept, lol.

All of our 'stuff' that they took from us at the gate came back in perfect condition. I would recommend to anybody to gate check what you can.

Good luck, I am sure everything will go just great!

This doesn't answer your question and I don't know if your baby is going to fly on your lap but this is some interesting information! (I posted this a few weeks ago as well). I had honestly never thought of this when I was flying with a "lap baby".
Would you ever sit your child on your lap riding on a roller coaster?
How about cruising at 75 mph down the highway?
The policy of the airlines - that any child under age of two can fly for free (in the US) if they sit on an adult's lap for the entire flight. This is not a good Idea! Some parents assume that if the arilines allow lap children, it must be okay. After all, the airlines are the experts, why would they put any of their passengers in danger? What parents don't realize is if a plane did crash it would be absolutely impossible to hang on to your child. The force of impact would propel the little 20 pound baby out of his parents' hands with the force of an 80-100 pound object. Strapping the child to you is also a very bad idea. If the plane comes to a sudden halt or crash, your body will automatically be thrown forward and forced down, on top of your baby, possibly crushing him. Even simple turbulence can be difficult with lap babies. It is often difficult to simply hang on to a baby on your lap in good conditions. Turbulence is a regular occurence and can be rough enough! It can open overhead bins and send items hurling through the plane and even throw non-belted adults around.

When I traveled with kids when they were babies, I talked to the pediatrician about what I could do to make them drowsy for the flight. As babies- all it took was a bottle on take off for a good two-hour nap. The doctor always has good- up to date advice on travel. Getting a seat at the bulkhead also helps because you have a bit more room to move around.
When they got a little older I would give them a dose of cold medicine or Dramamine just before boarding. (with doc's approval of course). That would always help them sleep- and to stay asleep longer. But, when they do wake up...make sure you have age-appropriate books...toys etc. to keep baby stimulated and not bored- because that's when the screaming begins! I know it's hard- and you won't get much "me" time... but you can do it! It's great your husband will be along to share in the effort.
Good luck!

I just got back from a plane trip from CA to Boston, MA late May. I took my 6 month old daughter and my 4 year old son. (Also traveled when my son was 6 months and 1 year old to Maine) For my son - lots of new books w/ stickers and new toys. Border's has an excellent selction of clearance books. For my baby - bottles, food, and a few toys along w/ a warm blanket. The plane tends to be chilly. Even my son was asking for a blanket. Mine baby slept most of the time. When she woke w eplayed for awhile or she ate and went back to sleep. The worst it changing them. there is no changing table so at one point I layed her across the seat when my son went to the rest room then another time (for the poopy diaper) I sat on the toilet in the rest room and lay her across my lap to change her. The other lady on the plane layed her daughter on a mat on the floor in front of the restroom door. U do what u gotta! :-) Sucking on a bottle or binkie will help alleviate the pressure in their ears during take off and landing.

We checked the stroller plane side so we'd have it at the airport and between flights. Brought diaper bag on the plane w/ baby food and formula. No water allowed - you have to buy some after you're thru security. I also checked her car seat - which the airline we were on said "no charge" I have always traveled w/ lap children and everything has always been fine. Don't let others comments scare you into thinking you have to buy a seat for a baby. have fun and enjoy the trip. try to pack as lightly as u can. It's not fun carrying so much onto the plan and having a child in your arms :-)

they will want you to gate check the stroller but you could wrap it in a blanket or something if you are super worried about damage. I did have a huge scratch put in mine when it was gate checked. But totally worth it to be able to push the stroller through the airport and not have to carry a baby.

Also, don't rule out the novelity of the plane for some entertainment. My kids have usually done really well on their first flight because the plane is just so exciting. The way home I had to do a lot more patty cake, itsy bitsy spider, and peek-a-boo to keep them entertained.

When we fly with our son (now 16 months but this has worked since 5 months), I go to the dollar section at Target and pick up a whole bunch of new things for him to look at/play with. Don't necessarily need to be "toys" -- little containers work, playing cards, random objects, unopened packages of crackers (for the crinkling sound) -- as long as he's never seen them before they can hold his interest for about 20 minutes each. I take new kinds of snacks too... the newness factor is critical!

I have seen people take strollers all the way to the gate... I think the stewards put them in a special place on the plane so you can access them as soon as you get out.

On our last trip I learned that you CAN wear your baby through security! They patted down the carrier but this was so helpful! So if you have a carrier this can save you a lot of trouble. It is way easier to get your carry-on and shoes and whatnot onto the security table without having a baby in your arms.

You can also take sippies or bottles through, but they will screen the contents. They made me open the sippy cup and waved some kind of test strip over it to check for chemicals.

One more thing -- if you didn't buy your baby a ticket, still set him/her in her own seat between you and your husband if there are three seats in a row when you board. Often planes aren't full and this way you'll have extra space for nursing/sleeping/just maneuvering. If the flight is full, they will announce this over the loudspeaker while people are boarding; at that point I put my son on my lap.

Good luck!

If there is room, the stroller will get put in the storage area right at the front of the plane. However, with everyone bringing carry-ons these days, the storage area can fill up fast and your stroller might end up in the cargo area - no guarantees until you are boarding.

I always brought the kids favorite toys and some new ones that they had never played with before. Plus you always hope baby sleeps!!

You have already gotten a lot of good info and I will try not to repeat it. But I have a few suggestions. The first time we flew with our son he was 6 months old and we didn't buy him a seat. On 3 of the 4 flights there was an empty seat next to us and we were able to put him in his car seat. One of the flights I had to hold him on my lap and swore I would never do that again (and I have always bought him a seat since then). He wiggled and fussed the whole time whereas when he had his car seat, he dozed or was easily entertained. Every child is different so know your child. Also if you don't buy your child a seat, they aren't allowed a carry-on or a checked bag allowance so pack accordingly. Strollers or child carrying backpacks don't count as luggage and just get checked right at the gate as you walk onto the plane.

Wrap up a new toy or board book for each leg of the trip. That way the unwrapping keeps them entertained a little longer.

Read the TSA website as far as what is and isn't allowed to come on the plane. The rules change and also be aware that even if you have the rules memorized certain airports will have their own rules in place.

Be careful about taking advice about giving your child medicine that will make them drowsy. First of all it is usually completely unnecessary and secondly some kids are made hyper by those meds rather than sleepy. If you feel you need to try something, then be sure to test it out a few days beforehand to see whether it makes your child sleepy or hyper. And like I said, most kids have zero problems flying if you keep them well rested and well fed.

Make sure that you keep their routine as familiar as possible. Go through same nap and bedtime routines even if the location is different.

Have fun. Our son has flown internationally and domestically a dozen times and loves it.