Carry-On vs Checked Baby Baggage
So you’ve booked the hotel, the rental car and the plane tickets for you and baby. You’ve read ‘How To Travel With Your Baby‘ and you are ready for your well deserved break. Now you’ve got to get to the airport with all of your stuff, your baby gear and oh yes, your baby. Figuring out what to bring on board, what to check and suitcase allowances can be tough. Here is the deal with carry-on vs checked baby baggage:
Carry-On
You are permitted one standard article and one personal item for yourself NOT including the baby gear.
Ex.
- Small dog or cat in carrier
- Camera Bag
- Purse
- Sport Racquet
- Garment Bag
- Airport Shopping/Duty Free
***With an infant, you can can bring one additional item on the plane for the baby’s belongings….He can definitely carry it himself.
In addition to your carry-on allowance, here are examples of other items you can bring on board:
- Coat or other outer garment
- Small purse
- Infant care item (e.g. diaper bag)
- Child restraint device (if you bought a seat for your child)
- Snacks or food to eat on board:
- All food must be wrapped or in a container.
- You cannot consume your own alcoholic beverages on board….even if you try to hide them in your purse.
Checked Baggage
You can check one bag per adult (Depending on the airline, there may be a fee).
For an infant under two years old, they may also check a bag the same weight and size as their parent (Again, there may be a fee).
Strollers can be checked at the gate, meaning you can use your stroller right up to the plane door and it will be at the plane door when you arrive at your destination. This makes moving around the airport a great deal easier.
In addition to infant luggage, you can also check your child’s car seat. The check in attendant will put your car seat in a special airline specific bag, add the appropriate tracking tags, deliver it to an ‘Oversized Baggage Area’ and you can pick it up on the other end. Strap it into the rental car and you’re ready to go!
For more on family travel, check out my article on Traveling with Baby.
If you have any specific questions about checked baggage versus carry-on, feel free to contact your airline.
You can also take LOADS of liquids when flying with a baby. Mine just crossed the 2 year mark and now that he’s three we can no longer bring liquids with us. I miss stocking up on water and milk for our flights and have found other ways to source the precious milk. I miss flying with a baby solely for that reason!
It’s true! We discovered that on our latest trip to Fort Myers. We couldn’t believe it. We had a reusable water bottle and they let us keep it which was very helpful when making bottles!