I’m flying domestically with an infant next week, which is a first for us. I’m a little confused about the procedures for going through security with a baby and would appreciate some advice. A perusal of the TSA’s guidelines for traveling with children brings up a few questions:
What is a “reasonable amount” of breast milk? He drinks a lot, so I was planning on carrying 4 bottles, about 25-30 oz.
Baby food seems to be banned, as it is a liquid/paste/gel. He has one tooth, so terminal fast food is not an option. Does this mean 8 hours without eating? I’m not sure if that’s medically OK and I know the other passengers will not appreciate the hungry shrieking. Should I practice regurgitating herring like a freaking seagull?
How do they handle the hands-up body scanner things? It looks like the baby will have to bypass and be checked by hand, but what about us? Do we also bypass the scanner? If so, does this mean we will be assigned the same level of extra contempt/suspicion that people normally get when they demand a hand pat-down instead of the machine?
Do we really not need any ID for the baby? I’d prefer to leave vital, difficult to replace documents at home, but I don’t want to get turned away either.
Liquids for your child, milk, baby food, medicines, should be okay. It doesn’t even have to meet the standard liquids requirement. But you should have it separated from your other carry on luggage for inspection at security.
With regard to the body screening, if your airport has the new body scanners, one adult and the child will be subject to the hand pat down. If your airport has the oldschool metal detectors one of the adults can just carry the infant through.
Your child will not require any ID, but if your kid will be a lap infant, i.e. does not have it’s own seat. You will still need to get a boarding pass for the kid from the ticket counter, for security.
Thousands and thousands of people fly everday with their small kids. It’s really not that big of a deal.
Aha, found it. Missed where it said formula AND food. Doesn’t help that the next bullet point says no liquid food without mentioning the baby food exemption.
Plan extra time. We’ve had security people open every jar or container of baby food and use some test strip to make sure it’s not liquid bomb making stuff. Other times they haven’t bothered. And we’ve always been told to bring a birth certificate for the baby - not a copy, the real deal - for ID. Remember that strollers and car seats will need to go through the X-ray machine, too. It’s tricky trying to juggle all the bits and pieces while getting yourself through security, too. So time. Plan for plenty of extra time. If you can time it so that the baby is ready to sleep as the plane is leaving, bonus!
It may also depend upon the specific airports you are departing from (coming and going) as well. It shouldn’t be that way but it is. TSA in Portland, OR (PDX) seem to be pretty pragmatic and goes with the flow. On the other hand TSA in Madison, WI, (MSN) are absolute assholes and do whatever they can to make your experience a horror, nitpicking every little thing. I offer this with long-term experience with both and recently flew thru both of these airports within the past month. Also, I carried my federal security ID (the same kind TSA personnel have around their necks). Portland TSA acknowledged it, were polite and left it at that. Madison TSA were rude, arrogant and dismissed it outright. I wasn’t expecting favors but carrying a federal security ID and driver’s license is supposed to allow me to be waived thru with minimal difficulty. However, at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) I was waved thru security with no problems (Everyone else went thru the puffer machines but I was directed around them. My wife was not happy about that.).
When you go thru security, act like like you know what you are doing. No last-minute actions such as where are my tickets, where’s my ID, just a second I have to find it, etc. That annoys TSA to no end. Even before you get in the security line empty all pockets of metal (keys,change, etc.) and pack them in plastic baggies in your carryon. Same for cellphones, tablets, etc., Turn the damn things off and pack them in the carryon. By the time you get to the first check you present your tickets, your IDs, your quart-size baggie with approved liquids and such, and the kid. When you get to the X-ray stuff, shoes off, and everything but the baby on the belt thru the Xray. Listen to TSA as to how you and the munckin are searched. At the same time watch as your things come out of Xray. If two of you are traveling with the kid, the one without the baby goes thru security first so they can account for everything coming out of the Xray search. You will be too busy.
The point is, act like you know what you are doing, you know the drill, and be polite and proactive. If you act like a dweeb TSA will take you as a mark and depending upon their game-playing, may subject you to their childish antics.
On preview, Smeghead is correct. Bring the real birth certificate with you. Of course, you will have photocopied it today and left copies of it at home, and carry a copy in your carryon.
We’ve flown with our child dozens of times since he was a small baby. He’s almost three now. While it’s a bit of a hassle, you don’t need to be scared.
You can take any reasonable amount of formula, breast milk, or baby food with you. Four bottles is no problem. As long as you have your baby with you, TSA won’t be suspicious. Just be aware that the food may be subject to additional chemical testing. It’s not that big a deal, it usually takes just a few minutes.
I fly 5-6 times a year with my kids. I have never been asked once, in numerous airports across the country for an ID for my children under 16, on any domestic flight.
Thanks, everybody. Holiday+baby was making me hyperventilate a bit, there. A fly about a dozen times a year for work and the TSA seems to think I look funny, because they screw with me more often than not. So we’ll allot extra time and bring little guy’s ID, just in case dad’s shifty eyes are hereditary.
We just flew with our four-month-old at the end of October - it was a lot easier than I expected. I definitely second the recommendation to be prepared when it comes to the security line. My husband and I had our IDs and boarding passes ready to go beforehand (we brought along a birth certificate, although no one asked for it), and started prepping for the scanner so that we could go through smoothly. At both airports (STL and Dulles), one of us carried the baby through the metal detector, no pat down necessary.
One thing I would mention that hasn’t been covered here before - if your baby is flying on a lap and you don’t have a crazy long layover, I would highly recommend bringing the baby in a sling/ carrier instead of a stroller. We had my son in his Baby Bjorn through the whole process, and it made everything much easier. No worries about the stroller getting damaged when it was gate-checked, no trying to maneuver through crowds with it, plus our hands were free the whole time.
Go to your courthouse, or wherever you need to go, and get 5 copies of the birth certificate and get them notorized. They are usually ~$10 each or some nominal fee, but you will have enough to last you at least until the marriage certificate is issued. You will need one every so often (passport, school registration, soccer registration, etc.) and if you have a stack of them in a known spot you just will never have to bother getting one again- especially if you ever leave town and move elsewhere!!! Theoretically you always get them back, but you will eventually lose one or two to your own distractions.
Just carry the birth certificate with you, we got asked once in a blue moon, but better safe than sorry.
ID’s for children are not required. Why would you carry something that’s not required? Following that logic, you should always have your passport for domestic travel…cause somebody might ask for it.
Last time I flew with an infant was 1995, before the restrictions got so draconian, so I don’t know too much about current logistical issues. However: a few years back there was a tale that hit the web about a woman who was travelling, sans baby, and she had been pumping breastmilk. One of the TSA goons tried to make her drink the milk to prove it wasn’t something nasty.
Of course you’ll have a baby with you, so they might not be as quick to jump to idiotic conclusions about that explosive-looking liquid gold!
I don’t know if you have supply issues, or are uncomfortable with feeding in public, or whatever, but if you can, I’d say why bother with even lugging it (since you’re going to be right there and hopefully can provide it fresh as needed). Of course that might or might not be feasible for you.
Well, I have pretty serious supply issues, since I’m a dude.
The baby just drinks a lot more efficiently from a bottle during the day. It’s a additional bunch of pain in the ass steps, but it works better this way, since he’s normally at school during the week.
I have flown with kids a few times and a few things have saved me. My second child was prone to ear aches, so two weeks before the flight we went to the doctor to make sure he was fine. Apparently he had a bit of redness so he went on antibiotics and the doctor recommended giving him benadryl.
Man do I love that stuff. We tested it out on him beforehand to make sure it made him sleepy, and it worked like a charm. Plus I could say I was drugging him per doctors recommendation.
For food, I love the squeezable baby food. They come in little packs and are so much easier to deal with than fussing with glass jars and spoons. They are a little more expensive, but so worth it.
Toys, but not just any toys, new toys, plus whatever comfort items. My oldest has a blankie, my youngest is a soother kind of guy.
I never got charged for dropping off a car seat with my checked baggage. Or if you don’t mind carrying it thru the terminal, you could also gate-check it. The first time I flew with an infant, I carried the kid in a sling and bought a cheap umbrella stroller at the destination city. The plan was to use it for a week and then leave it at Goodwill when the trip was done. So I felt like an idiot when I saw that all the other parents were gate-checking a stroller for free. Even if you sling the kid, the stroller will be nice for lugging your many other carry-on items.
If the kid is a lap-rider, you have to sit on the right side of the aisle. That’s where the extra oxygen mask is. Also, you have to take the kid out of the sling on takeoff and landing.
I was only asked once to see a birth cerificate. That’s when a kid was almost 2 and thus almost ineligible to be a lap-rider.
