The unique advantage of air travel is its speed. As a parent who is planning to bring along the kids on a travel, you must have pretty much of questions now on what to prepare. If you want happier skies despite the challenges, which is inevitable read along.

You first have to find out what kinds of baby equipment are allowed to take as check in baggage. Even if you are not going to use it on the plane, you may need it later at your destination. Taxis often do not come with a car seat, so it is a good thing to come prepared. The baby equipment is often accepted even over your luggage restrictions. Some airlines allow in the baggage compartment the baby equipment free of charge. They can be bassinet, baby seat and collapsible stroller. If you are lucky you can bring the stroller onto the airplane and the flight attendant will stash it away for you.

Most parents with children below two years of age fly on a parent’s lap. But for maximum safety, some people prefer that babies occupy car seats while flying. If you can afford it, you can buy your child his own seat. Some airlines require a car seat for babies or children occupying his seat. Check beforehand on your airline concerning acceptable specifications of car seat.

You can call ahead that you are bringing an infant with you. They sometimes offer bassinets that you can use during the flight.

Instead of bringing a purse, a backpack will be more convenient to stash in your belongings. It will leave you free hands to hold the baby and clutch other paraphernalia while at the same time gives you enough room for other necessities. If you do not want to dig into your back pack while looking for your passport and money, a belt bag or will do the trick while everything else will go to the pack.

Book the bulkhead seats for extra space. These are the seats near the emergency exits that have extra leg room for your child: enough for the child to climb down on the floor in front of you. Although the days of reserving of plane seating seems to be vanishing, airline staff will always accommodate a request for bulkhead seating for your children. The downside: your child will not be able to lie across two seats on your lap because the armrests are fixed.

During the flight, parents can take turns in entertaining the child. You can use the headphones for entertainment, books, and even small games such as washable marker. Don’t forget to bring large supplies of baby wipes because you never know when you will need them. You have to prepare him in advance on what to expect on the flight. A good play before flight is a good idea of introducing him to the ride. You can explore the airport before departing and plan an activity after you arrive to the destination. Since airplanes can either be too hot or too cool, do not forget to dress yourself and the children in layers outfit so you can adjust easily with the temperature.