No need to fear—even traveling solo with a child by plane has its little secrets

Worried about flying with a baby or a toddler in their defiant phase? Leveraging airline ground staff can be a huge help!

I’ve always been quite fond of flying and never minded long-haul trips. The thought of reaching my destination and exploring a new country was always exciting. Flying solo for long hours, even transiting to Europe, I could still find ways to enjoy myself. Back in early 2010, completely unaware that I was pregnant, I got stuck at the airport due to heavy snow for a whole day, then flew back to Taiwan from Europe with tons of luggage—I’d say Archie must have started getting used to flying even before he was born!

Often, I see people online complaining: “Traveling with a young child is so exhausting!” or “It’s such a hassle—you have to prepare so many things!” or “What if the kid cries on the plane? What if they disturb others?” Sometimes, too many concerns can discourage you from traveling abroad or serve as excuses because you just don’t want to deal with it. From Archie’s birth until he turned four this year, we’ve probably flown back to Taiwan from Australia together around six times already. Most of the time, I did it alone—he didn’t always come with Dad. There are definitely tough parts to traveling solo with a child, but when it’s a rare holiday, we just had to go back!

If your trip is a family vacation or if you must bring children along, I believe it’s very helpful and can remind you of any details you might overlook. But if you’re not familiar with your own child (if you’re not the one usually taking care of them and don’t know their routine or personality), or if you’re the type to complain or overreact, I’d suggest waiting until your child can communicate better. Otherwise, it’s you—not the child—who will have a meltdown on the plane.

In my case, as long as I can manage their schedule well, adjust appropriately, and give them things that interest them, flying can actually be a great educational opportunity.

Luckily, Archie loves flying too. Before he turned one, since he was breastfed, I didn’t have to carry many bottles, and he barely made a fuss on the plane. He might cry a bit when waking up, but he calms down quickly. By 1.5 years old, he started trying to feed himself with a spoon—just make sure you have a bib ready, and he’ll really enjoy the meals on the plane. By ages 2 or 3, once he could talk, the in-flight entertainment system kept him busy, and I could just watch my own favorite movies!

The airplane meals gave Archie a sense of “growing up” and being “respected,” like having his own seat and TV just like the adults. On the plane, Archie would obediently fasten his seatbelt and finish his meal without being told. He was actually better behaved than he is on land—should we change dining chairs to airplane seats instead? Hahaha~

This time, when we returned to Taiwan, Archie was already four years old. I thought it was a good time to teach him independence and decision-making—letting him order drinks from the flight attendant himself and fill out his own entry card. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll even fly solo.

Getting back to the main point—how can you avoid chaos when traveling solo with a young child? Many might assume flying solo would be overwhelming, forgetting that airlines actually offer services to assist parents traveling with infants or toddlers. Let me share some pre-departure preparations with you—luggage is a given, so I won’t dwell on that!

For children’s meals, options include baby food, kids' meals, or special dietary meals—you can check the website of the airline you’re flying with.

If you’re flying, say, from Brisbane to Taipei—a roughly 9-hour red-eye flight. The first time I returned to Taiwan after giving birth to Archie, he was about 9 months old. I hadn’t brought the stroller because I planned to buy one in Taiwan, but how could I carry a 10kg baby?! So I asked the airline to arrange a baby stroller in advance at the Australian airport (limited quantity), which I could use from check-in until the boarding gate.

Before Archie turned 3, there were times I brought the stroller along, and retrieving luggage became a real challenge. After picking up the luggage, how was I supposed to manage pushing the stroller while also handling my suitcases (usually two large hard-shell cases)? So...

(P.S. International airline regulations prohibit ground staff from helping with luggage, due to concerns like drug smuggling—service policies vary by airline, so please check with yours.)

As for carry-on luggage, I keep it minimal. For my own items, I take out my makeup bag and pack only essentials in a clear sealable bag—skipping things like cosmetics for now.

:Water bottle or bottled water? The cabin air is dry, and moms need to stay hydrated too.

■ 1–2 sets of spare clothes or a jacket—in case your child spits up, it’s a must-have. I always pack a jacket.
■ Ziplock bags to organize essentials—usually one for toiletries, another for small, lightweight makeup items, emergency medicine, vitamins, eye drops, etc.

■ A pillow or comfort toy for sleeping.
■ 1–2 sets of spare clothes.
■ Small toys to pass the time or little books. The free toys from McDonald’s work great here.
■ Child’s toiletries, such as wet wipes.
■ Infant stage: formula/milk bottles/thermos, etc.—since I breastfed, this part was super easy for me.
■ Food/baby food: I’ve brought baby biscuits and used a thermos to ask the flight attendant for hot water to mix rice cereal.
■ Water bottle: Staying hydrated on the plane is crucial. After takeoff, remember to loosen the bottle cap to release pressure before opening it, or it’ll turn into a mini fountain!
■ Essential medications, such as fever or allergy meds, plus ointments for insect bites or skin itching—I always pack those too.

Alright, now that check-in is done and it’s time to board the plane, Up!Lastly, remember that children over 2 years old can apply for an airline membership card to start accumulating miles—you can plan future trips together!

P.S. This article shares purely personal experiences. Service policies vary by airline, so please check with yours.

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