[Travel Essentials Abroad] Money-Saving Airfare Tips: How to Fly Budget Airlines with a Baby!

Speaking of budget airlines, they let you buy an ultra-cheap flight ticket—super thrilling~ My husband and I often travel abroad on budget flights, and it’s been a great experience. Aside from the tempting low prices, it also helps cut down our overall travel expenses. For example, a regular one-way ticket from Singapore to Taiwan on a budget airline is around 350 SGD (8,000 TWD), but the cheapest promo fare I’ve scored was just 175 SGD (4,000 TWD)—almost half price. I’ve even seen 0 SGD promo tickets, but alas, I wasn’t quick enough to grab one as a mom!! As for babies, there’s no such thing as a promo ticket—the fare is always a flat 50 SGD (1,200 TWD), and there’s no assigned seat. Now, a frugal mom like me might think, “50 SGD and no seat? Might as well try to find a ticket under 50 SGD.” But sorry, no such luck—kids under 2 are always charged 50 SGD.

What about flying out of Taiwan? Because airport taxes in Taiwan are relatively low, I’ve seen Scoot flights (one-way including taxes) for as little as 2,500 TWD to Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul… and other Asian destinations. That’s an unbeatably good deal!! Now that my toddler, Tu Mei, has turned two, she needs her own seat, so I’ve become super proactive about hunting for budget airline deals. The most intense booking rush I’ve experienced was a sale that only lasted two hours, starting at 7 PM. Basically, you need to be ready by 6:30 PM, have the webpage open and on standby. Remember: always go for the first wave—don’t hesitate. I once got delayed by 15 minutes because I was taking care of the kid, and by the time I checked, all the tickets were gone!

Budget airlines don’t offer any free in-flight entertainment or meals, and the seats are pretty cramped, often hitting your knees. Of course, you can pay extra for a more comfortable experience, but let’s be honest—a mom like me is flying budget to save money, not to splurge on a short flight. So for short-haul trips, budget airlines are a solid choice, especially since airfare and accommodation are usually the biggest expenses when traveling. The money you save on the ticket can go toward food, fun, and activities—how great is that? But delays of 1–2 hours are pretty normal—hey, you get what you pay for, so waiting is part of the deal. And how do you manage flying with a two-year-old when there’s no seat for the baby? Don’t worry, I’ll share all my tips with you next!

To snag the cheapest fares, you first need to know the major budget airlines.

Scoot

Jetstar

Tigerair

Air Asia

Taiwan’s newly established low-cost airline V air, operated by TransAsia Airways, is set to take off before October 2014, so you can also keep an eye on this airline.

1. Use Facebook to follow every fan page in the Taiwan region first, because any promotional activities will definitely be announced there.

2. Airline tickets are snapped up instantly, so have your passport details ready (you cannot book a ticket if your passport expires within 6 months; please renew your passport if needed).

Fill in your details immediately, and be sure to purchase your ticket within the limited time window.

3. In terms of payment methods, I find Scoot the most unreasonable — they only accept credit cards. Most other airlines allow you to pay after booking. If you miss the payment deadline, the ticket will be automatically canceled.

1. Baby fares are uniformly between NT$1,700–1,850. (An irresistibly cheap price!)

2. Babies don’t get their own seats and must be held. (Mom’s tip: I schedule flights from Monday to Thursday because there are fewer passengers, and ground staff usually let your baby have an empty seat too, so your baby can lie down and sleep instead of being held all the time!! I’ve held my baby once~ Ugh!! It was really exhausting!!)

3. If you really have to hold your baby the whole way, choose Scoot — their seats are the most spacious, as they’re large planes retired from Singapore Airlines. Compared to other low-cost carriers, theirs are the most, most, MOST spacious!!

4. The departure times for promotional tickets are usually not great — mostly early morning or late night. I think it’s best to avoid these times when traveling with kids; daytime flights are preferable.

(I once booked a red-eye flight, thinking my child would definitely sleep at that hour — but I was so wrong!! My little bunny didn’t sleep at all and kept wide-eyed, looking around and crawling everywhere — my husband and I didn’t sleep the whole night taking care of her, it was exhausting!!)

5. What if your baby is under two years old when you book a promotional ticket, but turns two by the time of travel? You can’t book online — so how do you buy the ticket?

When I faced this issue, I booked with Tigerair. I first set my baby’s age as that of a child over two, and then when my child actually turned two, I called the airline to update the birthdate to the correct one. I’m not sure if other airlines handle it the same way, but I think the difference isn’t huge.

That worked out absolutely fine and was the most convenient option, but remember to wear nursing clothes and bring some coverings to prevent exposure. (I highly recommend a nursing blanket — it serves double duty as a blanket!)

Formula stage:
Prepare 2–3 packs based on flight duration (depending on how often your child feeds), 1–2 bottles (if glass, use a protective sleeve)/water bottle

Disposable formula bags/disposable bottle liners (convenient items — save space and are easy to carry)

Baby food stage:
I prepare food in advance by heating it and placing it in a thermos. By the time it’s feeding time, it’s still warm.

(I also bring some pre-cut fruit, cookies, toast, and rice balls that my bunny loves — super filling!)

(Water is key — airplane water is super expensive and comes in tiny bottles that cost about NT$70 each. So fill up on water. At security, as long as they see you have a baby, they usually won’t hassle you about the water. But if you’re unlucky and they ask you to discard it, just pour it out and keep the bottle — there are water fountains in the waiting areas where you can refill.)

Bring some space-saving and easy-to-carry toys, because traveling with lots of luggage is really a hassle!! You have to manage the kid AND carry all the bags!!

For example: 1. Sticker book – stick on the left, then the right, peel off and stick again, peel off and stick again (you can repeat this 2–3 times, which should take about 15–20 minutes each time).

2. Crayons – non-toxic, whole crayons that let you switch colors, with a piece of white paper to keep switching colors and drawing. Occasionally, parents can join in and draw with the child.

(This can also be repeated 2–3 times, and with an adult’s company, it might last longer, around 15–30 minutes each time).

3. One wind-up toy – there are many wind-up toys on the market. It’s best to choose one that doesn’t run around so the child can stay in one place.

(Repeat 2–3 times, 10 minutes each time).

4. iPad – this is always my last resort. I’ll pre-select and download some cartoons and educational games.

(I try to limit this to 15–30 minutes before switching back to the other activities).

Things to note when checking in at the airport:

1. Be sure to double-check with the staff that your family is seated together when choosing seats.
(Moms, I thought this was a given – that the seat assigners would be smart about it. But once, my husband and I were seated super, super far apart!! One in front and one in back, but luckily our daughter loves her dad, so he held her the whole way – thank goodness!!)

2. If you haven’t purchased any checked luggage, you’re allowed one 10KG carry-on per person. Babies don’t have any weight restrictions at all. So if you’re bringing a lot of stuff, consider buying more kilograms. Usually, they start selling extra baggage from 15–20KG, costing around 500–600 more yuan, depending on the airline.

(Remember to weigh your luggage with a scale. The most foolproof method is to weigh yourself first, then weigh yourself with the luggage and subtract – I think it’s 98% accurate!! Make sure to check the kilogram count carefully, and be as accurate as possible – because it’s a budget airline, every extra kilogram will cost you.)

On budget airlines, those who pay extra for seat selection, people with limited mobility, and those traveling with children can board first!! Before boarding, ground staff will collect your stroller. You need to fold it up and hand it over. Go ahead, handsomely hand over my stroller!! Sometimes they collect strollers in indoor walkways too.
P.S. There are two places to get your stroller back: 1. Coming out with the luggage belt. 2. Coming out with large items. So look for it at one of the exits in the luggage collection area.

On the return flight, the boarding process involves walking up a stairway onto the plane – cool, right!!

Things to note before takeoff:

P.S. Prepare the first bottle of milk in advance – breast milk is the most convenient!!
As soon as the plane starts accelerating on the runway in preparation for takeoff, moms can feed the baby. You can give milk or water (not necessary during takeoff and descent or while sleeping).
To prevent ear pressure discomfort and crying, swallowing is the best method. Generally, due to the rapid ascent, people experience slight oxygen deprivation and tend to fall asleep easily. The flight attendant will give you an extra seatbelt before takeoff – thread it through yours and then fasten it around the child. After takeoff, once the seatbelt sign is off, you can remove it.

If there are extra seats, let your baby have their own seat and just fasten the seatbelt.

Kids don’t care what they eat, but adults eating outside food may be stopped by some airlines, mainly because they want you to buy onboard. But since the food is usually not tasty, I bring my own and eat it discreetly. Lately, it seems no one minds, so you can freely enjoy the food now. If you want to try the airline’s meals, you can purchase them when booking – they’re often cheaper than buying onboard.

The outcome of flying with Dad when the baby has no seat!! One of you will be exhausted from holding the baby until landing.

If there is a seat, you can sit comfortably like this, and Bunny Girl can even sleep~^0^ (For everyone’s safety, the flight attendants ask us to sit Bunny Girl upright and fasten her seatbelt before landing. But as soon as we fasten it, she wakes up and starts crying – the flight attendants are really strict and keep reminding you to sit her upright. It’s so stressful when she cries!!)

The best tool for drawing – crayons. Easy to carry, no mess on hands, and you can keep switching colors. Bunny Girl thinks it’s pretty magical too~ haha!! A good chance to teach her colors. Cheap, convenient, and great for keeping her busy with random drawing.

These are the wind-up toys I bought when I was young and naive. This little fishing game can entertain for ages. I remember there are also ones that do somersaults in place, or light up, or make sounds. I try to find wind-up toys that don’t run away, or I’d be picking them up non-stop!! That would drive me nuts~

Haha~ This thing, Bunny Girl and I fight over who gets to see it. You know how Taiwan sells lots of mini fun packs for just 10 NT? This trick makes both of us super happy!! Mommy’s so silly!! Haha~

My last resort as a mom: eat fruit while watching cartoons~ Pre-download the usual shows, and even ones you haven’t watched. If Bunny Girl gets bored with the old ones, switch to new channels to grab her attention.

During the oral phase before 8 months, I used a pacifier to keep her mouth busy. I was afraid she’d put random things in her mouth, so I’d just hand her things to touch or play with. Also, she slept quite a bit during this period, waking up only to sleep again soon. So the younger you travel with a baby, the easier it is – they’re light and portable~ haha!!

Go ahead and touch everything~ touch books, touch disposable cups, squeeze them to make funny sounds, grab unopenable cookie packages!! So it doesn’t have to be anything specific – babies are curious about everything at this stage!! And they can stay entertained touching things for ages. I didn’t bring teething toys because I was scared Bunny Girl would bite one off, it’d fall and get dirty, and washing it in the bathroom would be such a hassle. So stuffing her mouth is safer for me!!

Sharing how a mom flies alone with a baby? Phew~ This trip I took my kid on a budget airline by myself!! Fly~ fly~ fly~!! My husband and in-laws tried to talk me out of it, but I just wanted the challenge. I believe being a mom makes you strong~ (shouting!!) As soon as I see promo flight tickets, my eyes light up again~ Buy!! Buy!! Buy!! No matter how tired, it’s worth it!!

If I’m traveling alone, I’ll definitely bring a stroller to wander around the duty-free area or chase planes. But what if the stroller gets taken away before boarding? *Baby carrier: Wear your baby in a carrier to free your hands from carrying both the baby and your stuff. *Soft-shell suitcase on wheels (softer cases are easier to access than hard-shell ones): This reduces the weight you have to carry. Pack your mom bag into the suitcase, so without a stroller, carrying your baby and pulling a suitcase is much more manageable and less tiring—especially since there are no strollers before customs. In that case, you can move around more easily. *Crossbody pouch: Keep valuables like your passport and tickets handy in a small crossbody bag. Don’t put them in the mom bag—it’s too bulky to keep taking out. Most importantly, what if mom needs to pee? You’ve been carrying that baby for ten months, what’s a little more time?! No matter how hard, you’ve got to take the baby into the toilet with you. Moms, always carry the baby in front—pulling down pants and wiping is way easier that way!! So before boarding, make sure to empty your bladder and drink less water on the plane, or you’ll really end up carrying your baby in and out of the toilet for practice... My goodness~!! If there's no seat, just squeeze into one seat. Well, at least you're only 8 months now—come on!! Let me save some money, I don’t mind at all~!!

YA~ Bunny Girl got a seat!!

Phew~ As long as Bunny Girl is asleep, Mommy is the happiest~ Victory sign YA!! Time to relax a bit!!

Phew~ This is pretty much basic skill level for moms living abroad—managing two pieces of luggage, a stroller, and a whole child all at once.

At 8 months old, she was apart from Daddy for a month but still remembered him when they reunited. Daddy said: “I was so afraid you’d forget me~”

It’s precisely because I live abroad and need to save some money that I can write this article. (Starting to sound like a mom lecturing now~) There are many ways to travel. Since I’m not rich and can’t afford the best or most expensive options, I use my own method of independent travel to achieve budget-friendly trips. Although preparing for flights takes more effort, saving on airfare and tour group fees lets me enjoy a more exciting and flexible journey. Traveling is all about experiencing different cultures, and along the way, you’ll encounter all kinds of mishaps and funny moments—but they create beautiful memories!! I hope this sharing can help more moms plan affordable family trips with their babies on airplanes abroad~!! Create wonderful memories for the whole family!! Slowly, I’ll share with you all the travel articles from your kneeling mom here~ teaching you how to do research, plan family trips, and travel independently. If any moms have more tips and experiences to share, feel free to tell me~ I’ll include them in the article!! To share with even more moms planning to travel abroad!! ^0^