What’s it like taking a scenic flight with a baby?
EPIC. It’s epic, y’all. Because scenic flights are epic, and sharing epic experiences with your baby is doubly so. As a traveling single parent, I want to show my daughter as much of the world as I can for a variety of reasons, and a scenic flight is one of the ways I enjoy doing that.
Where to Take a Scenic Flight
My daughter’s and my first international trip after my husband died was to Palau, in the very western Pacific, near-ish to Guam and the Philippines. It’s home to the Rock Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The best way to experience them? From the air, on a scenic flight.
You don’t have to go all the way to Palau, though. Almost any beautiful, tourism-centric destination will likely have scenic flights available. Think Key West, Hawai’i, New Zealand, Cape Town, etc. Scenic flights are the best way to see some of the most incredible places in the whole world. What a way to inspire wonder and wanderlust in your child!
Read on: What to Bring Home from Your Trip to Palau
Ask if You Can Bring Your Baby
You can take your baby on commercial jets with no problem, but scenic flight companies are all private, and they can more or less make their own rules. Some may not allow you to bring children under a certain age, whether for safety reasons or other preferences, so it’s always best to ask. I emailed the company in Palau to ask if I could bring my then-10 month old daughter with me. They wrote back to say yes, as long as she would be on my lap. Easy as that! And they didn’t charge me more either.
Keep reading: The 7 Reasons Why Single Parents Should Travel with Their Kids
Bring Ear Protection
Mom fail: I forgot my daughter’s ear protection at home. Whoops! It didn’t seem to bother her, though. She went to sleep during the flight! But it would have been better for her if I had remembered it. I tried to rig up make-shift ear protection with a bow headband and a couple pieces of cotton, but that lasted less than a minute, of course. Remember the ear protectors!
Also here: What to Know Before You Visit Palau
Baby’s Safety is Ultimately Your Responsibility
It’s highly likely that the pilot or another employee will take weight and balance into account, and they’ll tell everyone where to sit. They will also very likely arrange things so the parent with a baby will have the safest seat on the plane. Ultimately, however, you know that you—the parent—are responsible for your child’s safety. If you don’t think you’re in the safest seat, speak up! The seating arranger may not have kids and wouldn’t necessarily know what to consider for a baby or toddler.
Related: What to Know about Traveling Internationally with Your Baby as a Single Parent
See How They’re Reacting
Once you’re in-flight, watch your baby’s face as they watch the scenery below! They may not get it, or they may not even look out the window. It’s okay! The experience is worth having for them anyway. My daughter cried almost the whole time because she was tired. I had her in the wearable carrier facing forward so she could see, but she cried and screamed for over half the flight. As soon as I turned her around, she laid her head on my chest and fell fast asleep! You’re making memories with your baby, whether they remember first-hand or not. Just don’t forget to enjoy the scenery on your flight with a baby!
Also helpful: How to Get a Passport for Your Baby
Remember it’s Short—Especially if the Baby Doesn’t Like It!
As I mentioned, my baby girl cried over half the time we were in the air. I thought it was because of the noise or the smell, or the air coming in the open side (we were not on the open side), but no, she was just tired. But even if I hadn’t figured it out, the flight was only 40 minutes. She would have been okay, and she wouldn’t have remembered how much she hated it. That’s the nice thing about traveling with an infant.
More here: What to Do in Palau with a Baby
Want more? Check out my Palau Page!
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Iris, wake up! Those are some beautiful views!
We will just have to go back when she’s awake!