How to fly long-haul with a baby

"Try flying any plane with a baby if you want a sense of what it must have been like to be a leper in the fourteenth century," wrote American journalist, filmmaker and author Nora Ephron in her 1983 novel Heartburn.

- Alisha Haridasani Gupta

NEW YORK -

That is not too far off. And I would know, as it was not long ago that I flew 19 hours across the world with my three-month-old.

A newborn or young infant cannot be reasoned with, nor can he or she sit in front of a screen or snack on treats. What do you pack for an infant on a long flight? Where do you even put the baby? And that is all before accounting for the side-eye you get from fellow passengers bracing themselves for screaming and crying.

A little groundwork, though, can go a long way towards easing some of that stress, said Mr. James Howard, a Delta Air Lines cabin manager and father of a toddler. You might even enjoy it, he added.

ADVANCE PLANNING

If you know you will travel in the first few months of your baby's life, you can add your child to your airline ticket even before he or she is born, said Mr. Brian Kelly, founder of the Points Guy website and a father of two. Your airline would use a placeholder name - usually "Baby" and your last name. Then, closer to your travel dates, update your booking with your child's legal name.

For most domestic US flights, infants can travel free on the lap of an accompanying adult, though many experts do not think this is safe. On international flights, you might be charged a portion of your fare.

NAVIGATING CHECK-IN

Breast milk and formula in your carry-on are not subject to the Transportation Security Administration's liquids limit, meaning you can take along large quantities of them on board. You will, however, need to take them out for screening.