MANILA, Philippines – At just 14 months, my son is a frequent flyer, with more than 100 hours in flight across three continents.

I have flown alone and with my husband, on business and economy, with a carrier or pushchair and without either. What follows are some of my recommendations for moms, parents and guardians who will dare travel with a baby or toddler before the age when you can plop them in a seat and leave them to in-flight cartoons and video games.

Do your research

All airports follow certain international regulations, but some have customized theirs to suit individual situations, and this makes knowing what is okay where it’s difficult.

My first flight was out of Heathrow, which recently loosened its policy on hand luggage thanks to public outcry (I mean, how many people really put everything in one bag?!). But it remains extremely vigilant because of constant threats.

Heathrow’s website stated both liquid and powdered baby formula were allowed, but that there was a likelihood I’d be asked to taste the former. Thinking it would be easier to bring liquid formula (ready-to-drink formula is available in tetrapaks and bottles in the UK), I packed eight boxes in my baby bag, along with the same number of bottles.

Much to my dismay, the Customs officer made me open every single pack and taste it, despite my showing her the notice on the pack that said once opened, the formula would have to be consumed within an hour (and we had a 24-hour flight ahead of us!).

Having learned my lesson, I now carry one bottle of pre-made formula for pre-departure (I still had to taste it, but at least my son would have drunk it all before take-off) and a stack of powdered formula.

Distilled water is always available in airports, and the plane’s water did not make my son sick when we filled up on board. I also add one to two more feeds than necessary because as I found out, my son doesn’t have much of an appetite for solids in flight, but is absolutely ravenous for his formula.

Call the airline

Clarify with the airline what amenities and facilities they have for children. All airlines claim to be baby-friendly, but in truth, only some truly consider babies’ needs.

All the ones we’ve ridden—Emirates, Etihad, and Cathay Pacific—carry baby formula on board and on all classes, but frankly, Emirates was the only one who had a special kit for babies. Theirs was in waterproof plastic and contained a bib, teether, spoon, a pack of wet wipes, a small bottle of baby lotion and a large tissue to cover the baby changer with.

I’ve ridden Emirates business and economy with my son and on both classes, we were given the pack.

To my surprise, my recent trip with Cathay Pacific was a bitter disappointment, especially since I expected so much after watching its newest advertisements about unparalleled customer service. On my long-haul from London, the staff only told me when I was onboard that bassinets weren’t available on business and they had no kit to speak of.

My travel agent booked the bassinet months before and was not informed of its unavailability, so I was, of course, secretly seething during the whole flight. Thankfully, my son slept the entire way to Hong Kong, so I didn’t need their nonexistent kit and only changed him when we got to the airport (hurray for Pampers 12-hour diapers!).

What really annoyed me was that during the Hong Kong-Manila leg, which most of us Filipinos equate to a drive from Makati to Tagaytay, they gave me a large supermarket bag (with the Cathay Pacific logo) with some nappies and baby food.

I was stunned. First, thanks for remembering I had a baby with me 14 hours later. Second, it was the most inconvenient thing to lug around the airport considering I was already armed with my baby, his stroller, a huge baby bag and my handbag. Third, talk about terrible packaging. Considering how much their tickets are, you’d think they would have packaged their baby kit better!

Regarding space, I think the A380 is the most comfortable economy class for parents with kids. On our London-Sydney flight, which totals more than 24 hours, my son slept comfortably on my lap and I had enough leg room to squirm during meals and move around so my leg wouldn’t “die.”

The new plane also boasts of more toilets, some of which are big enough to change a baby comfortably (as opposed to the regular ones that barely take supermodels).

Book baby-friendly seats

The only problem with new planes is that, at least on Etihad, first class is located directly above economy, specifically the seats allocated to parents with babies. This is fine when babies can’t crawl, but on our Sydney flight, we had a half-dozen year-old babies all learning to crawl, walk and talk.

Because the area near the toilets was spacious, we moms decided to form a little playgroup. My son crawled up to first class and demanded an upgrade—which did not thrill the passengers. Let me tell you, a velvet cord may stop an adult from venturing further, but it is completely useless against exploring toddlers.

Cathay Pacific’s business-class seats fit me and my son comfortably and the angle made it easier for me to keep him under my control and away from other passengers.
Etihad’s couple pods (request for the middle seats) are perfect with babies because they’re contained yet roomy, and my son loved climbing from me to my husband and back.

Airlines should seriously consider making car-seat type attachments for babies because bassinets are weight-limited and a bit unsafe (babies can easily jump out of them, for one thing). Furthermore, babies love to sleep in car seats, so having them would make it easier to put babies to sleep and keep other passengers happy.

I, for one, would pay for an additional economy seat if it would make my son sleep well and keep him happy, particularly during long-haul flights.

Pack smart

I packed differently for my flight with my husband and my flight alone. With hubby, I could afford to bring extra things because I had a big, strong partner with me. But on my most recent flight, I had to really consider how much space I had and it was really not much at all.

I bought a big baby bag from Mamas and Papas that didn’t have a lot of pockets, but did have a lot of “open” space. In it, I loaded six 12-hour Pampers nappies, six bottles, a six-level stack of formula, three baby spoons, a pack of baby wipes and a changing mat.

Out went the extra clothes, teethers, toys—and I had to pray double time to ask God not to let my son vomit or soft poo on board (he did neither—prayer works!).

I put all my documentation inside a messenger bag, which I never liked using before, but which I now think is the world’s greatest invention for moms.

I also bought an umbrella-type stroller for 15 pounds (just over P1,000, would you believe?) at Tesco, a British supermarket chain. Etihad lost my Maclaren during my last long-haul from Manila (I don’t blame them, I’m quite sure someone stole it), so this time, I brought something I didn’t mind losing.

To my surprise, my little red Tesco stroller worked perfectly. It was light, easy to open and close with one hand, and looked so cheap no one bothered to take it. I hope it will stay alive for my trip back, but in any case, it was a good buy!

Another mommy must-have is a Blackberry or one of the new netbooks. I used to bring my laptop everywhere, but this is virtually impossible with a baby in tow.

With either of the two, we can keep in touch with our anxious hubbies and the excited grandparents while waiting for our connecting flight or when baby is asleep. My new Eee PC 1000HE’s battery lasts for a minimum of five hours, so I can just charge it before I leave, use it during my trip, and just recharge when I’ve reached my destination.

Schedule flights around baby’s schedule

Finally, schedule your flights with your baby’s schedule in mind.

Whenever possible, try to fly when your baby is usually asleep so that he just sleeps throughout. I did this during my last flight and for the first time, I actually got to eat all my meals comfortably (even with my son right next to me).

When we flew during my son’s “awake” time, it was impossible to keep him in our seats, much less keep him quiet!