My number one piece of advice for air travel with a child is be prepared. The next best suggestion I can offer is to be flexible. In this post I’m going to share some ideas that may help when you fly home from Viet Nam with your new child. The being flexible part rests squarely on your shoulders, but try to take a deep breath and remind yourself that this trip home is necessary to begin your new life together as a family.

Try and get a bulk head seat. This seating option is fabulous and made out trip home with Ella so much easier! Most airlines will not let you reserve bulk head seats ahead of time, so try and check in at the airport early to request them. You could also try calling your airline’s ticket counter a few hours before you’ll be there to check in to see if they’ll take some pity on you. The bulk head seats that we had were the front row of our section, in the center aisle of the plane. We had a bassinet that hooked to the wall in front of us for Ella to sleep in and about two feet of floor room between our seats and the wall. That floor space allowed us to lay out a blanket and toys and sit fairly comfortably on the floor and play with Ella.

Pack a change of clothes or two in your carry on for all traveling. This is probably the biggest ‘be prepared’ advice of all! You do not want to have a baby puke all over you and have to sit in those clothes for fourteen hours! We didn’t have any stomach issues, but we did have diaper issues. Ella fell asleep at one point while I was holding her, and we were so thrilled that she was sleeping that I was afraid to move her. She wound up sleeping like that for many hours and when she woke up we were both completely soaked. There should be at least one bathroom in the plane with a pull down changing table, and though the quarters are ridiculously tight, having clothes to change into was extremely welcome. I’d also recommend packing some warm layers (and maybe a hat for your little one,) because planes can be freezing!

To alleviate the ear pressure during take off and landing, plan to give your child a bottle, pacifier or snack during those times. We kept Ella in our front carrier during take off and landing for safety issues and had a bottle ready to go so as soon as the front wheels of the plane lifted, we gave it to her. It was a little tricky to time it right, but we were pretty successful and she had no ear pressure problems.

Lastly, do your best to take care of yourself too! Mom and dad need to be healthy to care for the new little one, so try not to forget your own needs. Staying hydrated will help immensely while traveling. If you’re unsure about airplane food, pack some energy bars and dried fruit to get you through.

Happy Flying!

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More Reading:
Recommended Medications for Viet Nam Travel
How to Stay Healthy in Viet Nam
How to Preserve Your Adoption Trip