Depending on what time I get through security, I like to head straight to the gate, especially if I need to negotiate new seats.  I love the window seat because I feel like I have just a little extra room for Mack to squirm and it made life much easier for nursing.  You also don’t have to worry about getting up if the person next to you has to get out.  For more space, I think it’s totally worth it to pay the extra money to upgrade to seats with more space or even to first class. If you don’t want to pay, I highly recommend checking to see if the very back row is open or the bulkhead row.  The drawback of the last row is that you’re typically next to the bathrooms, but I’ve usually lucked out and ended up with an open seat next to me and since its louder in the back, I don’t feel as guilty when Mack is loud.  It’s worth it to be able to spread out a little bit more.  The bulkhead row is great for extra space, unfortunately you can’t have your diaper bag at your feet during takeoff and landing.  It requires just a little extra preplanning for what you will need during the flight because hopefully your little one will fall asleep right away and you won’t want to get up.  On international flights, the bulkhead row often has a baby bassinet attachment which is amazing!! Mack was 5 months old for his first international flight and he slept almost the entire way in his own little bed!  I was one happy mama because I got to sleep too!

If you have your stroller with you, the gate agent will put a tag on it for gate check.  You typically will just leave it at the end of the jetway and it will be brought up to the jetway after the flight.  If you decide you don’t want to deal with your stroller, you can ask to have it checked all the way through to your final destination.  This is nice if you want to have your stroller to get to your gate but you have a short layover.

I like to get through security early so I have plenty of time for Mack to get some energy out.  Depending on what airport we’re at, we’ll head to the play area.  Sea Tac airport has a great play area to include a huge bathroom and nursing room (look for a list of play areas soon). When Mack was tiny I made sure he got some tummy time and a chance to kick his legs and stretch out.

About 15 min prior to pre-boarding I get Mack into a new diaper, use the bathroom, top off my water bottle, finish my coffee and load him up in the baby carrier.  I make sure I have everything easily accessible for when I get to my seat.  If you are flying an airline that does not do pre boarding for families, the last step is key!  US Airways doesn’t do pre-boarding at all and Southwest boards you after the premier passengers board.  Delta is great about pre-board along with American (unless they’ve changed in the past few months).  Side note: I e-mailed US Airways to complain about the fact that not having a pre-boarding option makes life traveling with a baby more challenging.  The response was that we can ask to pre-board and they should allow it.  However, I did this twice and was denied both times.

What routines do you have before boarding the plane?