With airlines flying at almost full capacity, employee slow-downs all too common, and airports suffering from mid-air gridlock, many new parents dread the day when they'll have to board a plane with their new bundle of joy. Don't. Getting there can be as much fun as being there if you know what you're getting into. The following FAQs, plus a dash of good humor, should help make that first plane flight with baby one to remember--and even cherish!

How Young Can A Baby Fly?

At FTF, our most frequently asked question is, "Is my baby too young to travel safely by airplane?" Popular opinion to the contrary, medical experts have found no reason to restrict travel by healthy newborns, as long as a pediatrician who has examined the infant approves the trip. And since many young families live far away from beloved grandparents and other relatives, plane travel with infants is becoming more common.

Which Airline Should We Fly?

When it comes to travel, advance planning always saves you money and anxiety. Inform a travel professional of all children flying and their ages, and let the agent get you the best fares and seats. As of August 2005, one "lap child" under 2 years can still travel free domestically in the United States with each fare-paying adult, without a guaranteed seat.   Products such as the Baby B'Air vest (see FTF shop review), which enables parents to harness an infant to an adult seat belt, have minimized the safety issues for lap children. But to encourage the safest option--restraint in an FAA-approved child seat (CRS) tightly buckled into an airline seat--many major US airlines charge only 50% of the lowest ticketed adult fare for children under 2.

On international flights, most foreign airlines charge 10% for a lap child, and from 50%-65% of the adult fare for a reserved seat for children 2-12 years. Ask your travel professional to look into the foreign carriers; many savvy families choose "international" beach vacations just to save on children's airfares! If you're nervous about booking a foreign or low-cost airline, check with the FAA at  800/835-5322 for airline safety records. Note that mileage award tickets are not discounted for children, so you may be better off paying cash for infant seats.

What's the Best Flight?

Request flight times that take advantage of baby's schedule: a flight spanning naptime is ideal. If you're crossing several time zones, overnight flights will help a sound sleeper acclimate to the time change.

If several airlines suit your schedule needs and your budget, demand service. Which one will guarantee seat assignments? Does every aircraft have changing tables in the toilets? How much legroom is available in coach? British Airways, who extend themselves for families as far as providing activity packs on certain flights, is one of the best. El Al and Virgin Atlantic also welcome families with children's amenities, baby food on board and kid-friendly entertainment.

What's the Best Seat For Us? 

Bring a car seat (CRS) on board whether or not you've purchased an infant seat. Children up to 20 lbs. should fly in a rear-facing CRS and children 20-40lbs. should face forwards. For the safety of other passengers, a CRS should be tightly strapped into a window seat.  However, all airplanes are configured differently, and although the FAA states a CRS should be no wider than 16" and labeled "certified for use in aircraft," permission to use it must come from the airline itself.

Be sure you or your travel agent have inquired about CRS regulations before booking seats. Call the FAA at 800/TELL-FAA for the latest in safety news.

If you're traveling in coach or economy class with a lap child, request a bulkhead seat and bassinette, provided free of charge (but not guaranteed) on most wide body aircraft. If you can afford first class, bring a blanket or carry-mat so she can sleep soundly on the floor in front of your feet. (Great for you and baby, not safe in case of unforeseen turbulence, which caused three deaths and 80 serious injuries between 1981 and 1997, according to the FAA.)

If you're traveling with a child over about 6 months or 24" long, buy economy seats, but not the bulkhead row. Bulkhead armrests are fixed, which prevents the baby from straddling seats (if adjoining ones are vacant) to sleep. Also, many recently built planes have made bulkheads into Emergency Exit rows, now restricted to passengers over 15 years for safety reasons.

What's The Best Airport Strategy?

Allow at least two hours in advance of departure to conquer the airport. Minimize hand luggage and use a front carrier, backpack or stroller for your baby to free adult hands for plane tickets, passports, and other papers. After you check your luggage at the curb, go immediately to the gate to confirm seat assignments.

Remember, security will insist that your infant be carried through checkpoints by an adult. If you're using a stroller, keep it handy. Most airlines will 'gate-check' it on the jetway if you ask nicely.

How Do I Cope Onboard?

Keep carry-ons easily accessible under the seat in front of you. As airline food continues to disappear, bring some beverages and snacks or your own. To avoid dehydration, says noted pediatrician Dr. Barry Sears, children should drink plenty of fluids. Bring refillable bottles or "tippy" cups and open them carefully, as the change in air pressure may cause them to spurt. Nursing parents can carry a freezer pack with a few extra bottles which the Flight Attendant will microwave for you.

With few vacant seats at the back, you'll have to use the dreaded lavatory to change diapers. The toilet seat lid may be an easier, less wobbly place to change tiny ones than a wall-mounted changing table. Good luck! Keep at least one change of clothes handy for each adult and child, in case of emergency.

How Can I Prevent Ear Pain?

"To prevent aerotitis media (ear pain) caused by a change of air pressure in the eustachian tube," says Dr. Neal M. Kotin, "encourage swallowing during ascent and, more importantly, during descent." Nursing, sipping and chewing all work for toddlers better than holding their nose and blowing out. Avoid the 'Stewardess Cure' -- holding a cup filled with steam over each ear -- as this technique can force moisture into the ear canal which may become infected. Many parents swear by Ear Planes (see review in FTF Shop), a small ear plug designed to equalize pressure changes in the inner ear. Dr. Sears recommends keeping infants comfortable by administering a saline nasal spray every hour to prevent a dry, itchy nose. Only wake sleeping children on descent if they have a history of ear pain.

How Can I Get the Baby To Sleep?

How do you achieve the impossible, you ask?

Imitating nap rituals with pajamas or a song often works; some parents administer children's Tylenol or over-the-counter decongestants. According to a study (Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, May 1999), although decongestants were ineffective in preventing ear pain during flight, they induced drowsiness in 60% of children tested. Natural remedies, such as sweetened chamomile tea, homeopathic teething pain relievers, or Gripe Water are also used to sedate kids.(Consult a pediatrician before administering any medication to an infant.)

Those precious moments when your child is asleep are the only times you'll be able to read, relax or stroll the aisles like the Good Old Days. That is, if your arms aren't pinned down by tiny legs, your thighs aren't numb from having 20 lbs. lying across your lap, and your clothes aren't soaked from perspiration or food spills.

Welcome to parenthood!