My First International Flight With an Infant: COVID Style

I was pretty intimidated about my first international flight with an infant. My daughter, Lillie, and I flew from Germany to the U.S. when she was almost 3-months old. Things were so different flying during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the days leading up to our flight, I couldn’t sleep for imagining every possible scenario and playing out our trip in my head. That’s proof enough of how nervous I was to fly considering I’ve flown thousands of miles over the last few years. Stephen was in the field, so I went about this alone, creating even more anxiety. It turned out to be a relatively positive experience and one that made me feel accomplished afterward.

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Our Itinerary

I booked an “infant in arms” seat for our trip, which literally meant she sat in my lap on all flights. We traveled from Munich to Amsterdam to Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Yes…we had three layovers (note to self: never do that again). On the day of our flight, we arrived bright and early in Munich, which was basically empty thanks to the pandemic. I brought along the car seat, car seat base, and the stroller. I checked the car seat and base in a travel bag I found from Amazon, and the stroller in oversized baggage – for free! Other than those things, I checked one large suitcase. With me, I carried the diaper bag and my nursing pillow/boppy – which I am SO glad I decided to do.

Going through security for the first time at the Munich airport was super frustrating. I was babywearing Lillie in a Boba Wrap and had to take her out of it and untie it from around me. If you’ve ever used a wrap-style baby carrier, you know it’s not easy to get back on. I was flustered afterward trying to find somewhere to sit her down and then rewrap the baby carrier (and here lies why the nursing pillow is so great!).

morning of our first international flight with an infant

Usually, I would head straight for whatever lounge was available through Priority Pass, but since we were flying first class, we had access to Delta Sky Lounge. The food was out as usual and each item was individually wrapped (COVID measures).

Note: masks were required from the time arriving to the airport until leaving the airport and even in the lounges

On our first flight with KLM to Amsterdam, boarding was simple. Passengers maintained their distances and the seat beside us in first class was blocked off. The flight attendants were incredibly nice. I’m not sure if they could see the anxiety on my face or not, but they immediately came over and asked if it was my first flight with an infant. They gave me the rundown, fawned over Lillie, and even provided a blanket to keep her warm (it was FREEZING on this flight). I had to attach an infant seat belt to my own belt and then wrap it around Lillie, which meant taking her out of the baby carrier. I nursed all during takeoff, per our pediatrician’s recommendation, since babies aren’t always able to pop their own ears with the elevation change. It wasn’t long until she fell fast asleep. The landing was much harder on her ears and she did cry out for a bit in discomfort. Nonetheless, a successful first short flight.

First Layover

Upon landing in Amsterdam, we had to book it to our next flight. The plane was already boarding when ours landed so I went directly to the next gate. It was about a 25-minute walk across the entire airport and in my long dress, wearing a baby in a heavy cloth wrap, and carrying an overloaded diaper bag and nursing pillow – I was sweating and exhausted. Not everyone in the Amsterdam airport was wearing a mask or respecting social distance rules. It was also much more crowded than the Munich airport. I just so happened to find a family room right near my gate. Being the first time I’d ever used a family restroom, it was very helpful to have a private room with two toilets, a kid sink, a changing table, and a small couch. I was able to set Lillie down and take a moment to myself to use the restroom and wash up.

family room in the amsterdam airport — Family Room in Amsterdam. Here’s the Boba Wrap

Our First Class Experience

Before boarding our flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta, we had to go through a health screening interview. We flew first class on Delta – also called Delta One – and it was incredible. I am so grateful to my mother-in-law for upgrading classes for Lillie and me. We sat in seat 3J, which was a great area because we weren’t close to the bathroom and the seat faced outward toward the window meaning more privacy. No one was sitting in the seat across the aisle from me and the guy who was sitting in front of me moved seats as soon as he saw me with an infant. I started by wearing her in the Boba baby carrier until it got too hot. The nursing pillow came in handy when I needed to prop her up on my lap. The food in first-class deserves a round of applause because it was by far the best food I’ve had on any airline. I was served steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. The steak was done perfectly and paired with a sweet dessert.

I was surprised that the bathrooms on the flight had a changing table that dropped down over the toilet — oh the things you learn as a first time mom. It was a super long flight, or at least it felt like it since I didn’t get to watch any movies to pass the time. Lillie and I both slept most of the time, thanks to the completely lay flat bed. I swaddled her and then snuggled up beside her in bed. Surprisingly, she slept great most of the way. I nursed her often, especially during take off and landing. The pediatrician had also advised me to offer frequent feedings because they can get dehydrated easily on airplanes.

first class meal — Dinner in First Class

first class international flight with an infant — Dinner in First Class

Related Post: How We Afford to Travel

COVID Measures

The flight attendants were all wearing masks and every passenger was required to wear theirs at all times. If you weren’t, they would gently remind you to do so. Nose and mouth covering were mandatory and the only time you could remove it was to eat or drink. Because of COVID, instead of having every first-class flight attendant service the first-class passengers, they were divided up into sections to minimize exposure. It was nice to have one flight attendant take care of us throughout the flight. The food was packaged with a seal on it, so we were sure no one else had touched it after coming out of the oven.

Arriving in the U.S.

Upon landing in Atlanta, Georgia, I was quickly reminded why I despise that airport so much. We had to go through customs, which was pretty fast and I had her in the baby carrier. I always forget that they make you recheck your luggage. Grabbing all of that with a baby in tow and then having to add on a stroller and car seat to the top of it was rough. Luckily, I didn’t have to go far with it. We had to go through security again and they flagged my diaper bag because it had water in it – which is allowed when you’re traveling with an infant. The only problem was they took 20 minutes to finally go through it while I stood there waiting and breaking my back holding Lillie. The only good part was her sleeping the entire time. I was grateful that they didn’t make me take her out of the carrier to go through security.

Finally, after leaving security, we made our way across the airport to the Delta Sky Lounge. There was plenty of time before our next flight to Raleigh-Durham. The flight was delayed and I had extra time to grab a snack, relax, play with Lillie, and nurse in the lounge. We finally boarded an hour or so later and then sat on the plane for 1.5 hours waiting on our pilot. Again, it was perfect timing because it was around 11 pm and dark on the plane — all perfect conditions for her to sleep well. We landed after midnight and had the BEST reunion with my mom, dad, and niece. Although it was a 25-hour travel day from my home in Germany to my parent’s home in North Carolina, I was impressed with how well our flight and traveling went.

rainy night late flight atlanta to raleigh — Storm delay in Atlanta

infant sleeping during flight — Storm delay in Atlanta

Flying Back to Germany

I felt more confident when it came time to fly home to Germany. I switched out baby carriers and went with a lighter cloth wrap and one easier to maneuver her in and out of quickly — Sakura Ring Sling. It was seriously so convenient. The trip back home was not as easy on Lillie Belle and she didn’t sleep very well. It was pretty exhausting having three layovers again. We went from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Munich. Luckily, I didn’t have to recheck baggage anywhere, so I decided to bring a few more bags back. It was a long travel day, but we were ecstatic to reunite with my husband, Stephen, after 40 days of being apart.

sakura ring sling airport travel with infant

I was super nervous before my first international flight with an infant, but I think preparing and planning made all the difference. Was it fun and I’d do it again in a heartbeat? No. But, those are the things you have to do in order to see your loved ones or even travel the world sometimes. It’s my belief that having children shouldn’t impede your ability to do things in life; you just have to do a little more prep and travel slower.

Related Post: Read more about Lillie’s first trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany here

Extra Tips

Here are a few extra tips if you’re reading this post for information about flying with an infant…

Most people take their car seats on the plane and the baby gets their own seat. My daughter despises riding in the car seat, so I didn’t want to force her to endure that for hours on a flight. Alternatively, if flying in economy, you can request a bulkhead seat and a bassinet for your little one.

Wearing a nursing top came in so handy when I was babywearing her. It was easy to access discreetly and be able to feed her quickly without having to remove either the Boba wrap or the Sakura Ring Sling. This is the dress I wore flying to the U.S., and this is the super comfy top I wore flying back to Germany.

In my favorite diaper bag that I carried on board with us, I packed (click to follow Amazon link for specific product):