Travel Q&A: Flying with a baby

Taking a flight with infant

Q: I need to take my 4-month-old baby on a cross-country flight to visit her grandparents. She'll undoubtedly cry, make bad smells, etc. What can I do to avoid the other passengers' wrath? Is it rude to even attempt this?

A: Some people seem to think no child under 10 should be allowed to fly — that's crazy. I suspect they'll feel differently someday when their grandchildren live 3,000 miles away.

The flying public needs to cut small children some major slack. I'm not talking about ill-behaved older kids — the seat-kickers, the ones who throw tantrums because they can't use their iPod during takeoff, etc. Babies, however, can't help being ... babies. If anybody gives you a hard time for bringing a baby on a plane, they're the rude people.

You should, however, do your best to make your daughter happy and comfortable on the plane. If she gets fussy after dinner, fly earlier. Aisle seats allow quick diaper-changing getaways. Bring toys (but not noisy toys). Avoid the redeye flights.

If she does have a bad flight and others seem bothered, be the bigger person and apologize. Recognizing that someone's annoyed and saying "I'm sorry" goes a long way — even if you can't change why they're angry.