Taking baby formula on a plane? There’s plenty to juggle when you are about to take a baby on a flight of any length, but if you need to organise baby formula on a plane, you’ll probably have quite a few questions the first time you do it.

Tips for making baby formula on a plane

  1. Getting pre-made bottles passed security is less of a problem than you’d think.
    Try not to worry about limits of baby formula on airlines: you would be very unlucky to have a problem when you are trying to take baby formula on a plane. The general rule is really that anything to do with a baby’s food or drink or medication options is exempt from the rules about liquids.  Of course, to be sure, just check with your airline in advance.
  2. Flight attendants can heat up bottled milk or baby formula for you during the flight.
    If you are using bottles of formula, most airlines are pretty good at letting you store it in the fridge; they’ll also heat up bottles for you. Just ask when you board and let them know you’ll be needing their help. Be aware though, it can take a long time for the bottles to heat up (15 minutes plus), so you need to plan in advance and get the flight attendant on the job early.
  3. Taking bottles of sterilised water may be helpful.
    If your baby is still needing sterilised water in its formula (typical for the first six months, but not necessarily after that), you can buy water specifically for this job.
  4. Consider portable/disposable pre-sterilised bags.
    There are pre-sterilised milk storage bags that can be attached to a teat, turning the bag into a portable/disposable bottle. There are also handy littlefunnels available to assist pouring contents into the bag without any spillage. It’s a good option that allows you to prepare the formula in advance (doubly useful if your baby will take it at room temperature) and saves the issue of washing and sterilising things in flight.