Air Travel Requirements and Baby Snacks

If you put something in a container other than what it comes in, you may not get it through. You can ask your airline or the airport about baby food containers.
Plenty of the airport vendors sell juice and milk (I believe there is Starbucks at the airport and they carry whole juice and organic milk), and you can get juice on the plane. However, when you're travelling, you might need to "suspend" or modify your eating standards for the trip. It won't hurt him to have 2 percent milk for a day (and certainly not for one meal). He'll also be fine with "sub-par" juice or snacks in the airports and on the plane. If you can take food purchased at the airport onto the plane, do it. I was stuck on a runway with a 14-month-old for 2 hours once and I was very glad I'd brought those snacks on board. I was also glad I had a few new toys tucked away in the diaper bag.
Do what you need to do to have a pleasant trip despite the new restrictions. The other people on the plane won't care if he's drinking 100% juice or not. They will only care whether he's quiet.
And remember that you can purchase your regular drinks and snacks at a grocery or convenience store once you arrive at your destination (we usually plan for a grocery run when we make our travel budget).
Have a great trip!

1 mom found this helpful

I always just ask the flight attendants to put a little juice in a sippy cup for me when I board the plane. No one has ever had an issue with it!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J.,

I have a 14 month old who we just traveled to NJ with for a funeral in early January. I brought whole milk in a sippy cup and they did not take it. I'm not sure about juice. I think they are pretty lenient with anything in a diaper bag. Not sure they know the difference between mixed formula and milk.

Take milk only and if they ask say its formula. We traveled with my 16 month old over Christmas and I wasn't even thinking ahead about these regulations even though my husband travels frequently. When we went through security with a sippy cup full of milk, we were fortunate enough to have a common sense TSA guy (a rare find) and he said this is formula, right?
We said, yeah, formula. No more questions asked. Have fun!

I agree it depends on the security agent at the moment. I flew the week after the liquid requirements originally went in, forgot about them and packed DD's entire survival kit in the backpack -- all her medicines, lotions, toothpaste, baby soap, everything. The male security guard wanted to look through the kit, of course, saw nothing but baby-sized items, and immediately called over a female guard. She flipped through everything and picked out the cheapest two items -- travel sizes of Johnson's baby shampoo and lotion -- to 'confiscate' and cleared everything else. The prescription meds, the bottles of baby Tylenol, all that -- in bigger bottles -- was cleared. It was like they felt like they had to take something but wanted to be as cheap an inconvenience as possible, and the male felt like he needed a mom's perspective to make that call.

I didn't say anything but mentally blessed them several times on that trip. On the way back, needless to say, all that stuff went in the suitcase!

I just flew ... the greber juices should be fine in a 1 quart plastic bag AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FIT. good luck, and note some are more strict than others burbank tried to take away my formula and water until i put them back in thier place.

How about getting apple juice on the plane???

Roopa H has gotten very lucky because I have flown at least 4 times with my son since the liquid crack down and was only able to sneak juice past the security guard ONCE and that's only because he didn't see it on the x-ray.

Every airport is different, and every checker is different. One time, I was told no juice but milk was OK, another time I was told no to both.

Here's what I do: I dump out the sippy cup at check-out, fill it up at the water fountain until we board, beg a flight attendant to put some apple juice in it as soon as we board (BEFORE we take off) and hope for the best.

One of the other posters is right -- don't fret if your child gets 2% milk or not 100% juice. It's temporary and your child likely won't even notice.

If you don't mind paying an arm and a leg for juice or milk, then buy it after you pass security. I never do and we've managed to survive A LOT of flying. I have a VERY active 2 year old boy whose birthday was yesterday, so we flew A LOT while he was still free.

I pack a lot of different types of snacks, a book, a Ty sized animal, a toy and his sippy. Put a NEW toy in there. That will help hold their interest. Those happy meal toys are good for airplane toys.

Oh, if you're flying Southwest, try REALLY hard to get bulkhead seating (that's the first row with the wall in front of you). It provides more room for a wiggly baby who is deadset against sitting and instead wants to explore.

I flew with my 18 month old to FL last weekend on American. They allowed me to take 2 sippy cups with about 8 oz each of milk and of diluted juice. As I was going through security I simply told them I had 2 sippys for my son and they had me remove them from my bag before going through x-ray for inspection. Basically, I declared it. The small bottle of water that I forgot about in my bag was confiscated. Also, I carried on other snacks, but nothing liquid or pureed in form. No problems for us!

I flew with my DD in November and I had no problems with taking juice and milkin her sippy cups. I filled 3 sippy cups - 2 with milk and one with juice and I also took snacks and they allowed me to go through with them. As long as they see it is for a child they are okay. However you must tell them you have liquids before check-in at security.

R.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm

Try this website...

You can for sure buy water after security. I am pretty certain we bought 100% apple juice at Starbucks in the airport for my girls to share. Since it is not the whole trip-- just the flight--perhaps you might need to be a little flexible on juice or 2% milk?

we traveled in december and what i understood was 3 ounces per container. we had a sippy cup and carried it on just fine ... but they had 100% apple juice on board the plane, too, so we just got that and some water to go halvsies.

I have traveled several times now with my 2 yr old since these rules were enacted. At Love Field, I was able to walk through security with a sippy of milk with no problem. I think if I had had more than 3 oz it would have been an issue. I'm not sure if DFW would allow the same since I didn't try it there but I did buy milk at one place after passing through security and just took it on board with me. Nobody checks your bags again once you pass security. The planes do not have milk on board so you will need to bring/buy it before hand. If it's not whole milk don't sweat it. I would avoid non-diluted juice though -- especially on a longer flight -- since it can (and does in my son's case) cause them to poo or get diarrhea.

Regarding food, nobody measured the sizes of what I brought. I really don't think they care as much about food. I've brought cans of those Gerber foods (stews, pasta, whatever they sere I can't remember) and nobody cared. I put snacks (and lots and lots of them) in ziplock baggies. I also brought fruit in my bag. We've had no isssues.