Specifically for the flight, keep your huge diaper bag in the overhead bin. Put a few diapers, a small wipes container, a receiving blanket, and an extra onsie in a gallon size ziplock to store the seat pocket and use that to change diapers. If it needs refilling, get into the big diaper bag then. I've never flown business, but airplane bathrooms are tiny and changing diapers in them is miserable - taking almost nothing with you helps immensly.

Ignore the posters who say you have no right to be in business class. The only entrance criteria is your ticket. I will echo the posters that say your baby might be more comfortable in their own seat, which even in coach, if it's two across will give you privacy. If you can afford two business class seats, make sure the configuration allows you to reach over easily. You know your baby best, though. For research: https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/airline-bassinet-seat-guide/

I remember flying overseas with our daughter and we had a bulkhead seat with the bassinette. She stayed in there for probably tops 1/2 hour the entire flight. She insisted on being held. My husband and I took turns so we could eat, use the bathroom, etc.

So I agree that it's worth considering getting a seat so you can clip in the carseat.

Frequent flier and mom here. I did several long-haul flights with my baby (although she was younger then, around 2-3 months) and have also had the experience of being the non-parent in business class around babies.

- Keeping the ears comfortable is the name of the game. Pacifier, breast, bottle, whatever baby likes to suckle on -- have it in the mouth for takeoff and landing.

- Get baby their own seat and use the car seat. It is 100% worth the extra money. You can contain them and imo they are more likely to sleep, and it is more comfortable for the parents. (With our now-2yo we use a CARES harness, but up until 2 we always did a separate seat with car seat, even when she was a newborn.)

- You may be surprised by how friendly the crew and other passengers are! I was dreading being the mom with a baby in business, but the flight attendants were all very friendly and helpful. Fellow passengers, particularly older ladies but even middle-aged businessmen, were also helpful (picking up stuff I had dropped, etc.).

- Don't be afraid to walk the aisles or bounce the baby if you have to. (Of course, you'll have to wear your mask in these crazy times, but you're doing that regardless.)

- Throw the schedule out the window. Unlimited snacks, milk, screen time and indulgent entertainment are fine by me on a flight.

- This may be more appropriate for older kids who care about toys (vs. a 5-month-old) but have NEW stuff to entertain, even if it's just stacking plastic cups.

- Try to fly as minimalist as possible. People will forgive a crying baby because there's nothing you can do but -- especially in grumpy COVID times -- fellow passengers will be highly annoyed by someone hauling their caravan of kid gear and smacking them in the face with their bulky diaper bag, etc. Baby carriers are your friend, as are foldable strollers like the Nano Mountain Buggy (which actually fits in the overhead).

Overall, it will probably not be as bad as you think! Planes provide wonderful white noise and new stuff to look at, and people honestly feel sorry for moms with babies traveling on their own, in my experience. 5 months is a good age because they are not mobile. And if it goes wrong -- you will NEVER see those people again!

Anonymous wrote:Don’t give it a second thought. Enjoy the extra space and customer service. I flew internationally on long hauls with my baby (precovid) solo 3 times before he turned 1. If I could afford business I’d do it in a heartbeat every time. Have a great flight!

Thanks PP. Would love to hear any tips you have on managing long haul flights solo

Anonymous wrote:Get baby a seat with a car seat for safety.

This.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is not what you want to hear, but take it from a single mom: the people around you paid a LOT of money (or points) to have space and QUIET in business class. Please do not bring your baby, who may sleep like a champ or may cry inconsolably and uncontrollably for hours, into business class on an international flight.

Before I became a mom, I used to travel halfway around the world all the time for work and we flew business class. Comfort plus total peace and quiet. This summer I took my kids, who are older now, to Italy, and a family with young kids (maybe 5-8YO?) were in business class and the kids had piles of toys/activities. I thought that was fine because the kids were big enough to behave properly.

Granted, I have traveled with an infant, and even with an infant and toddler only across the country but never overseas, so you can say I do not know what I am talking about. And of course, you are paying for your seat, too.

Your question specifically was about etiquette. You already know to say, "I am so sorry my baby is screaming," but do you really think that's enough?

Mom here who pre-Covid pretty much only travelled business class and it's FINE. Ignore this PP. You pay for the seat, you and the baby are allowed to sit there. For the most part, crying babies are drowned out by ambient noise anyway, and if someone is in business class, it means they travel A LOT and have seen and heard anything. Plus, we have noise canceling headphones and for the most part, have a routine on the airplane and a crying baby won't bother us. I put in headphones and sleep in the mornings and in the evenings, I usually watch a movie. You'll be fine, and will be SO MUCH more comfortable. Wish you all the best!

p.s. if you don't want to do business class, make sure you pay extra for a bulkhead seat with bassinet. It's amazing.

So, here’s the thing. I’ve also flown numerous times (pre-Covid) with young children in business class - we live overseas. You will encounter people like the “People paid a lot of money for quiet” poster. Just go into it knowing there might be a grumpy “business” traveler, smile and remind yourself that you and your baby have every right to be there. In my experience the flight attendants will be kind to you and annoyed at the “someone dares to make noise in my cabin” passenger.

Get baby a seat with a car seat for safety.

Don’t give it a second thought. Enjoy the extra space and customer service. I flew internationally on long hauls with my baby (precovid) solo 3 times before he turned 1. If I could afford business I’d do it in a heartbeat every time. Have a great flight!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you getting a seat for your infant?

OP here - no, I am planning to use the bulkhead bassinet for the baby.

Thanks to other PPs for their responses. I'm feeling better about this decision!

This is not a good plan. You will want to have your diaper bag handy during the flight, not in the overhead bin. You won’t be able to do that with the bulkhead seat because there’s no seat in front of you to put it under.

WTF, PP? She can tuck it under the front of her seat. The bulkhead seat with bassinet is specifically FOR BABIES. Haven't you ever traveled internationally before?

OP - do they have bassinets in business class? I've never seen that before.

Not on most planes, and definitely not if the flight attendant is strict about keeping the floor clear.

Do you know how many storage compartments there are in business class seating? On the side there is plenty of room for some diapers/wipes/changes of clothing. She doesn’t need to keep it in front. Plus, OP will probably not have anyone blocking her aisle access to get to the overhead.

The aisle doesn’t help much if there’s turbulence so that you can’t get up to access the overhead bin and you can’t put the baby in the bassinet (technically not allowed when the fasten seatbelt light is on).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you getting a seat for your infant?

OP here - no, I am planning to use the bulkhead bassinet for the baby.

Thanks to other PPs for their responses. I'm feeling better about this decision!

This is not a good plan. You will want to have your diaper bag handy during the flight, not in the overhead bin. You won’t be able to do that with the bulkhead seat because there’s no seat in front of you to put it under.

WTF, PP? She can tuck it under the front of her seat. The bulkhead seat with bassinet is specifically FOR BABIES. Haven't you ever traveled internationally before?

OP - do they have bassinets in business class? I've never seen that before.

Not on most planes, and definitely not if the flight attendant is strict about keeping the floor clear.

Do you know how many storage compartments there are in business class seating? On the side there is plenty of room for some diapers/wipes/changes of clothing. She doesn’t need to keep it in front. Plus, OP will probably not have anyone blocking her aisle access to get to the overhead.

Not necessarily in business class, it depends on the airline. If we were talking about first, sure, but not business.

Don't get hung up on etiquette here. If you can afford it and want to do it, do so. We've travelled into business class with two kids ranging between 8 months and 10 years and it has never once been an issue with another passenger or the crew. I've also been the other business class passenger with families or single parents dealing with a fussy baby - it's really not an issue. Most of the folks in business class have families of their own and fully understand.

FWIW, I'd get the bassinet, but it does depend a bit on which airline you're flying and the set up of their cabin. Some in a 1-2-1 configuration have wide enough seats (SQ, for example) that there's enough space beside you to easily hang-out with a baby, up to toddler age. Others (such as herringbone configurations) have plenty of legroom, but not as much overall space.

The extra seat idea is great if you can afford it and if the cabin layout makes it worthwhile - but a lot of modern business class cabins have lots of separation between seats which can make it more of a hinderance. We liked having an extra seat (in whatever class) and then bring along a car seat to keep a wriggly child under control and to cue them that this is a time to chill out and go to sleep, not to go exploring.

In the end, flying with a baby is tough - you do whatever makes it work for both of you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you getting a seat for your infant?

OP here - no, I am planning to use the bulkhead bassinet for the baby.

Thanks to other PPs for their responses. I'm feeling better about this decision!

This is not a good plan. You will want to have your diaper bag handy during the flight, not in the overhead bin. You won’t be able to do that with the bulkhead seat because there’s no seat in front of you to put it under.

WTF, PP? She can tuck it under the front of her seat. The bulkhead seat with bassinet is specifically FOR BABIES. Haven't you ever traveled internationally before?

OP - do they have bassinets in business class? I've never seen that before.

Not on most planes, and definitely not if the flight attendant is strict about keeping the floor clear.

Do you know how many storage compartments there are in business class seating? On the side there is plenty of room for some diapers/wipes/changes of clothing. She doesn’t need to keep it in front. Plus, OP will probably not have anyone blocking her aisle access to get to the overhead.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you getting a seat for your infant?

OP here - no, I am planning to use the bulkhead bassinet for the baby.

Thanks to other PPs for their responses. I'm feeling better about this decision!

This is not a good plan. You will want to have your diaper bag handy during the flight, not in the overhead bin. You won’t be able to do that with the bulkhead seat because there’s no seat in front of you to put it under.

WTF, PP? She can tuck it under the front of her seat. The bulkhead seat with bassinet is specifically FOR BABIES. Haven't you ever traveled internationally before?

OP - do they have bassinets in business class? I've never seen that before.

Not on most planes, and definitely not if the flight attendant is strict about keeping the floor clear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you getting a seat for your infant?

OP here - no, I am planning to use the bulkhead bassinet for the baby.

Thanks to other PPs for their responses. I'm feeling better about this decision!

This is not a good plan. You will want to have your diaper bag handy during the flight, not in the overhead bin. You won’t be able to do that with the bulkhead seat because there’s no seat in front of you to put it under.

WTF, PP? She can tuck it under the front of her seat. The bulkhead seat with bassinet is specifically FOR BABIES. Haven't you ever traveled internationally before?

OP - do they have bassinets in business class? I've never seen that before.