Flying with a baby in Australia is far easier than it looks once you know three things: a compact stroller can come into the cabin only if it folds within the carry-on limits, your car seat almost certainly cannot be used in the air without the airline’s approval, and feeding on take-off and landing is the simplest way to protect small ears. Here is what to check, what to hire and what to pack, with the travel gear we researched for Australian parents.
The short answer
Qantas allows one cabin bag up to 56 × 36 × 23 cm and 7 kg; Jetstar’s standard allowance is 7 kg in total. A stroller that folds inside those limits can travel in the overhead locker as your carry-on, but most prams are gate-checked instead, free, when you travel with an infant. An Australian AS/NZS 1754 car seat cannot be used on board unless the airline specifically approves it, so hire a capsule or seat at your destination or check your own as baggage. Feed or offer a dummy as the plane climbs and descends.
Can I take my pram on the plane?
Yes, and on Australian airlines a collapsible pram or stroller is carried free in addition to your baggage allowance when you are travelling with an infant or child. There are two ways to do it.
In the cabin. Only a genuinely compact travel stroller qualifies. Qantas’s carry-on limit for a standard bag is 56 × 36 × 23 cm and 7 kg, so the stroller must fold within those dimensions and weigh under 7 kg, and it then counts as your cabin bag. Jetstar’s basic allowance is 7 kg across everything you bring on, with larger allowances available for a fee. Crew can still ask you to check it at the aircraft door if the lockers are full, so put a luggage tag on it and keep the bag it came in.
Gate-checked. Any larger pram, travel system or capsule-on-frame is checked at check-in or at the gate. Gate-checking lets you push your baby through security and the terminal, hand the pram over at the aircraft door and collect it on the air bridge or at the carousel. Whether you can take it to the gate, and where you collect it, differs between Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex, so confirm when you book the infant fare. Fold and bag it if you can.
Britax Flylite Travel Stroller
The Flylite is the pick if you want a stroller in the locker rather than the hold: it folds to a cabin-size package, weighs under the 7 kg limit and is compatible with Britax capsules, so a newborn can ride in the capsule and the frame comes on board. Australian brand, AS/NZS 2088 compliant, mid-range band.
Who it’s for: frequent flyers and parents who want to arrive with the pram, not wait for it at the carousel.
Check price on Amazon.com.auBaby Jogger City Tour 2
A compact fold that stands on its own, a near-flat recline that makes it newborn-ready without a capsule, and a proper sun canopy for Australian summers. It sits at the upper edge of cabin dimensions on some airlines, so treat it as a gate-check stroller and check the folded size against your airline’s limit. Mid-range to premium band.
Who it’s for: parents who want one compact pram for the airport and the whole holiday, from birth.
Check price on Amazon.com.auBABY JOY Lightweight Travel Stroller
A budget-band umbrella-style stroller that folds small, weighs little and prints its AS/NZS 2088 compliance on the listing. It is a six-months-plus seat without a lie-flat recline, which makes it a sensible second pram for a holiday with an older baby when you would rather not risk the main pram in the hold.
Who it’s for: a cheap travel-only stroller for a baby who sits well.
Check price on Amazon.com.auCar seats and capsules: in the air and at the other end
Babies under two fly on a parent’s lap with an infant seatbelt that loops through yours, or in their own paid seat. Using a car seat on board sounds safer, but Australian child restraints certified to AS/NZS 1754 rely on a top tether and are not, as a rule, approved for aircraft seats. Qantas and the other Australian carriers publish lists of the specific restraints they accept and may require you to show the approval label, so check the airline’s policy before you buy a seat for your baby. Do not assume a seat that is legal in the car will be allowed on the plane.
The bigger question is the destination. The moment you get into a hire car, a rideshare or a relative’s car, your baby needs a correctly fitted AS/NZS 1754 restraint; the taxi exemptions in some states do not make the trip safe. You have three options: check your own seat or capsule as baggage (Australian airlines carry a child restraint free with an infant fare), hire a capsule or convertible seat from a baby-equipment hire company at your destination and have it fitted, or add a seat to a hire-car booking and inspect the fitting yourself. Hire seats vary in age and condition, so check for an Australian standards label, an intact harness and no visible damage before you drive off. Our car seat rules by age guide explains what is legal in each state.
Ears, feeding and settling on board
Babies cannot equalise ear pressure on purpose, so the usual advice is to feed during the climb and especially the descent, when pressure changes fastest. Breastfeeding, a bottle or a dummy all work because it is the sucking and swallowing that helps. Ask the crew to let you know when descent begins rather than waiting for the seatbelt sign. If your baby has had a recent cold or ear infection, talk to your GP before you fly.
For sleep, a familiar cue helps more than any gadget. A small clip-on white-noise machine at low volume, kept at arm’s length rather than beside your baby’s ear, covers engine drone and announcements, and is just as useful in a hotel room. Book a bulkhead bassinet on longer flights if your baby is within the airline’s size and weight limit.
myBaby SoundSpa On-the-Go
A palm-sized battery-powered sound machine that clips to a pram, capsule or carry-on strap, with a handful of white-noise and nature sounds and a timer. It is the cheapest portable option we found and small enough to live in the nappy bag. Keep the volume low and the unit away from your baby’s head.
Who it’s for: babies who sleep to white noise at home and will need the same cue in the cabin and the hotel.
Check price on Amazon.com.auWhat to pack in the cabin bag
- Nappies and wipes: one nappy per hour of travel plus three spares, wipes, a fold-out change mat and nappy bags. Aircraft change tables are small and often unlined.
- Clothes: two full changes for your baby and a spare top for you, in zip bags so the dirty ones can be sealed.
- Feeds: expressed milk, formula and baby food are exempt from the liquid limits on Australian flights in reasonable quantities for the journey, but declare them at screening. Take more than you expect to need in case of delays.
- Comfort: a dummy if your baby uses one, a thin muslin for shade and spills, a familiar sleeping bag in the right TOG, and one or two clip-on toys rather than a bag of them. A soft pram toy such as the Lamaze Captain Calamari clips to the seat-back tray and does not roll under the seats. See it on Amazon.com.au
- For you: a baby carrier for the airport and the aisle, a water bottle, one-handed snacks, and your baby’s Medicare card and any medication.
Booking tips that make the day easier
Book the first flight of the day, which is least likely to be delayed, and request a bassinet or bulkhead row when you book rather than at the airport. Add the infant fare early so the pram and car seat allowances attach to your booking. Arrive earlier than you would alone: gate-checking a pram and screening milk both take extra minutes. On arrival, change your baby before you collect bags.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my pram on a plane in Australia for free?
Yes. Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex all carry a collapsible pram or stroller free when you travel with an infant, in addition to your baggage allowance. Large prams are checked in or gate-checked; only a compact stroller that folds within the carry-on size and weight limits can go in the overhead locker, and it then counts as your cabin bag.
Can I use my Australian car seat on the plane?
Usually not. Car seats certified to AS/NZS 1754 rely on a top tether and are not generally approved for use on aircraft. Australian airlines accept only specific restraints on their approved lists and may ask to see the approval label. Check your airline’s policy before you book a seat for your baby, and plan to use a lap belt or an approved restraint instead.
Does my baby need their own seat on a domestic flight?
No. Children under two can fly on an adult’s lap with an infant seatbelt on an infant fare. You can buy a separate seat if you prefer, but you will need an airline-approved restraint to use it, because an unrestrained baby cannot sit in an aircraft seat alone during take-off and landing.
How do I stop my baby’s ears hurting on take-off and landing?
Feed your baby, offer a bottle or give them a dummy as the plane climbs and again as it descends. Sucking and swallowing help equalise the pressure in the ears. Ask the crew to tell you when descent begins. If your baby has a cold or a recent ear infection, check with your GP before flying.
Can I bring breast milk or formula through airport security in Australia?
Yes. Breast milk, formula and baby food in reasonable quantities for the journey are exempt from the liquid, aerosol and gel limits on Australian flights. Keep them accessible, declare them at screening and expect them to be inspected. Powdered formula and sealed ready-to-feed formula are the easiest to carry.
Related guides: choosing the pram itself? See our picks for the best prams and travel strollers in Australia, the best car seats and capsules, and our babywearing safety guide for the airport.
