Connecting flights and baby formula

[fatfingeredfran]

Hello, I'm going to be flying long haul with my exclusively formula fed baby. Our journey involves 3 flights, and I imagine we will need to go through security for each connecting flight. We will be travelling for around 30 hours so that's a lot of formula!

If it was just 1 flight, I'd order pre-prepared formula from boots and collect once through security. However, since we have 3 flights I'm concerned that we won't be able to do this. My worry is that when we go to catch our 2nd flight that they won't let me through with it.

I was thinking I might be best taking empty sterilised bottles, powder formula and 2 empty thermos flasks (I'd fill them with boiling water once through security each time for making up bottles).

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I did it with cartons of pre made formula once and another time with a can of formula and had no issues at all. The best thing is to phone the airline for advice. I had to sterlise bottles in Milton in an airport hotel bath in Hong Kong! Was awful...baby was only 3 months but she was fine!

Fluids for babies are different to normal rules.
Youvshould gecallowed sufficient to last yoyr journey (factor in sone delays!) BUT you may be asked to taste the milk.

The problem is with the pre prepared cartons you can't open them to taste the milk as once they are open they need to be used within one hour or thrown away.

Hmm. Will need to take powdered formula and an empty thermos for that part of the trip.

@MrsOverTheRoad just to let you know Milton do sterilising bags, basically huge sandwich bags that are totally water tight and can be used on the move with a Milton tablet and cold water. Just to let you know in case you need to sterilise while travelling agin

You can take as much milk as you need for the journey - I've never had to open it, they just put it through a different machine. I'd say pre prepared is definitely the way to go but perhaps take a back up pot of formula, you'll always be able to get some boiling water and a bottle of mineral water in the airport as you transit through. I've been caught out with thermos flasks before. Because they aren't baby food and hold more than 100ml they can refuse them.

Oh and think about how you are going to wash bottles. You may need to take a small bottle of washing up liquid and one of those travel sterilisers that holds one bottle. Probably easier than carrying loads of bottles with you.

We did a connecting long haul flight with 9 month old. Ordered loads of pre made forumla bottles from boots and didn't have a problem. They put it in a zipped bag and it was fine.

Thanks for the replies.

@welshweasel do you mean a problem with an empty thermos? Or one with water? I was going to take it through empty and have it filled with boiling water once through security each time.

Yep an empty thermos. In the same way that you wouldn't be allowed to take a large shampoo bottle with only 100ml of shampoo left in it.

@welshweasel but you could take a completely empty shampoo bottle, so I'm struggling to see why you couldn't take a completely empty thermos through security? Did they really stop you taking an empty flask through?!

Yes they did! But was a while ago so things might have changed. Have also been stopped from taking a pot of rice pudding through as it didn't specifically say 'baby' rice pudding. Was told it would have been allowed if it was in a Tupperware pot though. Madness. Honestly I think the easiest way is to go with pre made bottles, then there's no issue and you won't worry about it. I've also been refused boiling water in airports before, both in costa and Starbucks.

I don't think the empty thermos would be a problem, I always take an empty 1 litre water bottle with me to fill up when I get through security and I've never been pulled up on it.

Def take back up powder formula with you. Just in case.

Re the sterilising - DH was worried those Milton bags would burst so I bought a really big Tupperware box and used that to sterilise. Used it to carry all the paraphernalia in so it came in useful for that too. Yes - take washing up liquid and a bottle brush and a couple of clean teatowels.

And yes we were refused boiling water a few times too.

Take cartons/bottles of made up formula. They will not ask you to open it to taste! Done it several times now with my baby.....not a problem x

Thanks folks!

@welshweasel omg that's madness!

Can't make bottles in advance as would need to store them in a fridge until use, can't use boiling water off the plane as it's boiled multiple times and can't use cold water to make bottles as it needs to be above 70 degrees to kill bugs in he milk!!

so I guess I'll take the pre-made cartons for collection at Heathrow and hope they let me through security at the next airport, and will also take back up powder formula and an empty thermos just in case and hope they let me through with one or the other.

Yes will pack a bottle brush and small bottle of fairy, and either a Tupperware tub or the sterilising bags plus Milton tablets.

Thanks folks xx

Hi, i was never made to taste the baby food. Re the bottles i took sterilised bottles and the powder, the airport cafe's/airline stewards provided me boiling water to make the bottles, i replicated the perfect prep machine in that i used about 2oz boiling water, made the formula then topped up with bottled spring water to cool it down to drinkable temperature.

I took enough empty bottles to decant the milk into out if the cartons if I was asked to taste it at the connecting airports. Which I was. I once had to open and taste twelve cartons. I was there for ages.

I also took an empty tommee tippee bottle warming flask through and that was fine, filled it up with boiling water on the plane (so i had it at my seat to make the breakfast bottle)

we have travelled in June this year and we have 2 children. I had a small bottle of water in my hand when going through security. I said to the man I will bin it, he said no no it is for the kids you keep it. So you maybe ok. Also to add you can buy pre-sterilised single use bottles I think it is amazon and boots do them. Which you can then throw away after use. May help not having to carry loads of bottle with you.

We travelled last year on a 3 plane trip and had no problems taking the quantity of ready made formula through. They test the ready made formula in a machine without opening it. The main thing they want to see is the baby. I was particularly knackered after one flight and sat down at the chairs with baby while dh queued for the nappy bag and contents but they wouldn't test or hand it over until they'd seen the baby. In some countries they just checked we had a baby and asked how long our total travel time was (28 hrs).

I took bottled formula - you have to get it out at security and they scan it in a machine. All done. I took four in hand luggage without any issues.