Flight with 7 month old

[bluebells1234]

Hello,
I am going away with my baby and partner in February and the baby will be 7 months old. We are travelling to Dubai.

am stressing about taking milk on the plane. The baby has formula. I have some powdered formula and some ready made bottles to use. Ideally, I’d like to take several bottles of ready made formula for the flights there and back. Ideally I don’t want to put the return milk in the hold as they are likely to explode (this has happened to me several times including an unfortunate event with a bottle of purple shampoo…). If I take the ready made formula in my hand luggage, will the security staff require me to open the bottles? As this would render them useless for our return flight. We are using Kendamil which my partner is sure we can just ‘pick up’ in Dubai but I’m not sure it would be the same as the UK version.

Advice welcome!

Plus any other tips for packing and flying with a 7 month old. My partner thinks we can bus/ tube across London to get to Heathrow but I think we should drive and park…?

TIA

You can order formula from boots and collect it at the airport after security. So take a small suitcase (empty) to put it all in. By the time you come back, you'll only have a small amount that I believe is exempt from the liquid restrictions.

I would seriously consider using a local taxi service to drop you off at and collect you from Heathrow. The two of you really do not want to shlep across town with a 7 month old baby and luggage using public transport, its a false economy as well as tiring. At the very least check the TFL website re the London Underground.

Use powdered formula milk on the plane and ask the crew for some hot water for each bottle feed. The flight to Dubai from Heathrow is overnight so you'll probably only need to feed a couple of times at most whilst on board. The flight back is during daylight hours.

Was in Dubai recently and did not see that particular brand of formula milk. Would suggest you pack enough powdered formula in your case for the duration of the holiday. BTW there is a Waitrose at the Dubai mall and there are plenty of branches of Carrefour; one of those is located in the Mall of the Emirates.

Readymade milk is much less common outside the UK so check what you can buy locally before relying on that. We have taken readymade Kendamil inside our hold luggage without problems - put it inside a plastic bag for secondary containment of any leakage just in case. If in carryon luggage you won’t need to open it, they just scan it with a special machine. You will need to unpack it at security.

I would also recommend taxi or driving although you may need to find a taxi with a car seat or willing to hold yours for you.