For the first two years of her life, my daughter took six trips. Before she turned one, she flew with me to Winnipeg and Edmonton. In the summer, my husband and I took her to France. We also did a quick trip to Penticton. After she turned one, we took her to Vancouver, and I took her again to Winnipeg. Travelling with an infant who has not yet started walking is much easier than travelling with a toddler. If you can swing it, fly with your baby before she gets too mobile.
We flew mostly with Air Canada because I had Aeroplan points to use. Living in a more isolated community, points flights are great because they are usually from your current location to your destination, inclusive of connections. If we had to pay for our flights, we would fly from Toronto, forgoing the expensive Sudbury-Toronto leg. With a points flight, you can fly from Sudbury to Winnipeg with the connection in Toronto for the same number of points as flying from Toronto directly.
Another benefit of using points is being able to have an extra stopover. When we went to Edmonton, we had a stopover (of a week) in Winnipeg for the same number of points as just flying to Edmonton round trip. If you have the time, the friends and the energy, try to combine your trips to economize on points.
Air Canada allows you to bring an extra item if you travel with your infant on your lap. When travelling alone with my daughter, I was able to bring her stroller (which was too big to carry on), her car seat and one suitcase with both our clothes. When my husband travelled with us, we were able to bring along her co sleeper (mini playpen) too (because each adult gets two pieces). If you have a smaller umbrella stroller, you can bring it to the gate, and it doesn't count towards your carry on total.
If you are going on a longer flight, such as overseas, you might want to try to get the bulkhead seats. We were able to get bulkhead seats for our trip to France, and our daughter slept in the bassinet during the flight. This also made eating meals on the plane a lot easier because neither of us had to hold my daughter while the other was eating.International flights are not free for infants, but cost 10% of what you paid for an adult fare. So, if you can get your flight on sale, it will cost less for your child's ticket. Keep in mind, if your child has his second birthday while you are away on an international vacation, you will have to buy a seat for the return flight.
Depending on where you are travelling, you might want to invest in a portable playpen for baby to sleep in at your destination. Some hotels do provide playpens, and if you are visiting family or friends with children the same age as yours, you might not have to worry about bringing this extra piece of luggage. You can also improvise. We had a hotel room with a trundle bed, and we put it between our bed and the wall, so our daughter wouldn't fall on the floor.
Get a good baby carrier. A Baby Bjorn (or any pliable carrier) is a great thing to bring along. It doesn't take up much luggage space, and it allows you to carry your child and keeps your hands free.
Depending where you go, a stroller may or may not be convenient. In Paris, we had to fold up the stroller and carry it down the escalators to access the subway. On the other hand, we probably used every elevator in the Louvre (some of them just to get up five steps!). Also, we were often given priority in lineups because we had the stroller (or maybe just the baby). Certain cities don't have roads conducive to strollers (cobblestone, gravel), but a stroller might give you a break over carrying your baby everywhere.
Travelling with children is not impossible, it just takes some adjustment. My parents travelled with me as an infant, and then with me and my brother. We often took trips to visit their families out of country. It is all about how flexible you are willing to be. Just go with the flow, and make sure you bring as many of your convenient baby gear as you can :).
Check out the Air Canada website for more information. Remember, airline regualtions are constantly changing, so make sure you are up to date.
http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/before/youngtravellers/infant-child.html
One extra note, if you are leaving Paris from Charle de Gaulle Airport, make sure you are on the right side. There is a check in for flights going to other European countries, and another side for more international flight (i.e. flights back to Canada). We got stuck in a very long line and missed our flight home (despite arriving at the airport with time to spare). We had to spend another day in Paris. This could have been okay if we weren't so fed up about missing the flight. We were near the airport, and should have checked out the little town (Roissy) nearby instead of paying a ridulous amount for our food at the hotel.
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