Long-haul with a 3-month-old: good idea or huge mistake?

Why we chose Air France

The first reason was simple: we wanted a nonstop flight between Paris and Toronto. For a first long-haul trip with a 3-month-old, we had absolutely no desire to add a connection, a second boarding process and another layer of logistics.

Our trip was also multi-city: Paris–Toronto outbound, then Chicago–Paris on the way home. I had enough Flying Blue miles to make that combination financially interesting. Without the miles, we probably would have looked at a cheaper option or a less ambitious itinerary.

One final, very practical detail: installment payments were available to us because I have an Air France-KLM American Express card. That is not an option included with every Air France ticket. In our case, it helped spread the cost after the arrival of our first baby.

Booking a ticket for a baby

Because our adult tickets had been booked with Flying Blue miles, we could not add our baby online. The only option offered was to call customer service. In 2026, that felt a little old-fashioned. And as someone who hates phone calls, it was not exactly my favorite part of the process.

After 55 minutes on the phone — yes, really — we had the infant ticket and bassinet-compatible seats. We chose bulkhead seats so we would not be gambling at check-in.

What we paid

Worth remembering: €974.12 is not the full value of the trip, because we also used 110,000 miles for the adult tickets.

Baggage, stroller and baby essentials

Traveling with a baby this young involves a lot more gear than traveling as an adult. A lot, a lot, a lot more. Our baby was breastfed both directly and by bottle, which added an entire layer of milk storage, cooling, warming and feeding logistics.

We kept the Cybex Orfeo 4 in the cabin inside its travel bag. Instead of rolling carry-ons, we used two backpacks and a tote bag. That made it much easier to fit everything in the overhead compartment alongside the stroller.

CDG was much smoother than we expected

We arrived at 2:35 p.m. for a 6:45 p.m. departure. Yes, very early. But with such a young baby and all our gear, we wanted to move at our own pace without watching the clock. An UberX was enough for us: we installed the Cloud G ourselves and the driver dropped us a short walk from the Air France kiosks.

Kiosk and bag drop

When an Air France agent saw us arrive with the baby and all our gear, they came over and offered help without us asking. At bag drop, a second agent confirmed that we could keep the infant car seat until the gate.

Passport control and security

We used a family line, followed by a dedicated security lane that clearly saved us time. We did not have to fold the stroller; it went through the scanner on its own. We were carrying 600 mL (20.3 fl oz) of expressed breast milk. Unlike ordinary liquids, milk for a baby is not limited to 100 mL containers. EU rules allow the quantity needed for the journey without setting a specific numerical cap, although security staff may ask to verify it. In our case, the milk and liquid infant paracetamol were screened in a machine and accepted without any argument or complication.

Once through security, we could finally relax, feed our baby and do a diaper change. The family restroom we used was spacious and well designed. The only downside was a set of stairs to reach it. With two adults we could take turns; solo, it would have been less convenient.

Boarding was fairly smooth despite the gate chaos

Boarding began a little late. Passengers quickly gathered in front of the gate and the area became somewhat chaotic. Our boarding passes showed Zone 3; traveling with a baby meant we boarded among the first Economy passengers.

The infant car seat, already packed in its protective bag, was taken for the hold. We folded the stroller and put it in its travel bag so it could stay with us in the cabin. Nobody measured it that day — which does not mean it would automatically be accepted on another flight.

Does the Orfeo 4 really fit in an aircraft overhead bin?

Our pair of seats was right next to the aircraft door. Very convenient. Our last small worry was the Cybex Orfeo 4: would it actually fit above us? That sounds like a minor detail until a rejected stroller turns your arrival into an obstacle course.

Air France allows fully folding strollers in the cabin up to 55 × 45 × 25 cm (21.7 × 17.7 × 9.8 in), subject to available space. Officially, the folded Orfeo 4 measures 52.5 × 47.5 × 15.5 cm (20.7 × 18.7 × 6.1 in), which makes it 2.5 cm (1 in) wider than Air France’s published limit. Cybex markets it as cabin-luggage compatible while also noting that airline standards vary. On AF358, it was accepted without discussion, fitted perfectly in the overhead bin and did not prevent the compartment from closing. Huge relief.

The car-seat adapters were also packed with the stroller inside its bag. They take up a little extra room, but everything still fitted. We even managed to store two backpacks and a tote bag in the same compartment. With rigid rolling carry-ons, the puzzle probably would have been harder.

The Air France bassinet was the real game changer

The bassinet was installed a few minutes after takeoff. Until then, our baby was secured to one of us using the infant belt provided by Air France. That position was not ideal for nursing, but it was manageable for that part of the flight.

The crew did not weigh or measure our baby. The bassinet felt securely attached to the bulkhead and gave us confidence. Only our baby could really review the comfort — and that feedback is not coming anytime soon. The best test is simpler: our baby slept in it for several hours. For us, that meant hours with our arms free and some genuine breathing room.

Feeding and changing the baby in flight

Our plan was to alternate nursing, bottles and naps. We brought more than we expected to need. With a baby, extra margin is useful when a bottle, feed or nap does not go to plan.

For carrying and warming expressed milk, we brought the Momcozy cooler + bottle-warmer duo. It did the job on this journey. This is not our full product review yet; that will come in a dedicated article.

Diapers, wipes and a spare outfit were grouped together in an easy-to-reach tote, so we never had to open every bag. The restroom we used had a changing table: tight, but sufficient for a quick change.

What about the parents’ comfort?

We did not sleep much. We were listening for every wake-up and waiting for the symphony of crying we had half expected. It never came. The bulkhead seats gave us a little more legroom and meant nobody could recline a seat in front of us — two small comforts that mattered.

The pockets on the front of the bassinet were very useful for keeping essentials close. Our only minor gripe was the screen being fairly far away and the headphone cable being a little short. Nothing major, but fatigue makes every small detail more noticeable.

An attentive crew — on this specific flight

The crew on this flight was excellent. Several members checked in to see how things were going and whether we needed anything. With a baby, we felt a little spoiled — maybe that was just our perception, but it definitely made the cabin feel more relaxed.

We also received a small Air France comfort toy. Very cute. We just hope it never becomes the favorite one: replacing it could involve a rather expensive flight.

Arrival in Toronto: the stroller changed everything

We were among the first passengers off and could unfold the stroller as soon as we left the aircraft. Not having to carry our baby down endless corridors while waiting for a stroller at baggage claim was a real plus. Immigration was straightforward; waiting for the checked bags was the only genuinely long part of the arrival.

The infant car seat came back intact. We cannot know whether gate-checking it helped, but being able to keep it with us until boarding was reassuring.