How to Request Special Assistance. A Real Guide When Flying with a Newborn: Special Assistance, Tips and Real Experience.

Flying with a one-month-old baby for the first time? Here’s my real experience, including how to request special assistance at the airport and practical tips for traveling with a newborn.

Traveling with a newborn on a plane can seem like a daunting undertaking, especially when it's the first flight with a one-month-old baby. Between doubts, fears, packing, and a thousand questions about what to bring, how to manage breastfeeding, diaper changes, and takeoff, traveling with a newborn definitely requires some organization.

In this article, I'll share my experience of my first plane ride with a one-month-old baby , sharing emotions, practical advice, and helpful tips for navigating the flight with greater peace of mind. Because yes, flying with a newborn is possible , even when they're still very young: you just need to prepare properly and know what to expect.

From choosing a flight to packing your carry-on luggage, from the necessary documents to the more delicate moments like takeoff and landing (where you must always ensure suction, whether from the breast, a bottle, or a pacifier) , here's everything I wish I'd known before leaving for my first flight with a newborn.

Newborn on a plane: what to know before the first flight .

There's a specific moment when you realize that traveling with a newborn will change the way you travel forever.

For me, it was 3:17 a.m. , while I was trying to close a suitcase with one hand and with the other holding my sleeping daughter on my chest, who refused to be left alone in her crib. She had just turned one month old, breathing softly, very lightly, with that fragility that changes the way you look at the world.

For years, I took flights naturally, like someone who knows airports better than the streets of my hometown. Then she came along. And even a simple Bari-Milan flight on EasyJet became a small emotional and logistical expedition.

I was afraid of everything: the waits, the security checks, the stroller, the crying in the cabin, the stares of the other passengers. Above all, I dreaded that feeling of having to fend for myself.

But no.

Requesting Special Assistance: The Detail That Changes Everything

The first surprise arrived while booking the flight on the official easyJet website. In the "Manage Booking - Special Assistance" section , you can request special assistance for passengers with reduced mobility or special needs. The exact procedure is:

easyJet – Travelling with an infant

I filled out the application, indicating that I would be traveling alone with a one-month-old baby and a stroller. Within minutes, I received confirmation of airport assistance. A simple procedure, but one that—as a new mother—really meant one thing: feeling empowered to ask for help.

Bari, where the journey truly begins

I arrived at Bari's Karol Wojtyła Airport much earlier than expected, as often happens to parents embarking on their first flight with a newborn . My parents were with me, coming to accompany us on this small, big departure.

Yet, as soon as I entered the departures area of Bari airport , something immediately eased the tension: the staff dedicated to special assistance at the airport, PRM, was already waiting for me.

For those travelling with very young children, infants or passengers who need support, Bari Palese Airport offers an assistance service regulated by European standards for PRM passengers, Persons with Reduced Mobility , and managed by Aeroporti di Puglia .

At that moment, I realized that traveling with a newborn didn't necessarily mean being alone when it came to organizing the trip. Sometimes, all it takes is finding the right people, in the right place, to transform the anxiety of departure into a little confidence.

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Service area	What is expected	Where / When
PRM assistance booking	The passenger indicates his/her needs when booking the flight or through a travel agency.	At least 48 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Transmission of the request	The airline forwards the request to Aeroporti di Puglia or to the departure airport	After booking the service.
Dedicated call points	Intercom stations for requesting assistance at the airport.	At the dedicated points of the airport.
Reserved parking spaces	Parking spaces reserved for passengers with mobility needs.	Dedicated parking areas.
Tactile paths	Routes designed to help blind or visually impaired people find their way around.	Inside the airport areas.
Airport reception	Passenger pick-up from the point of arrival at the airport.	Parking, bus stop or other access points to the airport.
Accompaniment to check-in	Support with flight acceptance and registration procedures.	Check-in area.
Assistance with security checks	Accompaniment and support during checks.	Security area.
Escorting to boarding	Support up to the aircraft and, if necessary, up to your seat on the aircraft.	Gate, boarding area and aircraft cabin.
Disembarkation assistance	Escorting from the aircraft to the baggage claim area.	Upon arrival of the flight.
Baggage claim and exit	Support up to the baggage hall and exit from the airport.	Arrivals area.
Last-minute request	The service is guaranteed even without advance booking.	At the airport, but with possible longer waiting times.
Waiting times for booked passengers	The goal is to assist 80% of booked passengers within 5 minutes of the request.	For requests made correctly with advance notice.
Email contact	Dedicated address for PRM information.	prm@aeroportidipuglia.it
Official information	Puglia Airports' "Special Assistance" page.	Official website of Puglia Airports.
Passenger rights	Information and protections provided by ENAC.	ENAC website, “Passenger Rights” section.

Special Assistance Information – Puglia Airports

At the security checkpoint at Bari Airport , a special assistance officer accompanied me every step of the way: luggage, documents, stroller, coat, and even the baby in my arms when I needed two free hands.

No rush, no airport impersonality. Just calm, kind, almost maternal professionalism.

During security checks, they explained to me how to handle baby formula on the plane , liquids, and folding the stroller. I had a 500 ml carton, and with EasyJet , you can bring up to 5 liters of milk. Then they accompanied me to the gate, where I could wait for my flight without the anxiety of moving alone with a trolley, a changing bag, and a newborn in my arms.

From the gate to the plane (up to the seat) you get, if not connected to the arm, with a freight elevator-style car in which the person using the service can sit together with the caregiver if necessary.

For those traveling with a newborn or needing assistance, special assistance at the airport also includes a dedicated vehicle, similar to a freight elevator, with seats for the passenger and caregiver: they accompany you to your seat on the plane and, upon arrival, the staff at the destination airport will come and pick you up directly on board.

Here are all the services available at PUGLIA AIRPORTS - ACCESSIBILITY

Because flying with a newborn makes you vulnerable, but it also makes the kindness of others visible: the lady at security who said "good luck," the operator who helped me with the baby carrier, the hostess at the gate who let us board first without asking.

They're small details, but when you've just given birth, you sleep three hours a night, and you're trying to continue living in the world without giving up being a mother, they become enormous.

Milan Malpensa: Special Arrival Assistance

At Milan Malpensa Airport, I was dreading the most difficult part: getting off the plane, picking up the stroller and luggage with a one-month-old baby.

The special assistance service at Malpensa, however, was already coordinated. An operator from Puglia, originally from Turi, who had been living in Milan for over ten years, picked us up directly from the plane, assisting me with the transfer to the arrivals area and with the return of the stroller and luggage.

It wasn't just efficiency. It was the rare feeling of traveling with a newborn without feeling like a hindrance .

And maybe that's what really changes when you travel as parents: you're not looking for privilege, you're looking for humanity.

What No One Tells You About Your First Trip with a Newborn

No one tells you that the first trip after pregnancy is also a return to yourself.

It doesn't matter if the trip is short. It doesn't matter if it's "just" a domestic flight.

For a mother, the first take-off with her child is a small rite of passage.

We start with the fear of no longer being able to move through the world as before.

You land discovering that the world, sometimes, still knows how to welcome you.

SPECIAL AIRLINE ASSISTANCE. HOW TO GET AROUND

The main airlines offer a free assistance service at the airport for passengers with reduced mobility , also known as PRM or PMR , and for those travelling with special needs .

The service can be requested by people with physical or sensory disabilities , pregnant women, elderly passengers, families with small children, or unaccompanied minors . Special assistance at the airport provides support during security checks, boarding, travel within the airport, and, when applicable, to your seat on the plane.

To take advantage of the service, it is important to request PRM/PMR assistance directly from the airline when booking or at least 48 hours before the flight's departure , so as to allow the airport to organize the necessary staff and support.

Contact methods and services vary depending on the carrier:

• Ryanair : You can request assistance directly online in the "My Bookings" section or via the dedicated chat. They offer boarding assistance and wheelchair transportation. More details are available on the Ryanair Special Assistance page.

• ITA Airways : For passengers with disabilities, assistance can be arranged during the booking process or by contacting the dedicated team at +39 06 85960020 (open daily). More information can be found at ITA Airways Accessible Travel .

• Lufthansa : The Lufthansa Group offers services for families, unaccompanied minors, and people with medical needs or disabilities. You can organize your trip through the Lufthansa Help and Services portal. LUFTHANSA

• Wizz Air : The request for assistance must be made at least 48 hours before departure on the official website, by selecting the option when purchasing the ticket .

• EasyJet : Accepts specific body or child support devices on board. All details must be agreed with the support team via the EasyJet Special Assistance page.

• Eurowings : Guarantees free transportation for wheelchairs and assistance dogs. Discover the services offered on Eurowings Travel Without Barriers .

• Turkish Airlines : Offers priority to passengers with special needs and dedicated seating. Learn more about Turkish Airlines Passenger Assistance .