During the Gilded Age, Rosecliff in Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer home of Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress.
02.08.2024 - 15:09 / cntraveler.com
When travelers think of contentious issues on planes, jockeying for overhead bin space or debating whether to recline a seat likely come to mind. But breastfeeding on a plane can be one of the most fraught dilemmas in the sky for new parents. Among a patchwork of airline policies, federal regulations, and obnoxious passengers, many are left wondering if they're allowed to breastfeed on a plane, and if so, what guidelines are in place?
If you feel confused about the topic, you’re not the only one. Even airline cabin crews can seem ill informed on their carrier’s policies—and parents’ federally mandated rights—leading to distressing stories of nursing parents being told to stop feeding or to cover up. Flight attendants have also landed in hot water for shuffling nursing mothers into the lavatory and not allowing their breast pumps on board.
These flight attendants aren’t just going against airline policy, they could be violating federal regulations. In fact, all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have laws that allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location where she is legally authorized to be.
In airports specifically, legislation passed in 2018 and in 2020 requires small, medium, and large hub airports to provide a private, non-bathroom space in every terminal building for the expression of breast milk. Many airports offer freestanding Mamava lactation pods—small spaces with a door that locks, an outlet, and sometimes a sink. The pods can usually be booked on Mamava’s app; check your airport’s website to find the pods in each terminal. Another option is Minute Suites, which offers lactating parents free 30-minute stays in its private napping rooms.
Although there’s no overarching federal rule that declares breast pumps as necessary medical devices, many airlines do view them as such and allow passengers to bring them on board (along with a small cooler) without counting toward a fliers’ carry-on limit. But these policies are something you will want to double check with each airline you fly.
Rules and regulations aside, when it comes down to it, breastfeeding during different phases of flight can also potentially help make your baby more comfortable. The CDC advises lactating parents traveling with babies to nurse “during takeoff and landing when traveling by airplane. This will help to protect your child from ear pain due to cabin pressure changes.”
Below, we’ve rounded up the specific policies for breastfeeding and pumping on board popular airlines like American and Delta. Consider printing out your airline’s policy before you fly and carry it with you, just in case you run into any crew members who aren't fully informed.
According to its special services policies, Air
During the Gilded Age, Rosecliff in Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer home of Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress.
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