Flying with a baby is a completely new experience. It can go as smoothly as the clouds you're flying over, or as bumpy as the mountains you pass underneath. As a parent, the most necessary skill to learn is patience. Flying with a baby takes a lot of patience, but with these tips on traveling and what baby travel products to use, the trip can be a much easier experience than anticipated.

Parents from the U.S and Great Britain put their heads together to come up with good baby travel advice for parents traveling with a baby, and what baby travel products they should use.

Before the trip...

• Research your chosen airline's website. The information you find - or lack thereof - can be a good indication of how helpful the flight attendants are going to be
• See if you can pre-order a baby bassinet for your flight. Some airlines only allow you to check if there are any bassinets at check-in. Booking this baby travel product in advance can really help with the stress of planning a flight and flying with a baby.

At the airport...

• Doing anything with a baby talks more time so make sure you add at least 45 minutes extra for check-in and connecting flights
• Smile sweetly and helplessly at the other customers. This will make it less likely for someone to yell at you if your baby starts to cry and could even help you make a jump in the line!
• When checking in, ask if the flight is full. Sometimes, assistants will block out the seat next to you in a less full flight. This can be extremely helpful when traveling with a baby.
• Get on the plane first and off the plane last. This gives you a better chance of gaining help from the flight attendant staff.

Changing diapers on a plane...

• Pack a small bag with the essential baby travel products to have with you on the plane; one diaper, a few wipes, perfumed nappy sack, etc. The best place to stash this is in the seat pocket in front of you.
• Note that most planes have a slightly larger bathroom in the back, which means slightly larger changing tables. Every little bit helps.

Staying sane...

• Keep smiling at the baby
• Ignore rude people
• Be prepared to lose stuff and don't stress about it when you do
• Pack a mirror and lipstick. When you get stressed out, take a few minutes to put on some lipstick and give yourself a pep talk in the mirror.
• Look out for fast track customs and immigration check points for those traveling with infants.

Melissa Rubin is a senior copywriter and Web developer at OTO Networks, a digital marketing company located in Baltimore, Maryland. Her primary responsibilities include SEO, link building and creating content for multiple sites. A preview of a site on which she has worked, http://www.FamilyTravelFinder.com, is available with this article.