How to Make Formula on a Plane: What I Pack and How I Do It

Making a bottle on a plane sounds much more complicated than it actually needs to be. After flying 20+ times with my kids, my formula-feeding routine is pretty simple: I pre-measure the water into my baby’s bottles, pre-measure the powdered formula into a formula dispenser, and keep everything I’ll need during the flight in the diaper bag under the seat in front of me.

When my baby gets hungry, I grab a bottle, pour in one compartment of formula, shake it, and feed her. That’s it.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that the airplane is not the place to be measuring water or scooping formula out of a can. You may be holding your baby, your baby may be crying, and you’re working with approximately six inches of tray table. Do as much as you possibly can before you leave home.

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How I Make Formula on a Plane

I currently travel with powdered formula rather than pre-made bottles. Before we leave for the airport, I measure the correct amount of water into each of my baby’s bottles and portion the powdered formula into a formula dispenser. Then I keep the formula dispenser and bottles together in my diaper bag.

When it’s time for a feeding, my entire process is:

Grab a bottle with the pre-measured water. Pour one compartment of pre-measured formula into the bottle. Shake it. Feed the baby.

There’s no measuring and no formula scoop involved. I don’t need to find water on the plane, and I don’t need to ask a flight attendant to warm anything. It’s one of those small things that makes flying with a baby significantly easier.

Why I Pre-Measure Formula Before a Flight

If you’re flying with powdered formula, my biggest recommendation is to buy a formula dispenser and portion out your feedings before you leave home.

Technically, you could bring the whole formula can and scoop out each bottle as you need it. I always have a backup can in my roller carry-on, but I don’t want to actually use it to make bottles at my seat unless I have to.

Imagine holding a hungry baby on your lap while trying to open a formula can, find the scoop, count the scoops correctly, and avoid spilling powder everywhere. It’s doable, but why make it harder?

Pre-measuring means I can make a bottle in seconds, even if I’m holding the baby at the same time.

I Pre-Measure the Water, Too

I don’t just pre-measure the formula. I put the correct amount of water into my bottles before we leave for the airport.

I usually travel with at least three bottles, and each one already has the amount of water I need for a feeding. The formula and water stay separate until my baby is ready to eat. This is also why I don’t need a cooler or ice packs when I fly. I’m not traveling with prepared bottles that need to stay cold.

If you’re wondering about getting the formula and water through airport security, read my guide to bringing formula through TSA. Formula and water needed to prepare formula are allowed through TSA in reasonable quantities, although they may require additional screening.

Do You Need to Warm a Bottle on a Plane?

I don’t. I intentionally try not to get my babies dependent on warm bottles, and that has made traveling much easier for us. Because I put the water into the bottles before we leave home, it’s already room temperature when it’s time for a feeding.

That eliminates another step. I don’t have to ask a flight attendant for hot water, find somewhere to warm a bottle, or try to figure out whether the bottle is the right temperature while we’re in the air.

If your baby prefers warm bottles, you may need a different system. For us, room-temperature bottles have made travel much easier.

Where I Keep Formula During the Flight

Everything I expect to use during the flight stays in my diaper bag underneath the seat in front of me. I don’t put the bottles or formula dispenser in my roller bag in the overhead bin. If my baby suddenly decides she’s starving, I want to be able to reach down and make a bottle immediately.

I do keep a full can of formula in my roller carry-on as backup. That’s my emergency supply if we have a major delay, get stuck somewhere overnight, or simply go through more formula than I expected.

For the actual flight, though, everything I need is within arm’s reach. If you want to see what else I keep accessible when we fly, I have a full guide to the best travel gear for flying with a baby.

How Much Formula I Bring on a Flight

I always bring at least twice as much formula as I think my baby will need during the actual flight. If I think she’ll need two bottles, I’m not leaving home with exactly two bottles worth of formula. Flights get delayed. You can sit on the runway for an hour. Connections get missed. Babies can also decide that today is the day they want to eat more than usual.

I would much rather arrive with formula left over than spend a delay calculating whether I have enough to get us to our destination.

In addition to the pre-measured formula in my diaper bag, I keep that backup can in my roller carry-on. If we’re traveling for a longer period, I can pack more in our checked luggage or buy it at our destination if I know the formula we use will be readily available there. I just never want all of my baby’s formula in a checked suitcase.

Should You Feed a Baby During Takeoff and Landing?

If the timing works, I do try to have my baby sucking during takeoff and landing because swallowing can help with changes in cabin pressure.

That might mean giving her a bottle, but I don’t force the timing. If she’s already sleeping, I’m definitely not waking her up just so she can have a bottle during takeoff or landing.

And if she’s perfectly happy, I don’t go out of my way to make her eat. It’s something I keep in mind when the timing naturally works, not another airplane rule I stress about following perfectly. A pacifier or other sucking can also be an option if your baby uses one.

What I Do With Dirty Bottles on the Plane

One reason I bring at least three bottles is that I’d rather not have to wash and reuse bottles on the plane if I can avoid it.

After my baby finishes eating, I put the white travel/storage disc into our Dr. Brown’s bottle to help prevent any remaining liquid from leaking. Then I close the bottle and put it back in the diaper bag.

I also travel with a bottle washing kit that has a bottle brush and cleaning supplies. If I know I’m going to need to reuse a bottle before we reach our destination, I can clean it when I have access to an appropriate sink and safe water.

Most of the time, though, I’d rather bring enough clean bottles for the travel day and properly wash everything when we arrive.

What I Pack for Formula Feeding on a Plane

My formula-feeding setup is intentionally pretty minimal. I don’t want to carry an entire kitchen onto the plane.

I bring at least three bottles with pre-measured water, a formula dispenser with individual feedings already portioned, at least twice as much formula as I expect to need, and a full can of backup formula in my roller carry-on.

I also bring my travel bottle washing kit in case I need it. That’s really it. No bottle warmer. No cooler for my powdered-formula setup. No scooping formula at my seat. No trying to measure water while balancing a baby on my lap.

The Biggest Mistake I’d Avoid When Flying With Formula

The biggest mistake, in my opinion, is planning around the best-case scenario. Don’t pack exactly enough formula for the scheduled length of your flight. Don’t assume you’ll always be able to easily get into the overhead bin. And don’t wait until you’re sitting on the plane to start measuring everything.

Travel with a baby already comes with enough variables. I prepare everything I can at home, keep the things I’ll actually use underneath the seat, and bring more formula than I think I need. If the flight goes perfectly, great. If it doesn’t, I’m not worried about how I’m going to feed my baby. My mom has been a flight attendant for 50 years and she shares some great tips on what to do in case there is a delay or cancelation. Check it out here.

My Best Advice for Formula Feeding on a Plane

Keep it simple. Pre-measure your formula. Pre-measure your water. Bring more than you think you’ll need. Keep your bottles and formula dispenser under the seat instead of in the overhead bin.

When your baby gets hungry, you want making the bottle to be the easiest part of the experience. For me, that means grabbing a bottle, pouring in the formula, shaking it, and feeding my baby. No complicated travel hacks required.

Frequently Asked Questions About Making Formula on a Plane

Can you make baby formula on a plane?

Yes. I find the easiest way to make formula on a plane is to bring powdered formula and water separately, then mix them when your baby is ready to eat. I pre-measure both before leaving home so I don’t have to measure anything at my seat.

Can you bring water on a plane for baby formula?

Yes. TSA allows water needed to prepare baby formula in reasonable quantities through security, although it may require additional screening. I have a separate guide to bringing formula through TSA that explains exactly how I handle airport security.

Should you make formula bottles before a flight?

I personally don’t. I pre-measure the water into my bottles and keep the powdered formula separately in a formula dispenser until my baby is ready to eat. This means I don’t need to keep prepared bottles cold during the flight.

Do you need a bottle warmer on a plane?

I don’t use one. My babies drink room-temperature bottles, which makes traveling much easier. If your baby will only take warm bottles, you’ll need to plan for that preference when deciding how to prepare feeds during your travel day.

How many bottles should you bring on a flight?

I typically bring at least three bottles. The exact number you need will depend on the length of your travel day and how often your baby eats, but I prefer having enough clean bottles that I don’t have to wash and reuse them during the flight.

How much formula should you pack for a flight?

I bring at least twice as much formula as I expect my baby to need on the flight, plus a backup can in my roller carry-on. Delays and cancellations happen, and running out of formula is not something I want to worry about while traveling.

Should you feed a baby during takeoff and landing?

Sucking and swallowing during takeoff and landing may help babies manage changes in cabin pressure, so I try to time a bottle with those periods when it naturally works. I don’t wake a sleeping baby to feed, though, and I don’t force a bottle if my baby is perfectly content.

Where should you pack formula on a plane?

I keep the formula and bottles I expect to use during the flight in my diaper bag underneath the seat in front of me. I keep additional backup formula in my roller carry-on. That way, I can reach a bottle quickly without getting into the overhead bin.