Here's a YouTube video about these fake babies which, for some reason, have a big following in Britain.

One woman interviewed on the Today Show said that holding her fake baby helps her feel calmer. Think about how this might work on the travel scene. Holding a fake baby could give you something to do if a flight is delayed or canceled. Instead of feeling riled up, you can stay calm.

Here's another way a fake baby might be the ticket to travel bliss. A fake baby in a car seat might help with long drives and cut down on the tendency to talk on a cell phone while driving. The women interviewed said they talk to their babies. You could tell your fake baby your travel plans and concerns which could help pass time as you're driving down a highway. If you're lost, telling your fake baby about your direction woes might help you feel better.

Babies can also be people magnets. People will stop to coo over a baby which opens up the channel for other conversations. They'ed certainly be curious about your fake baby.

Dogs can work this way as well, come to think about it, but never mind, this is about babies.

As a person who has traveled with a real baby, I can imagine what it might be to travel with a fake one.

Once I set my son on top of a blanket pallet on a table of a restaurant in Krabe, Thailand when he was three months. He slept while I wrote. I enjoyed having his company, but there was a predicament when, after drinking coffee, water and a smoothie over the period of a couple of hours, I had to get rid of some of the liquid. I wouldn't have worried about waking a fake baby up--or dropping him on the bathroom floor when trying to rearrange my clothes.

Just like leaving my son sleeping on the table wasn't an option, leaving a fake baby isn't an option either. They can cost up to $4,000. A little over $1,000 is common. If someone stole your fake baby, you'd probably feel sad. Angry even.

Actually, a fake baby traveling companion seems a bit odd to think about it--harmless, but odd.

What about dressing up a dog like a person? Now, that's another thought. Some celebrities do it. You've seen the pictures. Nah. That seems as weird to me as a fake baby.

As an aside, yesterday I was talking to a woman who was holding a six-week-old baby. The baby was sleeping soundly, not moving. Guess what I thought of? Fake baby. These days, double check.

Here's a link to Reborn Babies, a company that makes the dolls. There are several examples of what they look like.