Are car seats mandatory on southwest?

[lost*in*cyberspace]

.......
Don't forget the birth certificates! They will check them both flights! Honestly I found getting through the airport with stroller, kids, bags, paperwork, etc. the WORST part of the trip. Getting through security with three small children, especially the whole take off your shoes and walk through the scanner alone part, while mommy tries to fold the stroller and daddy tries to watch the children and pick up the bags, was a nightmare! I think having to lug a carseat too would have pushed me over the edge

Children 12 and under do not have to remove their shoes while going through security.

 

[InStitchesinNE]

Really? No one told me that, and so they all took them off. Then needed help putting them back on. I'll remember that this year, thanks!

 

[Paigesmom2013]

We just flew out of Orlando and they said loudly that that kids 12 and under didn't need to take their shoes off. And yes, Southwest does check the birth certificates (only airline that ever asked us.) But I always travel with my kids' birth certificates. They have no real id besides that.

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

I want to get passports for the whole family as we are probably going to go on the cruise next year. If I bring their passports I won't need their birth certificates correct??

 

[SassyCat]

Scrapquiltler, my 6 month isn't a lap baby. I bought him a ticket so he could have his car seat.I'll bring his birth certificate, just in case.

 

[Alesia]

Scrapquiltler, my 6 month isn't a lap baby. I bought him a ticket so he could have his car seat.I'll bring his birth certificate, just in case.

If he has his own seat you don't need his birth certificate. There's absolutely no reason to bring it.

 

[Karenj2]

I flew with DH and our three kids (a 4yo & 16mo twins at that time), and I was SO happy to have purchased seats for them (and used our car seats, as much as it was a pain to install.) We didn't have that extra person to help out if/when my older DD had to use the bathroom. We're going to CA, and I'm actually relieved that the twins will be 2, so that I didn't have to argue with DH about getting seats or not. As a PP mentioned, my twins would not have been ok with one in a seat, and the other on my lap. (Plus, they're also both Momma's girls, so they BOTH would have wanted to be on my lap - that would have gotten ugly quickly...)
Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Southwest requires the Birth Certificate if you have a lap baby or you have purchased a "child" fare. The child fare is rare since most people get their tickets online early; but for our first trip I was going to bring my son (then 10 months) as a lap baby and changed my mind. When I called to add him, the "wanna get away" tickets were gone; so the agent on the phone let me purchase a ticket at the child price.

 

[SassyCat]

Ok, thanks for the info, y'all!

I just read about the infant fares yesterday. Just curious since we had already bought him a reg ticket, was there much of a price diff?

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

Oooo I just thought of something. Can the lap baby have a free checked bag on southwest or since she will be free it's almost like she's not there so therefore she doesn't get a free checked luggage. What about even a carry on??

 

[Alesia]

Oooo I just thought of something. Can the lap baby have a free checked bag on southwest or since she will be free it's almost like she's not there so therefore she doesn't get a free checked luggage. What about even a carry on??

No and no.

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

I just saw that each ticketed person can have 2 free checked bags so we will have plenty of bags for everyone.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Ok, thanks for the info, y'all!

I just read about the infant fares yesterday. Just curious since we had already bought him a reg ticket, was there much of a price diff?

It was years ago; so I don't remember specifics; but I'm sure you got a better deal with the regular ticket. I was just offered that because it was cheaper than the fully refundable fare as the "wanna get away" fare which I had booked for my daughter and me was gone. Most people generally get the "wanna get away" fare with Southwest and that is the cheapest.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Really? No one told me that, and so they all took them off. Then needed help putting them back on. I'll remember that this year, thanks!

The rule change was made more than 2 years ago. Maybe it's been a while since you flew?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We just flew out of Orlando and they said loudly that that kids 12 and under didn't need to take their shoes off. And yes, Southwest does check the birth certificates (only airline that ever asked us.) But I always travel with my kids' birth certificates. They have no real id besides that.

Why? No one under age 18 needs an ID to fly domestically.

 

[InStitchesinNE]

The rule change was made more than 2 years ago. Maybe it's been a while since you flew?

Yes last time we flew was September 2012, and there wasn't any overhead announcement. I'm just happy to know this time! Although they are all older and able to handle getting there shoes on and off themselves these days.

 

[Carriemel]

Why? No one under age 18 needs an ID to fly domestically.

They don't need an ID to fly domestically, correct. However, if they're flying on an age-restrictive fare, the BC needs to be checked to ensure the child is under 2, and therefore eligible for a no-fare flight (lap child).

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

They don't need an ID to fly domestically, correct. However, if they're flying on an age-restrictive fare, the BC needs to be checked to ensure the child is under 2, and therefore eligible for a no-fare flight (lap child).

Yes, this has been mentioned in this thread several times already.

To the poster who asked about a passport, yes, that id is fine for a lap baby if you don't want to use a birth certificate.

 

[calypso_nz]

I have flown extensively with our 3 year old, within the US and internationally and have never had to take her shoes off. Indeed, at most security checkpoints, the staff has offered to help and have taken us through what must be a wheelchair gate - not the metal detector and not the body scanner, but an actual gate and then used a wand on both myself (or my husband) and our daughter. At O'hare at 7am one Monday morning in the biggest rush of the week we even went through the gate and a TSA agent had popped the stroller open while I was being patted down/wanded and caught and then strapped our then almost two year old in for us. He was probably in his 20's and I never would've expected that he would be the agent to do that. We were extremely grateful. I would advice that as far as children are concerned, take your time and wait for guidance from the TSA agents as they have always been very helpful to us.

 

[SweetPeas9825]

Thanks for asking this. Taking my daughter in october & she will be 9 months then. Didnt realize that i would need her birth certificate