Assumption about SW seating....

[boomhauer]

My wife and I were starting to think we should have purchased 2 additional seats for our babies instead of holding them. Not a huge deal.

Anyways, SW fares are way too expensive for end of July. I've heard that if they have extra seats available they will let you take the car seat on the plane.

Let's say for example we were leaving tomorrow (actually leaving July 25.) If I check SW flights for tomorrow, they still have many open seats. Would it be a safe to assume these seats will still be open tomorrow and therefore we'd be able to take the seats on the plane?

 

[CarolA]

There was a HUGE thread over on www.flyertalk.com about this. As I recall woman was VERY upset that SW "endangered" her child by not allowing her to take the car seat on. She called SW and was told that it was up to the gate agent. Several other posters also posted that they had not been allowed to take the car seats on even IF they had empty seats on the plane.

I understand SW's thoughts. Everyone wants an empty seat next to them. Giving them away to parents who preboard isn't really fair.....

So it really just depends on your agent, it's not safe to assume you can use them but you can gate check them if the agent says no.

 

[boomhauer]

There was a HUGE thread over on www.flyertalk.com about this. As I recall woman was VERY upset that SW "endangered" her child by not allowing her to take the car seat on. She called SW and was told that it was up to the gate agent. Several other posters also posted that they had not been allowed to take the car seats on even IF they had empty seats on the plane.

I understand SW's thoughts. Everyone wants an empty seat next to them. Giving them away to parents who preboard isn't really fair.....

So it really just depends on your agent, it's not safe to assume you can use them but you can gate check them if the agent says no.

In one respect, I disagree with the woman complaining. If she was that concerned, she should have just bought the extra seat. I'm not worried about the safety issue. I'm just thinking the babies will be happier in their car seats.

I wouldn't make a fuss over it at all. It was my choice. It'd just be nice.

I actually called SW and she said that they DO let you take car seats on if there are empty seats. As of right now she said there's plenty of availability on the flight. We're leaving on a Wednesday and it's just 2 weeks away, so I would guess it'd stay pretty much the same. Worse case is we just gate check the car seats.

 

[Lewisc]

It's safe to assume there will be a number of other "lap babies" on most flights to Orlando.

The GA won't generally allow parents "free seats" for their "lap babies" unless there are enough extra seats for all parents with "lap babies" and more then enough extra seats to accomodate passengers that buy a ticket at the last minute or passengers that want to take a flight other then the flight they have a reservation on.

Most flights to Orlando are pretty full. I'd be surprised if the flight is empty enough for you to be allowed two free seats. Even a dozen open seats might not be enough.

edited to say business flyers book at the last minute. I'm not even sure seat availability the day before means much, since you won't know how many other parents are hoping to do the same thing. Seat availability 2 weeks before your flight doesn't mean that much.

My wife and I were starting to think we should have purchased 2 additional seats for our babies instead of holding them. Not a huge deal.

Anyways, SW fares are way too expensive for end of July. I've heard that if they have extra seats available they will let you take the car seat on the plane.

Let's say for example we were leaving tomorrow (actually leaving July 25.) If I check SW flights for tomorrow, they still have many open seats. Would it be a safe to assume these seats will still be open tomorrow and therefore we'd be able to take the seats on the plane?

 

[boomhauer]

Guess we'll just have to wing it. Maybe they'll allow us 1 extra seat, maybe 2, maybe none.

Not overly worried about it. Just curious. For all I know the babies might be happier in our laps. They just always seem very content in the car.

 

[Lewisc]

You can't sit next to your spouse. There is only one extra oxygen mask per row so two lap babies can't occupy the same row.

Guess we'll just have to wing it. Maybe they'll allow us 1 extra seat, maybe 2, maybe none.

Not overly worried about it. Just curious. For all I know the babies might be happier in our laps. They just always seem very content in the car.

 

[CarolA]

In one respect, I disagree with the woman complaining. If she was that concerned, she should have just bought the extra seat. I'm not worried about the safety issue. I'm just thinking the babies will be happier in their car seats.

.

That's what the woman got told on Flyertalk (which sent her into a rage, posting that we were all idiots.... )

 

[boomhauer]

You can't sit next to your spouse. There is only one extra oxygen mask per row so two lap babies can't occupy the same row.

Yeah, that we knew.

 

[boomhauer]

That's what the woman got told on Flyertalk (which sent her into a rage, posting that we were all idiots.... )

How could she even argue her point? She's completely wrong.

Do you by chance have the link to that thread? Sounds like one I'd enjoy reading!

 

[CarolA]

I don't have the link and it's quite an old thread... Sorry!

 

[jmpellet]

When we were traveling to Orlando last year, a woman had already brought her car seat on board and had her child settled when the flight attendant asked if she had bought a ticket. When the woman said no the attendant said the flight was full and she went ahead and gate checked the car seat. No big deal. But don't count on a seat. When we went in 2005 I was going to put my then 18 month old on my lap until a last minute ding came out and I bought her a seat. I was glad I did.