Question about Southwest boarding with infant.

[DisneyClown]

I'm hoping someone has already done this and can answer my question. I booked 4 ADULT fare tickets for me, husband, 9 yr old, and 1 yr old (with carseat)on Southwest. Do I need birth certificates for kids so we can board between Group A and B, in case we don't get a Group A when I check-in online, or will it be obvious I have an infant and they will let us board between A and B? Do I need birth certificates in general? I tried e-mailing Southwest about this, but their reply was very vague, and not at all to the point. TIA!!!

 

[msmayor]

I don't think you can ALL board between Group A and B...only one parent and the infant will be permitted. The other two will board based on their boarding pass number.

 

[christi2705]

I've never flown SW but have flown a lot with my 2 young children. We've never brought birth certificates...just asked to pre-board so that we have time to install their car seats. We have only had problems a couple of times and they told us that they don't pre-board families for any reason.

 

[Bobo912]

You won't need a birth certificate. Even if your child was older, they wouldn't ask you for one. If you don't get A boarding passes, the gate attendant may let all of you board between A and B. They seem to be able to use their own disgression. I would think that since you have an infant and car seat they would at least allow two of you and the baby to board together.

 

[CharliNye]

The only thing you'll need a birth certificate for is checking in. And YES you DO need one with SW for an infant.

We have always had to present one every time for our almost four yr old. And we fly out east about three times a yr. Don't chance it be prepared.

And there is family seating between A & B. If your child is 9 and with you you can be seated at the same time. We brought our 12 yr old on SW last summer, our daughter was 3. All four of us boarded at the same time between A& B. Just don't be shy about it. Get in the family boarding section and just do it.

They generally don't like to split up families. If there were more then the four of us(such as grandparents etc) they'd make those adults wait. But kids stay with their parents. For the most part.

 

[Tara]

Southwest is strange IMO because if you book an infant its own seat at the regular fare, then they shouldn't need a boarding verification card. The BVC is for unticketed infants so they can be accounted for and pass through security. But if the infant is ticketed, then they have a real boarding pass, so why Southwest still requires the birth certificate is beyond me.

I'd bring both along just in case, but I always bought my son a ticket before he was 2 and at no point before or after age 2 have I ever been asked to show a birth certificate, including on Southwest. (although, to be fair, I didn't fly with my son on SWA until after he was 2 but before he was 4)

 

[DebbieB]

I don't think you can ALL board between Group A and B...only one parent and the infant will be permitted. The other two will board based on their boarding pass number.

I've never seen them limit to one parent with one child. The only thing I've seen them do is restrict it to just parents and children, not Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, cousins, etc.

 

[tjmw2727]

You don't need id for ticketed passengers under 18 on any airline. If the baby were a lap child then you would need one to prove they are eligible to fly free. Since your family is ticketed you don't need any ID for the kids.

eta - I was wrong on this - apparently SWA requires a BC for all infants to prove they are over 14 days old!
I fly SWA almost monthly with my kids and have been since they were toddlers. I have never, ever been asked for ID for the kids from any airline including SWA or from the TSA, this includes 4 round trips since January. In fact a BC isn't an acceptable ID for the TSA anyway.

I would suggest you check the SWA website here

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/checkin.html?int=GSUBNAV-AIR-BOARDING-INFO

"Southwest Airlines’ Customers will need valid state or federal government-issued picture identification1 to travel (passport, driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or military identification are acceptable).

1Customers under 18 years of age are not required to show government-issued photo ID

Even more important IMHO is to check the TSA websited often prior to the flight for updated info and changes on security - here

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm

From the TSA regarding ID :
Effective June 21, 2008, adult passengers (18 and over) are required to show a U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID that contains the following: name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature in order to be allowed to go through the checkpoint and onto their flight.

 

[Bobo912]

I've flown 3 or 4 times per year on SWA with my son since he was a baby and never had to present a birth certificate or any other ID. Our most recent flight was last weekend. When he was little I brought his car seat and purchased a seat for him, so he's always been a ticketed passenger. It's been a few years since anyone would question whether he was over 14 days old though.

 

[breakingd_awn]

When we flew I bought tickets for all of us but my 1 1/2 year old , were a family of 6. I did have to show a BC to prove that she was under 2. When we were boarding they let A on ,then families on ,then B passengers. I've heard that's how they always do it so families can sit together.

 

[Minniemouse07]

We fly Southwest all the time and are a family of four.

When we flew with ds under 2yo we also purchased a seat for him and used his car seat.

You only need his birth certificate if he will be a lap child...since he is a ticketed passenger you won't need it.

What I do suggest is that you OR your dh board first w/ the car seat and your older child. Get 2 seats each in 2 rows in front of each other. One parent sitting with each child in each row. If your little one is still rear facing, I would put your older child in front of the younger one (car seat must be installed next to the window). The older child will not be as upset about not being able to recline as another random passenger!

I love keeping my kids rear facing on the plane...they are facing me, easier to keep them occupied and...less stuff to fall on the floor!

Have the parent on the plane install the car seat and settle as many carry ons as they (and the 9yo) can carry on w/ them. The other parent keeps the younger child on the go in the gate area until late in the boarding process. Less time on the plane and the extra activity may tire them out so they nap during the flight. (This worked really well for my dd, not as well for my ds!).

Another thing that worked well on the plane w/ the kids (ours are 4.5yrs apart) is to give each kid their own backpack filled ONLY with toys/books/other amusements. Any snacks or diaper bag items go into mom or dad's bags (we have an excellent backpack diaper bag from Land's End that one of us carries). Our older one has her DS, a book or two, activity book, card game, and some small toys (currently Littlest Pet Shop), the younger one at under 2 had a couple of board books, some Fisher Price Little People, teething toys, etc.

Good luck!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Have the parent on the plane install the car seat and settle as many carry ons as they (and the 9yo) can carry on w/ them. The other parent keeps the younger child on the go in the gate area until late in the boarding process. Less time on the plane and the extra activity may tire them out so they nap during the flight. (This worked really well for my dd, not as well for my ds!).

Ooh, good! Now, they won't be able to board early on Southwest without either the one-year-old or A boarding passes, so it may not work for them - but if they can board with the A's it's a good idea. Then seat the nine-year old in the seat next to the car seat - people will be less likely to give him a hard time about saving a seat or try to get him to move.

Seat the dad in the middle seat in the row in front. When mom boards with the baby, place him in the car seat, move the older child up to the seat in front of the car seat, then mom and dad can each take one of the middle seats.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Ooh, good! Now, they won't be able to board early on Southwest without either the one-year-old or A boarding passes, so it may not work for them - but if they can board with the A's it's a good idea. Then seat the nine-year old in the seat next to the car seat - people will be less likely to give him a hard time about saving a seat or try to get him to move.

Seat the dad in the middle seat in the row in front. When mom boards with the baby, place him in the car seat, move the older child up to the seat in front of the car seat, then mom and dad can each take one of the middle seats.

We never had a problem preboarding with the older child (dd was 6+ at the time) and a car seat during "family boarding" leaving the younger one that qualified us for family boarding in the gate area.

Walking on w/ a car seat is a dead giveaway to everyone involved that you have a child under 5yo w/ you!

 

[maurene]

I flew with my then 6 month old and 4 yo on SW back in February. I had a seat and ticket for the infant - so I was never asked for any ID or birth certificate for him. My older son still qualified for family boarding, I think - as he was only 4. I had a B boarding pass, but the 3 of boarded between groups A and B with no issues.

My understanding of the SW "rules" is that you don't need to have a birth certificate for infants unless they're flying as a lap baby. And, technically I think the gate agent can limit family boarding to one adult and child (4 and under) - meaning your son and DH would have to board with their assigned zone. However, I think many gate agents would let you board as a family - esp. seeing you had a car seat to install. But, I think you might want to be prepared, just in case, for you or your DH to board between zone A and B - to install the car seat, while the other stay back with the children.

 

[miprender]

I have flown SW 3 times now with children (PVD to MCO) and the only time I needed to show the Birth Certificate was when my then 10mth old was a lap baby. All the other times I have never needed to show it.

But I do bring all of them just in case because from all the responses it can vary.

 

[DisneyClown]

Thanks for the replies! I've never flown with kids before, so just trying to keep my bases covered.

 

[mamapajama]

The only thing you'll need a birth certificate for is checking in. And YES you DO need one with SW for an infant.

We have always had to present one every time for our almost four yr old. And we fly out east about three times a yr. Don't chance it be prepared.

I have flown on SW twice since my 21month old was born in 2008 and didn't need a BC either time. When we did not buy her a seat we needed a boarding card for her but no BC was required, which is good because I didn't have it. She was 7 weeks old. Last summer (she was one) we bought her a seat and were not asked for a BC. SW website says that you will need a BC to prove your baby isn't over 2 years old so I guess thats why we weren't asked for one since she was clearly nowhere near 2!! So if there's a chance that your 1 year old may be mistaken for a 2 year old then bring a copy.

If you have bought your tickets all together then you will be checked in together and you will all get consecutive (or close to it) boarding numbers. If you bought tickets separately, then check the adults who are not the parents in first and they will get earlier numbers. 2 adults will be allowed to board with the kids between the A's and the B's anyway. So this way the non-parentals have a better shot of getting a high A and you have a better chance of sitting close together. Hope that helps, have fun!

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/infants.html#boarding_pass

 

[TDC Nala]

You will not need proof of age just to do pre-B group family boarding with an infant. (You may need one to prove that your infant is not too young to fly - not up on Southwest's rules about that- but you will not need one to prove the infant is eligible for family boarding.) However, previous posters are correct in that you may or may not be able to board the entire family with the infant. There have been situations that I have witnessed where with too many family boarders waiting in line, announcements were made that only one adult and the eligible child could board. A nine-year-old is not eligible for family boarding.

Proof of age is usually required for lap babies, but not for family boarding with infants.

 

[mamapajama]

You will not need proof of age just to do pre-B group family boarding with an infant. (You may need one to prove that your infant is not too young to fly - not up on Southwest's rules about that- but you will not need one to prove the infant is eligible for family boarding.) However, previous posters are correct in that you may or may not be able to board the entire family with the infant. There have been situations that I have witnessed where with too many family boarders waiting in line, announcements were made that only one adult and the eligible child could board. A nine-year-old is not eligible for family boarding.

Proof of age is usually required for lap babies, but not for family boarding with infants.

Out of curiosity, if you are flying with 1 adult, a baby and a 9 year old, they would make the 9 year old board alone?

 

[TDC Nala]

Out of curiosity, if you are flying with 1 adult, a baby and a 9 year old, they would make the 9 year old board alone?

Probably not- minor siblings without other adults present could likely board too, but in the OPs case there are two parents. One adult plus eligible child would mean one parent to board with the baby in family boarding and one with the nine-year-old in the regular line.