Southwest - INFO FOR Checked Luggage and CHILDREN

[labst60]

Hello Everyone,

At first glance, this may be more appropriate on the Transportation board, but since so many families with young children read this board, I thought I'd post the info here.

Not sure if this has already been reported but....

Your gate-checked stroller and any gate-checked car seats (not ones they sit in on board) not count "against" your checked baggage limits of 2 per ticketed passenger.

So - for instance, if you are a family of 3 including 1 under 2 lap child - you would be allowed to have 4 "free" checked bags (two for each ticketed passenger) and your stroller and carseat that you did not take onboard (because lap child did not have a seat) would count as 2 of those checked bags - leaving only 2 additional "free" checked bags for the 3 of you (which, of course, need to be under the weight limit or you are charged additional).

I'm glad I reread the travel policies on SW - and then called (TWICE) to confirm, because I know it was different in the past. They said this was part of the new checked luggage changes.

My personal opinion is that it is HORRIBLE to count a carseat, stroller - fine, not very nice or "family friendly", but a CARSEAT!?!?

Anyway - we are a family of 4 with one under 2 (8 months at time of travel -in 12 days!!!) I ALWAYS ticketed my older DD when she was under 2 because that way we always had an entire 3 seat row to ourselves - but once she was over 1, I didn't bring her seat on board - but still did purchase her a ticket. Now that we have 2nd DD - I couldn't decide what to do b/c bringing her seat would require us all to not sit together in one row (and I know both girls would want to be with Mom - especially since we have a 9:15-midnight flight!) I'm glad I did buy her a ticket now - for $65 each way - including taxes - is probably not much different than I would have spent for extra bags - plus now we can check her in online too.

If I DIDN"T get her a ticket - we would have been allowed 6 free checked bags - 4 of which would have been carseats and strollers (2 strollers). NO WAY I could pack for 11 days in 2 checked bags that are UNDER the weight limit!!!

I really hope that they rethink the carseat/booster counting as a piece of checked luggage - ESPECIALLY since boosters aren't allowed to be used on the flight.

Hope this info helps someone!!

 

[iheartdisney]

Thanks for sharing, that is a BIG change since the last time I flew!
Even though I am flying Jet Blue, I guess now I will bring the carseat on the plane. I wasn't going to bother, since it is only a 2 hour flight, but I'd rather carry it for free!

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I flew last week with our 2 yo on southwest and we checked 6 bags (our alloted 2 each, me, dh and ds) and gate checked the stroller both coming and going with no problems. Maybe they mean if you check it with the regular luggage. I know some people do that, put it in one of those bags and check it when they check the other luggage.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I agree that the policy isn't very family friendly.

As for your trip... we just traveled w/ our two (6 and 2) and we sat two and two...putting the 6yo in front of the 2yo.

Halfway through the flight dh and I switched places.

I highly recommend this as we were able to rear face the 2yo's seat w/o having any issues about the seat in front not being able to recline.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I flew last week with our 2 yo on southwest and we checked 6 bags (our alloted 2 each, me, dh and ds) and gate checked the stroller both coming and going with no problems. Maybe they mean if you check it with the regular luggage. I know some people do that, put it in one of those bags and check it when they check the other luggage.

I wouldn't check a stroller or a car seat w/ the regular luggage anyway...too much chance for them to get lost or damaged.

 

[Disneychix]

Can anyone verify that it's still acceptable to gate check the car seats and strollers and not have that count toward the luggage count? I'm a little ocnfused by the OP.

 

[ljcrochet]

I gate checked my stroller in March. I'm pretty sure it did not count against my checked bags (but we only had 2 checked bags for the 4 of us)

 

[labst60]

Can anyone verify that it's still acceptable to gate check the car seats and strollers and not have that count toward the luggage count? I'm a little ocnfused by the OP.

Sorry to confuse you - but after 2 calls to verify, I was told that *now*, these items gate-checked **DO** count towards the luggage count. From personal experience, I know that was *not* the case in the past- which is why I called a second time (the next day) and spoke with a different agent to re-confirm.

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

This is the link to their policy info - where it specifically states "no additional charge" still - however, like I said, I was explicity told by 2 agents that they now "count" those gate checked items.

Perhaps (hopefully), I just had the unfortunate luck of dealing with two agents who did not understand the new rules - and/or perhaps they aren't being enforced across the board yet - so I would urge anyone flying SW to call themselves just to double (triple) check - 1-800-IFLYSWA.

I just wanted to post what I was told in hopes that no one here gets caught off guard at the gate!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

From SW's website:

"Are strollers or infant carriers permitted beyond Security?
You may choose to bring your infant to the departure gate in a stroller or infant carrier.

Most infant carriers are designed simply to provide convenience in carrying babies. With the exception of a few recently manufactured automobile safety seats that convert to carriers, they do not provide sufficient protection to qualify as CRDs. While you may carry your baby on and off the aircraft in an infant carrier (provided it does not exceed the size limitations for carryon items), it must be properly stowed either underneath a seat or in an overhead bin for taxi, takeoff, and landing.

If the stroller or infant carrier exceeds the size limitations for carryon items, the Customer Service Agent will “gate-check” the item (at no additional charge) to your final destination, and the item will be placed in the cargo hold for transportation. When you reach your destination the item will be returned to you at the arrival gate."

If you check a stroller or carseat with the rest of your luggage, it does count against your free bags allotment. If you gate-check the items, it does not.

 

[DisneyGoddess]

To further clarify -

If you choose to check a stroller AND one other infant item it only counts as "one" bag towards your alloted bags per passenger.

Does an infant stroller or infant or child safety seat count as baggage?

Two (2) items of travel equipment for infants and small children, such as strollers, walkers, child safety seats or collapsible playpens, may be checked and transported in substitution of one piece of the free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger at no charge.

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

 

[PEANUT1]

We just recently flew southwest and gate checked our stroller. They never checked our tickets or how many bags we had already checked. I do not think that this counted as a checked item.

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

We flew SW on April 9th (Baltimore to Nashville) and April 14th (return trip.)

We booked 2 tickets and had 2 lap children (23 months.) En route we gate checked the 2 car seats and 2 single strollers. On the way home there were extra seats so we took the car seats on and checked the strollers at the gate. We weren't charged for any of the gate checked items.

When we asked about checking the car seats with the luggage, the ticketing agent told me that a car seat counted for a half of a piece of luggage? HUH? He suggested taking it to the gate since we could gate check it for free.

 

[jodifla]

In my experience, they never check your tickets when doing gate checked luggage....they just hand put a tag on the stroller or car seat and you take it down to the door of the plane.

So unless this is something really new, they aren't counting strollers and car seats against checked luggage.

Frankly, I think airlines should be MANDATED to have to take safety equipment like car seats and wheel chairs without charge.

 

[Disneychix]

So if I check the stroller/car seat with my luggage then it will count towards my checked bags allotment but I will get a 2 for 1 deal.

BUT- if I take them to the gate with me they will probably still gate-check for free and this will not count towards my checked bags.

AND this is for SW only.
Thanks.

 

[NotUrsula]

Most infant carriers are designed simply to provide convenience in carrying babies. With the exception of a few recently manufactured automobile safety seats that convert to carriers, they do not provide sufficient protection to qualify as CRDs. While you may carry your baby on and off the aircraft in an infant carrier (provided it does not exceed the size limitations for carryon items), it must be properly stowed either underneath a seat or in an overhead bin for taxi, takeoff, and landing.

If the stroller or infant carrier exceeds the size limitations for carryon items, the Customer Service Agent will “gate-check” the item (at no additional charge) to your final destination, and the item will be placed in the cargo hold for transportation. When you reach your destination the item will be returned to you at the arrival gate."

Though the specifics re: gate-checking rules are correct, this is otherwise a hugely misleading statement, VERY out-of-date. These days in the US, there is really no such thing as an "infant carrier" that does not qualify as a CRS, as just about every infant carseat on the market now carries the FAA approval sticker for aircraft. If it has the sticker you have the federally mandated right to have the child use it on board *if* (big if) you have purchased a legal position seat to mount it in. If you have not purchased a seat for it, then the airline may at their discretion refuse to let the child use it onboard, even if you are surrounded by empty seats.

To use a carseat (any size or type) on board an aircraft, it MUST have a sticker that reads, “This Restraint is Certified for Use in Motor Vehicles and Aircraft” - in RED lettering. If the seat has a removable upper body harness there will be wording that specifies that the certification is valid only with the harness in place.