Southwest- under 2 years old

[yankebabie]

Does a child under 2 years old fly free on southwest? If so, must they sit on your lap? Also, if they do fly free do you still book their flight like you would an adult?

 

[DebbieB]

Does a child under 2 years old fly free on southwest? If so, must they sit on your lap? Also, if they do fly free do you still book their flight like you would an adult?

They are only free if they sit on your lap, they can't take a seat unless the flight isn't full. I was on a SW flight once where it was soldout and the last person could not find a seat because someone put a lapbaby in a seat. They had to go through the passenger list to figure out who it was and make them hold the baby so the passenger could have a seat.

I believe you have to get a boarding pass from the counter at the airport, they will require a birth certificate to verify age.

 

[goofy4tink]

It used to be possible to get an unoccupied seat for the lap baby. Nowadays, the flights are really full, so it's much harder to find an empty seat. So, while the baby can fly free, it does have to sit on your lap. Don't count on being able to find that empty seat.
You will have to bring age verification to the counter for the baby when you get to the airport.

 

[yankebabie]

Thank you very much for your replies, very helpful. So if I understand correctly, would only book flight for adult on line and then just get boarding pass for child at counter by gate?

 

[zy144622]

Under 2 is free if on you lap. 2+ is considered an adult and books the same as an adult. When booking it will ask the ages of passengers and offer lap as an option if appropriate.

 

[cdrn1]

We have always gone ahead bought our grandkids a seat. We don't want to have to hold them the entire flight, which is always a possibility, and more a probability these days. Next week we are flying with 15 month old twins, and we bought one seat for the two of them in order to make sure that both adults don't get stuck holding babies for the entire flight, and to ensure that the parents will be able to sit in the same row. (There can't be two lap babies in one row.)

 

[yankebabie]

Oh. So I do have to book the child under 2 online like I would an adult?

 

[yankebabie]

I am confused cause earlier post said you don't book the child online you just go to counter and get boarding pass at gate with birth certificate to verify age. So which is it?

 

[maxiesmom]

I am confused cause earlier post said you don't book the child online you just go to counter and get boarding pass at gate with birth certificate to verify age. So which is it?

Both. You have to book with the child accounted for, and they will verify the age of the child when you get the boarding pass.

 

[fishing gal]

You have a choice with children under two--

If you want the child to definitely have their own seat then you must book it like an adult and pay full price.

If you just want the child to sit on your lap then you do not book it in advance or pay, you just let the gate agent know when you check in and they will verify their name and birthdate with a birth certificate. Alternatively, you can call Southwest and have the lap child added to your reservation in advance--but you can't book a lap infant online yourself with the current system. Just don't forget the birth certificate.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

?..

If you just want the child to sit on your lap then you do not book it in advance or pay, you just let the gate agent know when you check in and they will verify their name and birthdate with a birth certificate. Alternatively, you can call Southwest and have the lap child added to your reservation in advance--but you can't book a lap infant online yourself with the current system. Just don't forget the birth certificate.

Not quite correct. The gate agent works at the gate, which is after security. You need to verify your child's age with an agent at the check-in counter. The rules are posted on Southwest's website:

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/children-pol.html

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/baby-on-board-pol.html

 

[gmeh1]

I am confused cause earlier post said you don't book the child online you just go to counter and get boarding pass at gate with birth certificate to verify age. So which is it?

From the SWA site.
http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/baby-on-board-pol.html

 

[vratiana]

I just flew on Southwest with a lap child yesterday. You do not need to book the baby a ticket online with Southwest if flying as a lap child. Just book the adults, kids over 2, and show up to the check-in counter with the birth certificate and they will add the baby right then.
Most other airlines require you to include a lap child when you book because they have to ensure they don't seat more than one lap child per row because of oxygen masks (only 4 per row), but Not Southwest because of the open seating.

We had a full flight for one of our legs, so my almost two year old didn't have a seat. Luckily, my 3 year old is skinny, so he actually just shared his seat for most of the flight and it wasn't horrible. But it wasn't fun either and I'm almost relieved I'll be forced to buy him a seat next time when he's two. I hate the idea of buying 4 plane tickets from now on, but the extra seat will be nice.

 

[gmeh1]

I just flew on Southwest with a lap child yesterday. You do not need to book the baby a ticket online with Southwest if flying as a lap child. Just book the adults, kids over 2, and show up to the check-in counter with the birth certificate and they will add the baby right then.
Most other airlines require you to include a lap child when you book because they have to ensure they don't seat more than one lap child per row because of oxygen masks (only 4 per row), but Not Southwest because of the open seating.

We had a full flight for one of our legs, so my almost two year old didn't have a seat. Luckily, my 3 year old is skinny, so he actually just shared his seat for most of the flight and it wasn't horrible. But it wasn't fun either and I'm almost relieved I'll be forced to buy him a seat next time when he's two. I hate the idea of buying 4 plane tickets from now on, but the extra seat will be nice.

SWA only allows one lap child per row because they only have 4 oxygen masks too.

 

[Tara]

FOR >2 YEAR OLDS TRAVELING AS LAP BABIES:

• Book the adult passengers as usual if on Southwest. Do not include the baby in the passenger count. Pay only for the adults. If on other airlines, most require you to include the information that you have an "infant in arms" - that's what it's called technically. Southwest doesn't require this at booking because they don't do seat assignments.
• Bring the child's birth certificate and show it at the ticket counter to get a boarding document for the child.
• If you are feeling lucky, take the child's car seat with you to the airport and do not check it with luggage - take it through security. IF the flight isn't full, you might be able to take the car seat on and have the child in her/his own seat. If there is no space available, then you can gate check the car seat.

FOR >2 YEAR OLDS TRAVELING IN THEIR OWN SEAT:

• On Southwest, book as you normally would, but include the baby in the adult passenger count. Southwest offers no discount for ticketed infants.
• For other carriers, they used to offer a 50% discount for ticketed infants under age 2…not sure if this is still true or not, but I used it a lot when my son was little.
• Bring the child's birth certificate if flying on Southwest just in case. I've had over-zealous counter agents insist that I needed to show it even though my son was a ticketed passenger at full price.
• Bring the child's car seat. A child under 2 in their own seat must be secured in an approved child safety seat (in general, all seats sold in the US can also be used in planes - I think the regulation is that it must have the language "approved for use in all motor vehicles"…some will tell you it has to say "FAA approved" or something similar, but that isn't true.
• If the child should be rear-facing in the car, the same is true on a plane.
• On Southwest where you select your own seats, do not choose a row directly in front of or behind the exit rows.

 

[Haley]

• Bring the child's car seat. A child under 2 in their own seat must be secured in an approved child safety seat (in general, all seats sold in the US can also be used in planes - I think the regulation is that it must have the language "approved for use in all motor vehicles"&some will tell you it has to say "FAA approved" or something similar, but that isn't true.
• If the child should be rear-facing in the car, the same is true on a plane.

I flew with my 19 month old and bought her a seat and we did not bring her car seat at all- she just sat right on the seat. I know a car seat comes in handy for safety reasons but it's not required. No one ever asked how old she was because I paid for a seat- ID isn't required for kids.

 

[Tara]

I flew with my 19 month old and bought her a seat and we did not bring her car seat at all- she just sat right on the seat. I know a car seat comes in handy for safety reasons but it's not required. No one ever asked how old she was because I paid for a seat- ID isn't required for kids.

That isn't what I was told on multiple occasions, though I really can't imagine why anyone would buy a seat for their child and not have them in a car seat given how much safer it is. I am aware ID isn't required for kids, too, but proof of age is required by some airlines if you are flying with infant in arms. My point was that even when I had purchased a seat for my under-age-2 son, Southwest insisted on seating a birth certificate to verify his age, which was ridiculous and time consuming as I didn't have it.