Southwest Have To Register A Lap Child?
With the Oakland Airdrome simply 12 minutes from my front door, my family flies Southwest Airlines a lot. Southwest is often a favorite airline of flying families equally well, and with good reason. Since information technology has unlike rules and practices than other airlines, however, information technology tin can sometimes trip upward inexperienced flyers, especially travelers with kids. Just don't let that worry you — Southwest also has a a number of unique perks that are of corking value for family travelers. You just demand to know how to take advantage of all that the airline offers!
That's what this post is all almost. Don't be unprepared for your next Southwest Airlines flight when you travel with your children. Whether you lot are flight with a lap child on Southwest, young kids in their own seats, or older tweens and teens, Southwest does things a flake differently. Hither are all the details you need to know to make the almost of Southwest's policies and perks and make your next trip on Southwest with kids a breeze.
What You Demand to Know About Flight Southwest Airlines with Kids
1) Free checked numberless will salvage yous a bundle.
You've probably seen the ads: "Bags Wing Costless." Southwest is the last of the U.S. domestic airlines to still offer free checked bags – 2 bags per person upward to fifty lbs each.
This is a existent benefit for families who travel, as it is often difficult to pack light with all the gear that little ones crave. I observe that even when Southwest has slightly college base of operations fares than other airlines on similar routes, when y'all factor in bag fees, Southwest actually comes out every bit the cheaper overall option many times.
If you practise take advantage of the free bags, be aware that lap children exercise not go a baggage allowance. Also, checked strollers and car seats do not count towards your free bag allowance. Those items ever wing free no matter what!
2) Family boarding volition allow yous to get seats together as a family unit.
Southwest doesn't take assigned seats unlike most other domestic carriers. Instead, it assigns boarding group numbers (A, B, & C, each numbered 1-60) to passengers, who are and then free to have any open seat as they lath. As y'all can probably guess, the good seats like exit rows, and then aisles and windows become fast. Passengers who board later on in the process find that often only scattered center seats are available.
This might seem similar a sticky situation for families who normally desire to secure three or more than seats together. Just never fear! Southwest allows all families with children ages 6 and under to board between the A & B groups no thing what their assigned boarding numbers. In my many dozens of flights with Southwest, I have e'er been able to secure three or iv seats together for my family when nosotros board during family boarding. I've been nearly separated from my kids far more often on the airlines that supposedly promise assigned seats.
3) In that location are other tricks for ensuring you sit together with older kids likewise.
If your children are older than half-dozen and you want to brand certain you get seats together, there are options for sitting together also.
First, at that place's always the "fastest finger" option, which is totally free. Southwest's boarding group numbers are assigned starting at exactly 24 hours earlier a flight. Every bit long equally you cheque in (using the Southwest website or Southwest app) at that very moment, you have an splendid chance of getting at least an early B grouping boarding pass. In my experience, this is certainly early on enough for a family unit to find seats together. Merely y'all do have to exist very fast – every 2d counts! At present that my younger kid is over the age for family boarding, I set an alert on my phone for 5 minutes before the 24 hour marker as an extra reminder.
Let's confront information technology – busy parents don't always recall to check in at exactly 24 hours in advance, fifty-fifty if you practise set an alert. For longer flights when sitting together really matters, my advice is to consider paying for "Early Bird check-in." The price varies from $xv-25 each way, depending on need. Paying for this option puts y'all in the front end of the check in line. This means yous volition ordinarily secure an A group or early on B group boarding laissez passer.
Merely that's not the only feasible shortcut. If you lot concur either the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card or the Southouthwest Rapid Rewards Functioning Business Credit Card from Hunt, you are besides entitled to iv priority boardings per year when available. This is a smart backup to have in a pinch for those times you forgot to check in at 24 hours and risked it without Early Bird. See my guide to Southwest credit cards for all the details.
4) Birth certificates are required for ALL lap children.
Flying with a child under age ii on your lap? Southwest is the only airline that requires you lot to show a birth certificate for your lap child.
This rule applies no thing what the historic period of your lap child and even for domestic flights. If you have flown another airline with a lap baby, chances are pretty skilful you would not take been asked for proof of historic period unless the child looked to be nearing the age of 2. Not so with Southwest. Even if you apparently have a newborn who would never be mistaken for a toddler nearing the two year cutoff, pack that nascence certificate!
Related: Tips for Flying with a Lap Todder
What if you don't have a nascence certificate all the same for your child? Oft infirmary discharge papers or vaccination records from your child's pediatrician can suffice. Phone call the airline in advance if you detect yourself in this situation, considering enforcement differs from airport to airport and amanuensis to amanuensis.
5) Plan for extra time to get boarding verification documents for lap children.
In order to board your Southwest flying with a lap child, yous need to obtain what is called a boarding verification certificate. This certificate is similar to a boarding pass and confirms that the kid has been historic period verified by showing a nascence certificate.
Yous can but get this boarding verification document at the ticket counter (or the Skycap curbside counters) at the airports pre-security. You cannot impress or download it in advance like you can with other Southwest boarding passes. So, exist sure to leave yourself extra time to bank check in at the ticket counter at the aerodrome if y'all are traveling with a lap kid, even if you aren't checking bags.
half dozen) Southwest has minimal nutrient, so pack lots of snacks.
There are a lot of things that will make your kids cranky when you wing, but don't let hunger be 1 of the causes! Air travel is hectic, and I never rely on being able to have fourth dimension to buy food at the airport – especially not in 2021 with many airport restaurants closed or overrun with demand. Packing meals and snacks is only a must when you have kids.
Related: fifty Kid-Friendly Snacks to Pack for Airplanes
Information technology'due south even more than important though when you fly Southwest considering of the airline'due south limited food choices. Don't wait a sandwich or a hot meal for purchase similar many other airlines accept. Southwest has just pre-packaged snacks.
The snack options in Southwest have changed a bit in recent years, especially since the hiatus in flight that many travelers took in 2020 and early on 2021. If you were used the pretzels of old, you won't run across them reliably anymore (and if y'all were planning for peanuts, those were discontinued awhile back due to allergies). The Nabisco snacks that used to be served on longer flights similar shortbread cookies, Oreos, and Ritz cheese crackers likewise appear to be gone now.
In 2021, my family has mostly been served a Southwest branded snack mix (with pretzels, bagel chips, and cheese crackers) and sometimes besides Credibility Brittle on about flights. Flight attendants usually let you help yourselves to as many of these packaged snacks as you'd like, but the snacks are not plenty for well-nigh kids on anything but the shorter haul flights.
If you are leap for Hawaii on Southwest Airlines, there are additional food options on these flights. See my review of a Southwest flight to Hawaii for all the details and photos.
7) Southwest has ample kid-friendly entertainment (just you lot need to download Southwest's app before flight!)
Keeping kids entertained on planes is essential for a less stress flight for parents. While nosotros try in my family to pack a few tech-free entertainment options for our kids, electronic devices expanse likewise a crucial part of our strategy for passing the time.
Southwest's WiFi and in-flight entertainment options have really come a long mode in the last few years. The airline pioneered $8 WiFi – cheaper than every other carrier – and has had live streaming Television set channels for many years.
In 2018, Southwest expanded its entertainment offerings. Messaging apps iMessage and WhatsApp are at present gratis, only what will make about families happiest are the free in-app movies. In order to admission the movies on smartphones and tablets, notwithstanding, y'all must have the Southwest app on your device. Be sure to download information technology before your trip, as y'all tin can't practise it in the air without paying for WiFi likewise.
There is usually a wide-variety of recently released kid-friendly movies available mixed in among a few classics, so chances are expert you will notice something new to keep your kids engaged. In September 2021, for example, choices included the new Pixar film Luca, Despicable Me, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Raya and the Last Dragon, Shrek, Soul, and more.
eight) If at that place are extra seats on the airplane, you lot tin can snag them for your lap child – for free.
Back to lap children for a second. Although I often purchased seats for my kids as babies and toddlers on other airlines, I didn't as often on Southwest. Why? Because of Southwest'due south unique seating policy!
Because Southwest has open seating, if there are open seats to be had anywhere on the plane, yous tin usually snag them for your lap child without paying for a ticket. Very few people will choose to sit next to you when y'all have a baby in full view.
Y'all can improve your chances of securing that empty seat by choosing seats at the very back of the aeroplane. Alternatively, claim the seat by bringing your car seat on board to occupy the actress space. Of course, be certain to check with the gate agents to make sure at that place are sufficient empty seats to allow you to bring the seat on board first. They'll requite you the go alee on flights that are not sold out.
nine) Southwest's unaccompanied minor plan is one of the best (and least expensive).
Speaking of money saving tricks, Southwest has one more than that families with older kids need to take note of. If your child is ready to fly every bit an unaccompanied minor, Southwest's policies are some of the best.
Southwest charges only $l each way, while many other airlines charge triple that! And Southwest only charges for v-11 year olds. Kids who are 12 and up are gratis to travel without the service. Other airlines go along requiring it until kids turn xv, even if they don't need it.
My daughter flew as an unaccompanied minor on Southwest for her i and only time so far. She was 10 years old and went down to Southern California for a weekend with her uncle. The gate agents and flight attendants took smashing care of her, and I was happy the service didn't cost an arm and a leg for such a short trip. Now that she'south 12, I'one thousand also happy I volition no longer have to pay to use the service once I determine she's gear up for solo travel. Since we wing then much and she's independent and savvy, I'd be totally ok with letting her fly on a like Bay Area to SoCal flight without help.
10) Southwest'due south Rapid Rewards frequent flyer programme is the most flexible and usable for family unit travelers.
Accept you ever collected airline miles for years just to find them side by side to impossible to redeem at a decent rate when y'all really want to utilize them? Or have y'all had trouble finding enough award tickets for a family of four or more on a single flight?
You lot'll accept no such problems with Southwest. Why? If in that location are seats available for purchase with greenbacks, you can redeem your Southwest Rapid Rewards points for them. This anytime availability makes Southwest'south frequent flyer programme the most practical and easy to use for traveling families in my experience.
So exist sure to sign you lot and your kids upwardly for Rapid Rewards accounts the very kickoff time you lot program to fly Southwest. It takes seconds. You'll accrue miles you tin really apply! Points on Southwest also never expire, and then it'due south non some other engagement to rails.
And be sure you are doing all you tin to earn points for your family unit's next trip. Chase partners with Southwest to offer iii dissimilar personal credit cards with large signup bonuses that tin can help add to your Rapid Rewards residual.
Exist sure to read my guide to which Southwest credit card is correct for you lot for all the details on these offers and the specific card choices. In that location are 2 business card choices too if y'all are eligible for a business card (and it'south possible to accept both a personal and business Southwest credit card as well, like I do!).
11) Southwest'southward no alter fee policy affords flexibility to families.
For families, flexibility in travel is a huge do good. With kids, things come – from sickness to a schoolhouse or extracurricular scheduling disharmonize.
For a long fourth dimension, Southwest was the only US domestic airline that did not charge change fees when you had to cancel or change a booked trip. Other airlines have added this do good in 2020 and 2021, only Southwest's policy is nonetheless far more than generous that the contest. (Related: Comparing Airline No Change Fee Policies: Which is the All-time?)
So how does this work? If y'all demand to cancel a trip, Southwest volition hold the full value of your ticket for a full twelvemonth from when you booked it as a credit. There'southward no additional punishment or fee for this privilege.
If yous need to change to a unlike flight, the aforementioned principles utilize. If the new flight yous book costs less money, you get the divergence as a credit good for one yr. It's only of course if the new flight costs more that you have to pay the extra fare departure. But again, there are no actress fees involved in any of this.
12) Southwest can even relieve your family money when fares drop.
Last but certainly non least is my favorite and well-nigh-used characteristic of traveling with Southwest. Not merely tin can you modify flights with no penalties with Southwest, just Southwest will also give you a credit back when a flying you already have booked drops in price. For families buying three, 4, or more tickets, fifty-fifty small-scale per ticket savings tin can actually add upwardly.
This isn't automatic – you take to call or rebook your flight online at a lower rate yourself. Simply if you watch for Southwest fare sales, you can oft relieve your family unit some real money on time to come travel. Annotation that these credits must be used within a yr of the date you originally booked the flying, and then don't miss the expiration dates.
If you booked your flying with Rapid Rewards points, your miles volition exist fully refunded to your account with taxes and fees refunded in full to your credit card. For travel that you aren't sure you will have or for flights you retrieve are likely to drop in price, it's often best to book with points for just this reason since you won't have a ane year credit expiration to runway and worry about.
Be sure to cheque out Southwest'south Travel with Children section on its website for the latest information. And delight share your tips for flying Southwest with family unit in the comments!
Disclosure : I was a paid Southwest Airlines #SouthwestStorytellers brand administrator in 2018. I originally published this mail back in 2014 before I had any relationship with the airline. As always, all opinions are my own.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article referenced discounted child fares. Southwest discontinued those fares on June 1, 2021.
Southwest Have To Register A Lap Child?,
Source: https://tripswithtykes.com/the-complete-guide-to-flying-southwest-with-kids/
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