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For ALL the parents out there...

jmalone
Adventurer A
rideoncarryon_02.jpgOkay!  I saw one of the neatest things on one of my flights yesterday.  It is the NEW MUST HAVE for anyone travelling with children.  It is called the Ride On - Carry On!  It is basically a chair with a headrest that you can strap on to your carry on luggage and place your child in it and tow them around with you.  One of the neatest things about the chair (IMHO) is the headrest can be removed to make a table for your child to eat on, write on, etc...  Some of the features of the Ride On-Carry on are:
  • Install or remove in just seconds.
  • Universal fit on carry-on luggage 18-22 inches tall.
  • Folds flat to fit in the overhead or under the seat.
  • Headrest doubles as a handy tray table. 
  • I would encourage all parents out there to invest in one of these chairs.  (No, I do NOT get any type of commission for this!  😉  ) If you have any tips/tricks or hints for travelling with children, please share them and let me know what you think about the Ride On-Carry On.rideoncarryon_03.jpg
    6 Comments
    Rachel_Gunnell
    Explorer C
    What a neat idea! Thanks for posting this! I am a mother of 3 kiddos, ages 5, 3 and 5 months. We always fly "home" to Phoenix twice a year to visit our families and this will definately make traveling easier!! We love Southwest! I have never had a bad experience! I know some flight attendants must tense up when they see a mother with 3 kids, but I have only encountered smiles and help and understanding. You guys are amazing! Thank you!
    Jenny3
    Explorer C
    Gosh darn it! Figures someone saw me hauling my kid in her car seat "bungeed" to the top of my rolling suitcase (and I'm not kidding). Now that both kids are old enough to be without car seats, they still get a ride - straddling the pull out handle. The roughest part about it all is the constant "GO FASTER." I do think the ride on carry on is a great idea - as for the headrest that doubles as a tray table - my thought is, if I'm in one place long enough - I'd rather let the kid burn off as much energy as possible - especially since the child will be in a seatbelt/car seat for the duration of a flight. Let the kid have a bit of freedom before you get on the plane....let them eat at the table in the cafe or go for a walk. Strap 'em in and sit 'em down when you are hauling to get to your gate on time. I am not sure I'd spend the extra money for the chair - I'd just let them ride on the bag itself...but that is just me. thanks for sharing! regards, jenny frasco
    Christine_Lampe
    Explorer C
    Whoops, in today's LA Times (September 19, 2007) Southwest just announced that all families with little children will now have to wait to board with the rest of the world. What a strange unfriendly decision for such a friendly airline! My youngest child is now 16, so I am not commenting for myself. In fact, I have several trips planned on Southwest next month and I am one of those people that you are trying to keep happy by bouncing the children to the back of the line. I think it is a terrible insult to treat parents with kids like this. Even though I have been a business traveler on Southwest many times, I have also been a parent traveling with little kids many times too. Have you tried traveling with 2 toddlers and a car seat? It is a massive undertaking and those families deserve a little time to waddle through the aisles with their arms overflowing with kids and equipment without having to avoid passengers who are already set up. Why not let them board and get settled first? Then I can board and not have to wait for the moms and dads to get out of the aisle while they arrange everything. What's the matter with you guys? I think this is just another really bad marketing move on your part. Was it just last week that you kicked a girl off a plane because of some sort of unknown - unpublished dress code? By the way, my daughters wear mini skirts too and I would be really upset if you kicked them off their flight because you didn't like how they were dressed. I have seen some shocking things on airplanes and it hasn't been young women wearing short skirts. I used to think that Southwest was the hippest airline.................. What's happening to you?..........................................................
    Bill_Morton1
    Explorer C
    I am a business traveler and do not understand your change in policy. As a business traveler, I would rather that the families with small children board ahead of me. Then, I can decide if I want to sit near them or move farther back in the plane. Being a father myself, it wasn't that many years ago that I traveled with my children when they were small and I truly appreciated being able to board early and "get settled". It is tough enough to find overhead luggage space when traveling alone...very difficult if carrying a small child. Southwest is generally my first choice when looking for air travel options and I will continue to fly SWA whenever I can. However, this change in policy, I just don't get it...
    Katie_Gerba
    Explorer C
    My first tip for traveling with children would be to decrease the stress involved by selecting an airline that either assigns seats when you book your ticket or allows families traveling with small children to board early. Unfortunately, since Southwest does not offer either of these services, I would have to say - find another airline.
    Valerie_Arose
    Explorer C
    I think you need to look look at the pre-boarding policy again. It is much easier when traveling with children to get on the plane first and get settled. After all the parents and kids are on the plane, the others can see where all of the kids are and choose to sit far away from them. I think you will be getting a lot of complaints about this change. A change that is not for the better!