@Kirstie59 wrote:
Hi, so I’ll be boarding an airplane next summer with my 8 month old and I will be breastfeeding.
I’ve read A lot of info but I just want clarification because I am a stresser.. so a few questions I have..
1) am I allowed to bring a stroller with a car seat and a bassinet that goes with the stroller that does separate without having to pay for it and can any of these items go with me on the plane rather then underneath the plane with other baggage and strollers?
2) when it comes to breastfeeding, I know they don’t charge for breast pump but am I allowed to bring a breast pump bag that hold my breast pumps and extra milk while still being able to bring my personal carry on and baggage or does the breast pump bag count as a personal carry on?
any tips and answers will be greatly appreciated! Thank you
Greetings!
My post assumes that your child will travel as a lap infant and will not occupy another seat since they're under 2 years old. Details here:
https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/flying-with-infants
Southwest allows you to check one stroller and one car seat without charge. This allowance applies to any type of stroller and/or car seat and is in addition to the regular baggage allowance. You may check the stroller and car seat at the curb, check-in counter, or at the gate. More info:
https://community.southwest.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Traveling-with-Little-Ones-The-Logistics/ta-p/9123...
I'm assuming the bassinet is separate from the stroller; for this item, it can be checked as one of your two free checked bags, provided it does not exceed 50 lbs and 62 inches (L+W+H). I would purchase a bag for both the car seat and bassinet for added protection and check both of these at the check-in counter so you're not having to carry these through the airport.
For the stroller, you can bring this to the gate and gate-check it there. You can get the tags with an Agent at the Customer Service desk working your gate.
For the breast milk, here's a nice article that should help as pumps do not count toward the carry-on limits:
https://community.southwest.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Nursing-Moms-Take-Flight/ta-p/93755/1000
I would declare the pump bag to the gate agent before boarding.
TSA also allows Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby/toddler food (to include puree pouches) in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters through the TSA Checkpoint in carry-on baggage; they do not need to fit within a quart-sized bag. TSA defines these as medically necessary liquids. This also applies to breast milk and formula cooling accessories, such as ice packs, freezer packs, and gel packs (regardless of presence of breast milk).
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/breast-milk
Since I assume the child is a lap child under 2 years of age, be sure to bring a copy of their birth certificate should agents need to validate the child's age. During boarding, you can board either in your assigned boarding position (assuming if you're in the A group) or during Family Boarding (in between the A and B groups).
Hope this helps!
