Traveling with Children

[CindySac]

My husband and I are traveling with our 15mo old twins (I have copies of the birth certificate for verification). I have several questions -- I've booked them as lap children on a non-stop flight 2.5hr flight.

We use a stroller wagon (folded dimensions are 29Wx20Dx45H), and will also have our two carseats. Can all 3 of these items be gate checked so we have them available to us immediately upon deplaning at our destination? We have bags for them, and the bag for the wagon fits over it such that it can still be rolled for convenience. I'm very nervous of them being damaged and still being safe to use at destinations (especially the carseats so we don't get stranded at the airport), but am reminding myself I've always had great experiences with Southwest!

During the flight, are there restrictions on our seating arrangements, other than needing to avoid the exit row? I've been told some airlines limit one child per row due to oxygen mask availability. I'm hoping we can sit together as being separated will make things more difficult.

Also, are the children restrained at all in the parents' lap? Back in the day, I've seen attachments to the seatbelt, but I don't know if they are a thing anymore or what today's standards are. They basically were a seat belt that was its own seatbelt, attached to the outside of the adult's, but not inside so that the adult wouldn't crush the child in the case of a jolt.

Thanks!!

[DancingDavidE]

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@CindySac wrote:
We use a stroller wagon (folded dimensions are 29Wx20Dx45H), and will also have our ...

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You will have to sign a liability release where if Southwest loses your item you can be compensated, but as long as they return to you all the pieces damage wouldn't be covered. This is mostly CYA language but I'd be careful about checking anything that was delicate or had pieces extending off of itself that might be vulnerable. Hopefully the bag provides some protection from scuffing. 

Southwest blue bags may be for sale at the ticket counter for $17.

Each kid can have two items of baby gear checked so you are good on the quantities.

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@CindySac wrote:
During the flight, are there restrictions on our seating arrangements, other than ne...

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No exit rows, and then there is one extra oxygen mask in each row so you can have two adults and two kids, except that as the kids are lap children if someone takes that empty middle seat then it would be too many people.

So although I'm hopeful for you, it would be possible on a completely full flight that you can't all be in a row if someone from the public joins you in that same row.

You might be asking yourself who would sit down between two lap children...those crazy people do exist, especially if the seat is desirable (towards the front) so I'd maybe try further back so there is less competition for that empty middle seat.

A more foolproof way would be if each parent takes an aisle seat across from each other. 

One workaround here would be to buy one kid a seat in the future and then you'd have three ticketed passengers taking up a three seat row.

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@CindySac wrote:
Also, are the children restrained at all in the parents' lap? Back in the day, I've ...

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Those aren't FAA approved, the FA will want you to simply hold the children and not use anything that modifies the existing seat belts.

We did get one of these CARES harnesses for when the kids were older, they didn't really fit these until they were no longer lap children though.

https://www.faa.gov/travelers/fly_children##Cares

I hope this helps!

@CindySac

@CindySac

@CindySac