open middle seats for lap infants?

[lild428]

if southwest is leaving middle seats vacant.. which should mean the amount of tickets sold per flight is less, right?

what if my husband and i purchase tickets and we have our son (under 2 yrs old) as a lap infant? can we theoretically use that middle seat for extra bags, etc.? in the past we have purchased him his own seat to ensure we don't sit next to anyone else...

[dfwskier · Accepted solution]

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@lild428 wrote:

if southwest is leaving middle seats vacant.. which should mean the amount of tickets sold per flight is less, right?

Yup. Southwest is not selling 1/3 of the seats on every plane.

what if my husband and i purchase tickets and we have our son (under 2 yrs old) as a lap infant? can we theoretically use that middle seat for extra bags, etc.? in the past we have purchased him his own seat to ensure we don't sit next to anyone else...

Two things to remember here:

1) There is still a limit on the number of carry on items you can have

2) FAA prohibits bags from sitting on seats However, you could use the underseat stowage in front of the unoccupied seat in your row.

[lild428]

i guess my main question is.. if the flight attendants come by and my kid is sitting on the empty middle seat.. are they going to make me put him on my lap? lol i’m not cheap where i can’t pay for a seat for him BUT if i can save some $ i’m all for it lol

[dfwskier]

Government regs state that youngsters over 2 should sit in approved "car" seats on planes.

If you were to sit the child in the middle seat without one, you would potentially be risking his/her life in case of heavy turbulence, where the child could become a flying object.

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

[lild428]

i get what the recommendations are. to each their own if they want to use a car seat or not. i'm just asking if one would be made to keep lap infant on a lap the whole flight or the child could use the empty middle seat that his/her parents didn't purchase but was kept empty on purpose......

[SWFlyer007]

Since you're wanting a specific answer that we, mostly customers, not employees, can't really answer.  I'm sure you're hoping somebody who flew and tried to do this might answer and i hope they do.  But in the meantime, you might present this to customer relations as a hypothetical situation and see what they respond.   You know, each flight attendant has the autonomy to perceive each situation they encounter the way they want, based on SWA policy.  I'm thinking that whatever they decide to do would be based on the safety of your child.  Here is where you should go.

Contact Customer Relations

You can reach Customer Relations by:

Phone: (855) 234-4654

Twitter: @SouthwestAir

Facebook: @SouthwestAir

Email (don't' have this right now)

The Customer Relations/Rapid Rewards Department is specialized to assist Customers with escalated concerns, most often following their travel. For assistance with booking and reservations, please instead contact the Customer Support and Services Team at (800) I-FLY-SWA. 

[SWFlyer007]

You can reach Customer Relations by:

Phone: (855) 234-4654

Twitter: @SouthwestAir

Facebook: @SouthwestAir

Email (don't' have this right now)

The Customer Relations/Rapid Rewards Department is specialized to assist Customers with escalated concerns, most often following their travel. For assistance with booking and reservations, please instead contact the Customer Support and Services Team at (800) I-FLY-SWA. 

[Texbabygirl]

If I'm sitting in your row and there is a middle seat, why do you assume you can put your kid in it? The flight attendant will ask you to move your kid because I will firmly request that they do so. Lap child means lap child.

[Texbabygirl]

Open seat doesn't mean free seat for you.

[bwallet]

For gosh sake, the original poster stated that she would be buying two seats, one for her and one for her husband, and that the child would be placed in the empty middle seat between them. For the life of me, I cannot imagine that anyone say anything about that or care. If it is an issue, hold the child until after takeoff and then place him/her in the seat after that.

[Texbabygirl]

It is about getting airlines to discontinue the safety farse of lap children. No more lap children.