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FLYING WITH TODDLER- help!

mamayana
Explorer C

i will be flying with my 2 year old daughter. her dad will be staying home while i visit my hometown in virginia (we are located in los angeles). will i need written permission from him to show the airport in order to fly with her? what else will i need to verify her besides her birth certificate? she is very big for her age and talks well and often gets mistaken for being 4 or 5 years old. she wears a size 5/6 and is basically half my height (im 5'3, her dad is very tall and my grandpa is 6'5). she is almost 60 pounds so will i have to bring her carseat on the plane or can i check it in and she can just sit on the regular seat? and does her diaper bag count as a carry on aside from my own bag? also does she need her own rapid rewards account or since the childfare isnt active they wont use that? this is her first airplane ride and my first time flying with her and i will be by myself.

2 REPLIES 2

Re: FLYING WITH TODDLER- help!

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

A 2 year old requires their own ticket and since no ticketed passenger under age 18 flying domestically requires any documentation or identification you don't need to bring anything.  You are the child's parent so no permission from another parent is needed.  Carseat can be brought onboard, checked at the check-in counter, or checked at the gate.  Generally a Wanna Get Away fare is better than an child fare.  A child fare is a slightly discounted Anytime fare that provides refundability, but will still be more expensive than a Wanna Get Away fare.  No one needs to have a Rapid Rewards account, but there's no reason not to get one.  You might as well start earning points for the kid now.  Points don't expire so start saving them now.  Every ticketed passenger is allowed to carry-on one personal item, something that will fit underneath the seat in front of you, AND a carry-on bag that would go in the overhead bin.  If you have a purse, diaper bag, and a small backpack for the kid that still leaves you with the ability to bring one more item on board.  Bring lots of snacks and perhaps something to watch a movie on (don't forget the headphones) and you should be set.  Enjoy the trip

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: FLYING WITH TODDLER- help!

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Fyi: Southwest stopped selling infant and child fares in June.

 

Also, be aware that customers traveling with children are allowed to check one stroller and one car seat per child without charge. This is in addition to the regular free baggage allowance. And that a car seat brought onboard is not counted against the "one-bag plus one personal-type item" limit (although it sounds like your daughter won't need to use the car seat on board).