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Traveling with Twins 1-year olds...

amywright1021
Explorer C

Hello all... We are planning to take a vacation in January.  We have twin boys who will be under 2 at the time of the trip and we are considering flying with them as lap passengers.  I've reviewed the official southwest literature and I've checked the discussion boards as well about the general policies of flying with young children, but i still have some questions... hopefully someone can help me out. Here is what i know so far.  They are required to have their birth certificates for proof of age, I am allowed 1 car seat per child and 1 stroller per child that can be checked in and placed with the other luggage, and i am also allowed 2 bags per adult (within the size & weight limit) that can be checked as well with no extra fees.  Am i correct?

If that is the case, what is the max weight/dimensions of the stroller? I have a double wide stroller.  It is not obscenely big and folds in half, but it is bigger than a singleton stroller. I dont want to find out at check-in that my stroller is too big to fit.  Also, we are meeting family at our destination, and they will be providing us with a vehicle to use while we are away from home.  The car seats come with bases that attach and lock in to the seat itself.  We planned to use both the car seats and bases while on this trip.  Can I attach the base to the seat and have it be stowed away as one piece? 

Finally, there is a good chance that we will be flying with buddy passes (pending the flights look empty enough), I assume all the policies that apply to ticketed customers still apply to those flying stand-by/budd pass, but would there be any additional restricitons since we wont have physical tickets? And, if the flight is open and we recieve seats, will we be able to board with the family group?

 

Thanks in advance

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Traveling with Twins 1-year olds...

arnoldtijerina
Explorer C
Solution

Those are a lot of questions but let me see if I can answer being a frequent Southwest traveler with a child.

 

1. You are allowed 2 bags per ticketed passenger free.

2. You can gate check the stroller and car seat with the base attached. I've typically seen these (car seats) come out at baggage claim inside a big plastic bag. Probably to prevent the base separating from the seat and to keep them clean. I'm not sure whether the airlines provided that bag or if the passengers brought it with them. Think transparent large trash bag for a visual. I have see double wide strollers gate checked.

3. The baggage policies apply to all passengers regardless of whether you paid full fare for your ticket or are flying on a companion pass.

4. Boarding is the same for all types of tickets. The ONLY exception would be if you are flying stand-by. If that is the case (as you indicate it could be via your "if there are open seats" remark) then it is possible that the gate agent may not know if you'll be able to fly until the last minute (typically 10 minutes before a flight as that is when people that have not checked in and are not near the gate area are in danger of losing their seats) so if that is the case, you would be possibly the last person to board the plane. If, however, they give you a seat prior to boarding then yes you could board during family boarding which is after group A and before group B.

 

Hope this helped!

Re: Traveling with Twins 1-year olds...

Vandi
Explorer C

We travel with our little one quite a bit.  Quick answers as I am working from my iPhone:

1. good to go with the stroller, no restrictions there.

2. good to go with the bases attached, i recommend getting a flight bag for the car seats t protect them and prevent the bases from getting detached.  Something like $15 on amazon.

3. Buddy passes have the same rules

4. 2 bags under 50 lbs each ticketed passenger  in addition to the kiddo stroller and carseat

 

side note.  We get a ticket for our little one.  It's a small price to pay to have her buckled into a car seat in the event of severe in flight turbulence.

 

 

 

Re: Traveling with Twins 1-year olds...

connor35
Explorer A

And remember if they're both on your laps, you and your husband can't sit in the same row on the same side.

 

You'll have to be across the aisle from one another.

 

The reason is that there are 4 overhead oxygen masks for every 3 seats.  So they can't have two lap babies in the same row of 3.

 

Just a heads up so you dont get settled in only to have a flight attendant ask you to move -- and then not have a seat near hubby.

Re: Traveling with Twins 1-year olds...

Ted1249
Explorer C

A couple years ago we flew with thirteen month old twins as lap babies. We gate checked a double stroller (City Mini) and two car seats with bases (in nylon bags) in addition to all our checked bags, with no problems. The twins had been great travelers the couple times we flew when they were infants, and we didn't want to pay for two extra round trip tickets unnecessarily, since we already had to pay full price for them on the cruise we were taking. Just a word of warning based on that experience: Ours was not an especially long flight (Baltimore to Ft. Lauderdale), but felt endless as we struggled to keep them quiet and keep them from encroaching on anyone else's space, while One week vacation with two babiesOne week vacation with two babiesthey clamored to see more of their surroundings and fellow passengers. We took snacks, books, toys, movies, but nothing enticed them to be still for long. By the time we arrived, we were all four worn out and unhappy. Fortunately, the return flight was not full, so we were allowed to bring the car seats on. In the familiar restraints, the kiddos settled right down and slept all the way. We didn't fly with them again until they were two and had to have their own tickets; now they always have car seats and are great travelers (with Leap Pads and snacks). I strongly recommend asking when you arrive at the airport how full the flight is, and keeping the car seats with you if there is a chance you can take them on the plane. Good luck!