Southwest Airlines Community

Traveling with children can be stressful, especially during the holidays. In this video, I share tips for making traveling with the kiddos easy and fun! ... View more

All the gear can be a burden when you are traveling with young children, can't it? One of the things that I LUV about flying Southwest Airlines is that bags fly free. But sometimes questions arise when it comes to baby gear—strollers, car seats, pack 'n plays, etc. As a mom who travels with a toddler a lot, I am thrilled that starting today, Southwest's policy regarding acceptance of car seats and strollers as checked baggage is changing—making things even easier for families to transport their needed items without additional charges.  The new policy allows for one stroller plus one CRS (car seat) per child free of charge.  This is in addition to the two free bag allowance.  Also, if you have additional baby items to check, you can substitute them for a free bag on a one-for-one basis (so if you were flying with a pack 'n play, you could substitute that for one of your bags and both would be free.) In the words of my two-year-old, Elias—HOORAY! If you have any questions about this new policy, feel free to leave a comment below and I know someone from Southwest will be happy to help you! Jessica Turner is Southwest's resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and video blogs focus on traveling with her young son, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband Matthew live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their toddler Elias, who loves to sing and ride on airplanes! ... View more

Traveling with a toddler is very different than traveling with an infant. Not only are they a lot bigger, but they are mobile! Hopefully this video gives you a few tips to make your time in the airport and on the plane easier. A few things worth expanding on: Several companies make wheel attachments for car seats. I use the Kidz Travelmate by GoGo Babyz and have been very satisfied with it. Once on the plane, you simply remove the wheels and put them in the overhead bin. Unfortunately, not all airports have child play areas. You can often check the airport's web site to see if one is listed. If your airport doesn't have a play area, then find an open area to run around and burn some energy. I can't emphasize enough the importance of being prepared when you travel with a toddler. I know it is tempting to take a small diaper bag with only the bare minimum, but trust me, you do not want to not be stuck with not having something that would make a difference between a happy child and a fussy one. I spoke with a Flight Attendant on a recent Southwest Airlines flight who said it was amazing how many parents fly without plenty of items to entertain their child, diapers, an extra outfit, etc. I love the kiddopotamus tiny diner placemat when we travel with Elias around meal times. Also, I have traveled alone with Elias several times, and it was impossible for me to carry him, the diaper bag, my purse, and the car seat on the plane by myself. Therefore, I recommend asking someone who is walking in beside you if they would be willing to carry your car seat. I have also had friendly Southwest Flight Attendants offer to help. No one wants to see a mom with a toddler struggling! Of course, only FAA-approved car seats are allowed for use on an airplane. I hope that these tips help you the next time you fly with your toddler. Southwest Airlines provided my and my family's airfare. The views shared in this post are my own. Southwest does not endorse any of the products mentioned in this post. ... View more

"Go Pack Go!" "It's On!" Two of my favorite cheers collided on November 1 when I had the pleasure of attending the Southwest Milwaukee tailgate party to celebrate Southwest's opening in the land of cheeseheads. Wisconsin happens to be my home state, and Milwaukee is where my entire family resides, so I couldn't be happier about Southwest's newest destination. The tailgate event was filled with families and exemplified all that Southwest is: Spirit, Fun, and LUV. Family-friendly opportunities abound in Wisconsin, making it a great vacation spot that I think many people overlook. Why go to Florida when you can go to the frozen tundra? 🙂 From a great zoo to great museums, Milwaukee offers something for families of all ages. Moreover, the city is filled with great restaurants, shopping districts, beautiful parks and the gorgeous Lake Michigan lakefront. Here is a list of some of my favorite family destinations in Milwaukee: The Milwaukee County Zoo  http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/ The Brewers  http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=mil Betty Brin Children's Museum  http://www.bbcmkids.org/ Discovery World  http://www.discoveryworld.org/ Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (aka The Domes) http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm Milwaukee Repertory Theater  http://www.milwaukeerep.com/ Pettit National Ice Center: US Olympic Training Facility http://www.thepettit.com/ Summerfest: The World's Largest Music Festival http://www.summerfest.com/flash/ And if you feel like taking a drive when you get to Milwaukee you could also visit some of my other favorite spots in Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.wisc.edu Wisconsin Dells, including my favorite attraction, Noah's Ark  http://wisdells.com/   http://www.noahsarkwaterpark.com/ EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is America's largest annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts   http://www.eaa.org Door County http://www.doorcounty.com Lambeau Field, home to The Green Bay Packers http://www.packers.com In Wisconsin you will find good-natured, hard-working, fun-loving people--just like you find on a Southwest plane. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy Milwaukee and the great state of Wisconsin. Be sure to get some cheese curds while you are there! Jessica Turner is Southwest’s resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and vlogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their 16-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything!  You can find Jessica's mommy blog at: www.TheMomCreative.com ... View more

Wow! We were thrilled by all the people that participated in our "My Peanut and I Fly Southwest" button contest. It was great to see the buttons everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. Southwest selected a winner at random from all the eligible entries. The lucky mommy is...(drumroll please) Leslie Jackson of Tempe, AZ--pictured with her own peanut below. Congratulations, Leslie! Just because the contest is over doesn't mean the buttons are going anywhere. So, if you haven't grabbed a button and posted it to your social media site of choice, what are you waiting for? Grab a button and show your family's LUV for Southwest. And the next time you're on Twitter, be sure to say hello to both of us: Southwest is @SouthwestAir and I'm @JessicaNTurner. My peanut is turning one in a couple weeks, so I need to go work on his party plans. Time really does fly, doesn't it? (pun intended) 🙂 See ya! To listen to a podcast with Jessica, visit: http://blogsouthwest.com/podcast/the-mother-all-podcasts Jessica Turner is Southwest’s resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and vlogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their 11-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything! ... View more

For a new parent, the thought of flying with your baby can be a little daunting – but it doesn’t have to be! My husband, Matthew, and I had our first baby (Elias) in the summer of 2008. With family in the Midwest and on the East Coast, we knew we would be flying a lot. In fact, our little peanut went on his first flight at five weeks old – and we all survived. All it took was a little extra preparation. Here are a few tips on how not to go nuts while flying with a peanut.    Get to the airport early – You will feel much more relaxed if you have plenty of extra time for checking your bags, security and multiple diaper changes. Check your bags – Southwest doesn’t charge for your first two pieces of luggage, so don’t worry about carry-ons. You have enough to deal with! (Click here to view Southwest’s baggage policy.) Don’t forget identification – Even if it is obvious that your peanut is under two, you still need to have his or her birth certificate with you. Be sure to tuck it in a place that is easily accessible. Wear your baby – Use a baby wrap or carrier to wear your baby through the airport. This will keep your hands free as you go through security and the terminal. Your baby will likely enjoy people-watching, too! Use your stroller as a cart – You are allowed to bring your stroller (and car seat) to the gate. So, if you are wearing your baby, use your stroller as a cart for your diaper bag, purse, etc. It makes going through a large airport much easier. Check your stroller as soon as you get to your gate – Don’t wait to get a gate check tag when you are boarding. Instead, see an attendant when you arrive at your gate and check your stroller and car seat then. It will make things a lot easier when you are boarding. Use a roomy diaper bag and pack extra – You want to be sure to prepare for the worst when you travel, and that means packing lots of extras! Pack extra diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, a ziplock bag for a dirty outfit, baby Tylenol, a rattle, a blanket, a burp cloth and anything else that your baby may need. My two favorite travel diaper bags are made by Lands End and the Bumble Collection. Prevent those ears from popping – When the plane takes off and lands, be sure your baby is sucking on something like a pacifier or a bottle to prevent his or her ears from popping. Enjoy yourself - Even if it may seem a bit overwhelming to travel with a baby, take time to enjoy it. Parenting is a big adventure, and traveling is pretty easy compared to some other situations we will face in the future!   [asset|aid=540|format=post_small_image|formatter=imagecache|title=Jessica Turner|width=150|height=100|align=none] Jessica Turner is Southwest’s resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and vlogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their 11-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything! ... View more

One of the many things I love about mommy-blogging is the community. Moms love to talk with other moms about what they like, don't like and experience while navigating parenthood. Southwest understands this and has created adorable My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons for moms who fly with their kids. Moms can easily post a button on their blogs, Facebook profiles, and other social media sites to let others know that as a mommy, they LUV Southwest. To download a button, click here.    As a mommy blogger myself, I am so excited to post a button on my site. It’s an easy way for my blog friends to know what airline I fly regularly and show my Southwest LUV. In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, Southwest is going to give away a family four-pack of airline tickets to any destination Southwest serves in the U.S. To enter, simply post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment under this post with a link to where you posted the button. If you post the button on multiple sites (ie: your blog and Facebook page), please leave one comment for each link. (For complete rules, click here.) This contest ends May 31, 2009, so be sure to enter now! (Of course, daddies are welcome to post the buttons to their sites too.) [asset|aid=540|format=post_small_image|formatter=imagecache|title=Jessica Turner|width=150|height=100|align=none] Jessica Turner is Southwest’s resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and vlogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville , Tenn. , with their 10-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything! ... View more

For a new parent, the thought of flying with your baby can be a little daunting – but it doesn’t have to be! My husband, Matthew, and I had our first baby (Elias) in the summer of 2008. With family in the Midwest and on the East Coast, we knew we would be flying a lot. In fact, our little peanut went on his first flight at five weeks old – and we all survived. All it took was a little extra preparation.   Here are a few tips on how not to go nuts while flying with a peanut.      Get to the airport early – You will feel much more relaxed if you have plenty of extra time for checking your bags, security and multiple diaper changes. Check your bags – Southwest doesn’t charge for your first two pieces of luggage, so don’t worry about carry-ons. You have enough to deal with! (Click here to view Southwest’s baggage policy.) Don’t forget identification – Even if it is obvious that your peanut is under two, you still need to have his or her birth certificate with you. Be sure to tuck it in a place that is easily accessible. Wear your baby – Use a baby wrap or carrier to wear your baby through the airport. This will keep your hands free as you go through security and the terminal. Your baby will likely enjoy people-watching, too! Use your stroller as a cart – You are allowed to bring your stroller (and car seat) to the gate. So, if you are wearing your baby, use your stroller as a cart for your diaper bag, purse, etc. It makes going through a large airport much easier. Check your stroller as soon as you get to your gate – Don’t wait to get a gate check tag when you are boarding. Instead, see an attendant when you arrive at your gate and check your stroller and car seat then. It will make things a lot easier when you are boarding. Use a roomy diaper bag and pack extra – You want to be sure to prepare for the worst when you travel, and that means packing lots of extras! Pack extra diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, a ziplock bag for a dirty outfit, baby Tylenol, a rattle, a blanket, a burp cloth and anything else that your baby may need. My two favorite travel diaper bags are made by Lands End and the Bumble Collection. Prevent those ears from popping – When the plane takes off and lands, be sure your baby is sucking on something like a pacifier or a bottle to prevent his or her ears from popping. Enjoy yourself - Even if it may seem a bit overwhelming to travel with a baby, take time to enjoy it. Parenting is a big adventure, and traveling is pretty easy compared to some other situations we will face in the future!   Click HERE to see Jessica navigate the airport with her peanut, Elias Happy Mother's Day and Happy Blogging!   Southwest is happy to introduce Jessica Turner as its new resident Mommy Blogger. Her guest blog posts and video blogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville , Tenn. , with their 10-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything! ... View more