shishka32

Hi everyone,

First time with a baby flying on Southwest. Have a few questions.

1. Should we gate check or baggage check the car seat, stroller, or both?

2. We have protective bags for both the stroller and car seat. If we gate check, will they take it with the bag over it?

3. How do we get a tag for the gate check?

4. Do I need to pick up the gate checked items at each layover?

5. How do we figure out if the flight is full? If it is not full, should I just put the car seat down in an empty seat next to us (open seating on SW) and assume nobody wants that seat? While I'm sure nobody wants to sit next to a baby that seems like a selfish thing to do.

Thanks!!

theflyingguyblog

Hello!

1. If you want the stroller for the airport then gate check it. If not, feel free to check it at the checkin area. As for the car seat, that depends on whether the baby is a lap passenger or you have purchased a seat for them. If it's a lap passenger, then there is no reason to bring the car seat to the gate since the baby doesn't need a car seat for a lap. However, this could depend on what other bags you are planning to check since only the first two bags on SW are free.

2. I'm not 100% sure on this but they should take them with the protective covering over them.

3. To get a tag for the gate check, just talk to the agent working at your gate. They should give you a tag to put on it.

4. Yes, the gate checked items need to be picked up after each leg. Since the tag only identifies it as a gate checked item, there is no info as to where the bag would be going next. Therefore they leave it at the bottom of the jet bridge after the flight.

5. If the baby is a lap passenger, then there would be no reason for the car seat to be on the plane. If you have purchased the seat for the baby, then by all means bring the car seat and seat the baby next to you. Otherwise, a lap passenger must remain on the lap (though if there is an empty seat next to you during the flight it shouldn't be a problem to put the baby there.

Hope this answered some of your questions! Happy Flying!

-The Flying Guy

shishka32

Thanks! Yes, the baby is a lap passenger but I've heard if there are empty seats you should bring your car seat with you because you can use that in the empty seat. Not sure how common this is.

levilevi

I've simply asked at the gate if the flight is full - be honest - just say you have a lap child, but if there is open seating, you'd love to be able to bring the car seat aboard - they will tell you yay or nay. It worked 1/5 times for us.

RE: covers/bags - no problem - protip - you can usually stuff some extra stuff in the bags/covers (not really an issue on SW, but other airlines that charge fees for bags, etc). Word of caution - sometimes the "bulk" of the cover will prevent a car seat especially form getting through the TSA scanners... so either remove for the scanner or prepare for a separate search of the item.

themicah

I fully agree. I would only add to ask at checkin first, since if the flight is expected to be full, you may as well just check the car seat there and not have schlep it with you to the gate. But if the flight isn't expected to be full (or if you have a connecting flight and the second leg is expected to have empty seats), bring the car seat to the gate and inquire again with the gate agent. If there are empty seats (which doesn't happen often these days, but does happen), they should let you bring on the car seat and use a seat.

Note that car seats must be placed in window seats (so that in an emergency they won't block the person in the window seat from getting to the aisle). But if you board with family boarding (after the A's, before the B's) you will have no problem at all getting a window and middle seat together near the back of the plane. Just be sure and check with the gate agent before doing it, as you'll piss off a bunch of people if the last paying passenger to board can't find a seat and they end up delaying the flight while they track you down and gate check your car seat.

Also note that Southwest requires birth certificates for lap children, no matter how young, to prove that they aren't 2 years old yet. They don't check every time, but they DO check now and then, so be sure and bring a copy.

levilevi

This is 100% spot on - you can also use a passport if you have it. I've heard they can enter the child as "age verified" in their system if the child has a RR#, but was never able to get a check in counter agent or gate agent to do that, so when ours was under 2, we just always brought her passport and a copy of her birth cert just in case.

Big4Flyer

Good comments from the Flying Guy. The only thing I'll add is that they can gate check items all the way through as the tag they attach shows the destination airport. They'll usually ask if you want to check it through or want to use it at the connection city. I would avoid doing this though. The one time we gate-checked a stroller through to our destination it arrived with the locking mechanism completely gone. Now we have to use 4 bolts to hold it together

Often1

Gate check no matter the circumstances.

WN loads those pieces last and thus off-loads them first. They are less likely to be manhandled and crushed.

Make sure that you have a bag for the stroller or car seat (the insides of baggage holds are filthy, germ-ridden, and not cleaned). You can purchase them for around $10 on Amazon.