Originally Posted by
lost*in*cyberspace
It appears that you don't understand that if you follow the instructions in the link to age verify your lap infant before the flight, you will not have to provide proof of age at the airport. You will be able to check in online for the infant, bypassing any need for interaction with the ticket counter.
That's not what I read from that section at all. That section is about age verification for passengers on FARES that have an age restriction (maximum or minimum). A lap infant doesn't have a fare or ticket, they're just an add-on to an existing passenger, and so there's no point in trying to set up a Rapid Rewards account for them (as the link you provided would have you do).
A passport is valid for age verification for a senior or child fare, but not, apparently, for lap child status. Why not, I have no idea.
From the SW website, on lap infants:
"If you choose to travel with your infant on your lap (at no additional charge) the infant will not need a boarding pass; however, you will need to obtain a Boarding Verification Document (BVD) for the infant. The BVD will allow the infant to board the aircraft.
BVDs are available at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter on the day of travel. In order to complete your BVD, the Customer Service Agent will need to verify that your infant has not reached his/her second birthday, so be sure to bring along a copy of your infant's
birth certificate."
https://www.southwest.com/html/custo...USTOMER-INFANT