Flying with babies is not easy – after all, your little munchkins require extra effort to navigate the skies. Therefore, it’s always advised to choose the airline that offers generous infant policies to handle your kids.
Southwest Infant Policy has a slightly competitive edge over others, as it strives to make your infant’s travel easy and more convenient. Planning to fly with Southwest? Scroll down and find all the tidbits of the airline’s infant policy to make your next family trip a breeze.
What is Southwest Infant Policy?
Southwest Airlines offers a number of unique perks that are of great value for family travelers, and its infant policy is one of them. So, if you are flying with an infant on Southwest, take note of the policy’s highlights and make bookings accordingly.
- Your infant must be more than 14 days old.
- Parents/legal guardians accompanying the infant must carry their proof of age when checking in. It can be a passport, a birth certificate, or any government-issued ID.
- An infant 14+ days old and less than two years of age might get an exemption from any charges if traveling with someone 12 years old or older. However, in this case, the infant shouldn’t occupy a seat.
- To travel with an infant in your lap, pay the applicable fees and taxes as an international part of the infant’s itinerary. Make the payment before travel.
- Your lap child doesn’t need a boarding pass. However, obtain a Boarding Verification Document (BVD) so your infant can easily board the flight.
- If you purchase a seat for your infant to travel in a child restraint system (CRS), they need a boarding pass.
- Lactating mothers can have an additional carry-on bag with milk, breast pump, and other baby essentials.
Seating for Infants
- As per the Southwest Baby policy, secure your infant in an FAA-approved child restraint device as per the availability of an adjacent unoccupied seat.
- Kids who have turned two years old must occupy their own seats as per FAA regulations.
Please note
- The child restraint device may be transported as checked baggage at the unavailability of adjacent unoccupied seats.
- You are allowed a car seat and a stroller for free.
How to Make a Southwest Booking with a Lap Child?
If you are not buying your tickets with Rapid Rewards points, booking a domestic or international trip for your Lap Child online is a breeze. Here’s how you can do it.
- Visit the airline’s official website and expand the Flights tab.
- Select your –
- Arrival and departure cities
- Travel dates
- In the Passengers field, mention the number of adults and lap children for the number of seats.
- Move to Select Flight and Trip & Price Details options.
- Enter the passengers’ details in the Who’s Flying fields.
- Use the drop-down arrow if multiple adults and/or lap children are traveling.
As long as you are traveling domestically, you can easily add a lap child to an existing reservation at a self-service kiosk. Also, if you plan to book a flight with Rapid Rewards, you must have to call the Southwest customer support desk to do so.
Please note
After adding an infant to your booking, you can call 800-435-9792 or +1-888-328-1666 to contact Southwest airlines representatives to make changes, if required. You can also connect with a customer service executive at the same number for redemption reservations.
Does Southwest Offer Discounts on Kids Fares?
If you are traveling with an infant on a Southwest flight, it is wise to know about its fares. So, here are the major points about Southwest Airlines Infant Fares for your reference –
- Infant fares on Southwest are fully refundable and free from any restrictions.
- As per FAA recommendation, Southwest Airlines allows infants below 40 pounds in a suitable child restraint system during the flight.
- Every Southwest Airlines flight offers infant fares, but seat availability is limited as per FAA regulations.
- Infant fares may be purchased at Southwest’s airport ticket counter or on-call at its official customer service number.
- Babies eligible for discounted Infant Fares are less than two years old on the travel date. They must have a confirmed booking and occupy a reserved seat with/ without an FAA-approved child restraint device.
- As per the Southwest infant policy, children eligible for discounted Child Fares must be between 2 and 11 years of age on the travel date, traveling with someone at least 12 years or older.
For more information on infant or child fare, contact the airline via phone at +1-888-328-1666.
How to Board the Southwest Flight With an Infant?
Since a lap child doesn’t occupy a seat, there are no special guidelines for boarding the Southwest flight. All you have to do is arrive at the gate a few minutes before the boarding starts and board the plane together during family boarding.
Family Boarding happens after Grooup A and allows up to two adults to board along with small children.
Summing Up
Southwest Airlines has always been known for its generous policies that allow you and your infants to travel conveniently. Thanks to its customer-friendly Southwest infant policy, it provides a plethora of perks and flexibility. So, why wait? Make the most of these benefits and travel at ease.
