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Baby On Board

Information You Should Know When Flying With Your Infant or Toddler

What Special Rules Apply to Infants and Children?

If you're traveling with an infant or small child, you should know that proper use of a child restraint device (CRD) enhances child safety on aircraft. For this reason, Southwest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly recommend that infants and small children who weigh under 40 pounds be secured in an appropriate CRD when traveling by air. Full details.

  • Traveling with the infant on your lap:
    • One child over 14 days and under two (2) years of age, not occupying a seat, may be carried free when traveling with an adult (12 yrs of age or older).
    • Although a boarding pass is not required for the infant, you will need a Boarding Verification Document.
  • Traveling with the infant in an FAA approved car seat:
    • Affordable Infant Fares are available that enable a Customer to reserve a seat for an infant and use his/her FAA approved car seat.
    • A boarding pass is required.
    • Online checkin is available if the infant is traveling on an Infant Fare and is age verified.
  • A birth certificate is required to validate age of all infants under age two.
  • A medical release for travel is required for any infant under 14 days old.
  • Accompanied children ages two through 11 will be charged the applicable Child's Fare for the flight (does not apply to unaccompanied children ages five through 11). Proof of age may be required.

Does my Infant need a Boarding Pass?

If you choose to purchase a seat so that your infant may travel in his or her CRD you will need to obtain a boarding pass for the infant prior to proceeding to the security checkpoint. You may use online checkin if your infant has been age verified. If your infant has not been age verified, you will not be able to use online checkin.

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 prior to proceeding to the security checkpoint. The BVD will allow the infant to proceed through security screening and 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 or her second birthday, so be sure to bring along a copy of your baby’s birth certificate.

Does Southwest Offer Infant Fares?

Southwest Airlines offers very affordable Infant Fares for children under two years of age that enable you to reserve a seat for your little traveler to fly along safely and comfortably in his or her approved CRD. Infant Fares are not available for purchase on southwest.com. Please contact Reservations at 1-800-435-9792 for more information.

Southwest Airlines Infant Fares have no restrictions, are fully refundable, and are offered on every Southwest Airlines flight (although seats are limited). Not only will you have the security of knowing that your baby is flying safely at a very reasonable price, you'll also have a convenient way to bring along his or her CRD so it will be available for ground travel when you reach your destination.

Although not recommended, if your child is under age two and you would prefer to hold him or her on your lap when traveling, you may do so on Southwest Airlines without charge, and we'll be glad to check your CRD for use at your destination. FAA regulation requires any child who has reached his or her second birthday to occupy his or her own seat during takeoff and landing. Please keep in mind that Southwest personnel must ensure compliance with this regulation, so be sure to bring along a copy of your baby's birth certificate for age verification.

Child Restraint Devices

Proper use of a child restraint device (CRD) enhances child safety on aircraft. For this reason, Southwest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly recommend that infants and small children who weigh under 40 pounds be secured in an appropriate CRD when traveling by air.

Be sure to check the width of your CRD. Although the width of aircraft seats varies, a safety seat wider than 16 inches is unlikely to fit, even if the armrests of the aircraft seats are moved out of the way. An ill-fitting safety seat will not provide adequate protection for your child.

The FAA has banned the use on aircraft of certain types of child restraints that may be harmful to a child in the event of an aviation emergency. These include most booster seats, safety belt extensions (commonly referred to as "belly belts"), and most vest or harness devices that attach to an adult or to the seatbelt of the child's own seat. Although some that were manufactured before the FAA's ban may carry an insignia and/or language indicating they are approved for aircraft use, please understand that they are no longer permitted.

Approved Child Restraint Devices

  • Convertible-type car seats designed for forward or backward installation in a forward-facing aircraft seat:
    • Many of these carry the FMVSS.213 insignia and/or language indicating that they are "approved for use in motor vehicles and on aircraft."
    • Any CRD manufactured between January 1, 1961 and February 25, 1985, must have the following label: "This child restraint device conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards."
    • Any CRD manufactured since February 26, 1985, must have both of the following labels: "This child restraint device conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards" and "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft."
  • Harness-type devices approved by the FAA:
    • At this time, the FAA has approved only the AmSafe Aviation CARES, which is appropriate for children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds.
    • The AmSafe Aviation CARES must have a label indicating "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14CFR 21.305(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only."
  • Century Breverra Approved Booster Seat:
    • The Century Breverra Booster Seat has a high back with shoulder straps and a five-point attach shield, which can be properly installed for aviation applications.
    • At this time, only the Century Breverra Booster Seat bearing a red FMVSS.213 safety label that reads "approved for use in motor vehicles and on aircraft" may be used on Southwest Airlines flights.

NOTE: No other booster seats may be used during any phase of flight, even if they bear approval labels

How should a CRD be used?

Once onboard the aircraft, your CRD must be placed in a seat that is not an emergency exit seat. It is best to place the CRD in a window seat so it will not block access to the aircraft aisle. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for securing the CRD to the seat, fastening the aircraft seatbelt around the CRD as tightly as possible.

Does an infant stroller or infant or child safety seat count as baggage?

Two (2) items of travel equipment for infants and small children, such as strollers, walkers, child safety seats or collapsible playpens, may be checked and transported in substitution of one piece of the free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger at no charge.

Are strollers or infant carriers permitted beyond Security?

You may choose to bring your infant to the departure gate in a stroller or infant carrier.

Most infant carriers are designed simply to provide convenience in carrying babies. With the exception of a few recently manufactured automobile safety seats that convert to carriers, they do not provide sufficient protection to qualify as CRDs. While you may carry your baby on and off the aircraft in an infant carrier (provided it does not exceed the size limitations for carryon items), it must be properly stowed either underneath a seat or in an overhead bin for taxi, takeoff, and landing.

If the stroller or infant carrier exceeds the size limitations for carryon items, the Customer Service Agent will “gate-check” the item (at no additional charge) to your final destination, and the item will be placed in the cargo hold for transportation. When you reach your destination the item will be returned to you at the arrival gate.

Want to know more?

For a list of FAA safety recommendations for air travel with children, call the agency's consumer information hotline at 1-800-322-7873 (1-800-FAA-SURE).