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Southwest Car Seat and Stroller Policy
Checking-In a Car Seat on Southwest Airlines
You may check-in a car seat free of charge on Southwest Airlines. This is in addition to the 2 free checked bags already included your checked baggage allowance. You may check-in the car seat either at the check-in desk together with your regular suitase, or bring it through security and drop it off at the boarding gate when getting onto the plane.
We recommend gate-checking your car seat to minimize the risk of it getting damaged or lost while in transit. We suggest placing your car seat into a reusable protective travel cover to keep it from getting stained, torn, or damaged while being handled by the baggage handlers. Many of these travel covers are brightly colored to catch the baggage handler's eyes, making sure it is not forgotten or misplaced at the gate when boarding. [AMZ asins='B000RRD7UG,B06XTT17QC,B0009RNXNA,B084RB2WN9']
Using a Car Seat on the Plane on Southwest Airlines
Flying in an FAA-approved car seat is the safest way for a child to fly - both Southwest Airlines and the FAA recommend that all children under 40 lbs fly in a government-approved car seat as the safest way to travel.
You may bring a car seat into the cabin for your child if they are flying in their own assigned seat. You may not bring a car seat into the cabin if your baby is flying as a Lap Infant without their own assigned seat.
All car seats or Child Restraining Systems must be governement-approved for use on an airplane. This means that they are safe to use on a plane, and meet the appropriate labeling requirements. Most, but not all, car seats are approved for airplane use, so be sure to check whether your child's car seat meets the requirements. Both of the following labels must be affixed to the car seat:
1. This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.
2. This child restraint device conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Additionally, Southwest Airlines accept seats that have been authorized by foreign or UN governments. A stamp, decal, or other symbol indicating foreign official approval must be present on the CRS. The label for seats produced in accordance with UN specifications must include an E in a circle, followed by a number allocated to the nation that has provided approval.
If your child's car seat does not meet these requirements, it will not be allowed to be used in the cabin and will have to fly as a piece of checked luggage.
Flying with a CARES Harness on Southwest Airlines
Your child may fly with an aircraft-specific harness-type Child Restraining Device that meets government approval. Currently the only harness-type system approved for air travel is the AmSafe CARES harness - no other brand of harness-type child retraining device is approved. The harness must have the following label affixed to it:
“FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only.”
Flying with a Stroller on Southwest Airlines
You may check-in your child's stroller free of charge on Southwest Airlines, in addition to the free checked baggage allowance. You can choose to either drop it off at the check-in desk together with your regular suitcases, or use your stroller to make your way through the airport, and "gate-checking" it when boarding the plane.
We recommend gate-checking your stroller, so that you can use it through the airport, and it also minimizes that chances it will get lost of damaged while going through the baggage handling system at the airport. Similar to gate-checking a car seat, we recommend packing your stroller into a travel-specific protective cover to minimize the chances it gets damaged when being handled and placed onto the plane.
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