Does a 2 year old need a plane ticket on Southwest?
Flying with Children 2-14 years old on Southwest Airlines
You will need to purchase a seat for them at the regular adult fare. Southwest Airlines no longer offers discounts on airfare for infants, children, nor seniors.
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Who qualifies as a Lap Child? One child over 14 days and under two (2) years of age, not occupying a seat, may be carried as a Lap Child when traveling with an adult (12 years of age or older).
To prove your child's age to an airline, one of the following documents will suffice: Child's passport (how to get a U.S. passport for an infant and things to know about children's passports) Child's birth certificate. Child's immunization form or other medical records may also work domestically.
Infants under 2 years old can travel at no charge in the lap of their parent (any age), or an accompanying adult 16 years or older traveling in the same cabin.
Southwest offers Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding.
Airlines may require documentation such as a birth certificate or passport as proof if you want to bring your infant as a lap child. Although a paid ticket isn't required, most airlines will require a boarding pass for a lap child as a way of tracking who is on the plane.
Most major airlines allow children under the age of 2 to fly free as lap children, resting on an adult's lap for the duration of the flight. But you'll typically be charged full fare for a child who is 2 years old and up.
Original or photocopies of government-issued identification (e.g., passport, birth certificate, government-issued photo identification card) are the only acceptable forms of proof of age. Electronic screen shots, phone images, or immunization records are not acceptable.
Parents/guardians should remove infants and children from strollers and car seats and carry them in their arms through the walk-through metal detector. Infants may be carried in a sling/carrier through the walk-through metal detector. Children will not be separated from their parent/guardian.
Strollers can be checked at the gate or with your regular checked baggage at the ticket counter. A stroller may be brought onboard without counting toward your carry-on limit. This is based on space availability; space guaranteed only with the purchase of a ticket for the infant).