The Complete Guide to Flying Southwest With Kids

Southwest Airlines has long been a favorite airline of frequently flying families, and with good reason. With the Oakland Airport just 12 minutes from my front door, my family is one of them. We fly on Southwest a lot.

Southwest has historically had different rules and practices than other airlines, so it could sometimes trip up inexperienced flyers, especially travelers with kids. In the last couple of years, it changed even more of its rules and systems, causing some additional opportunities for traveler confusion.

Related: As a Southwest Frequent Flyer, Here’s What I’m Doing Differently to Adjust to the Airline’s Recent Changes

But don’t let any of that worry you! After you finish reading this article, I promise you will be fully prepared for your next Southwest Airlines flight. Southwest still has several unique perks that can be of great value for family travelers. You just need to know how to take advantage of all that the airline offers and know where to avoid a few potential traps for the unwary.

Our family has taken hundreds (yes, literally hundreds!) of Southwest flights with our kids at every age and stage, including more than a dozen since all the 2025-2026 changes fully rolled out. We’ve flown through nearly every single airport Southwest serves most: Dallas Love, Denver, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Chicago Midway, Nashville, and many more. We’ve been on Southwest flights to Hawaii as well as some of Southwest’s international routes. As you might guess, we have learned many tricks along the way.

Here are all the details you need to know to make the most of Southwest’s policies for your family too. Whether you are flying with a lap child on Southwest, with young kids in their own seats, or with older tweens and teens, you can make your next family trip aboard Southwest a breeze.

What You Need to Know About Flying Southwest Airlines with Kids

1) How to make sure your family sits together on Southwest.

One of the biggest pain points for travelers with kids is the struggle of seating. Depending on the ages or special needs of your children, sitting together is simply a necessity for many family travelers.

Southwest used to have open seating and early family boarding which allowed travelers with young kids to snag seats together for free. But Southwest now charges for seat assignments like everybody else.

What does this mean for families needing to sit together? Southwest says it will endeavor to seat children ages 12 and under with at least one accompanying passenger ages 13 and up “to the extent practicable and at no additional cost.”

But that’s not a guarantee, and families are definitely being separated in some instances if they haven’t paid for seat assignments. I personally was seated next to someone else’s 10 year old just a couple of months ago. Reddit and Southwest-focused Facebook groups are filled with stories of other families where kids and parents have been seated apart.

If sitting together is a must-have, I do not recommend leaving this to chance. There are three ways that families can all but guarantee seats together (absent an equipment swap or missed flight/rebooking situation, of course):

1. Carry a Southwest credit card that allows you to select seats for free at the time of booking (either the Priority or the Performance Business card).
2. Book a fare class that includes a seat assignment (Choice or higher – not Basic).
3. Pay for an a la carte seat assignment (but I almost never recommend this because it’s often as expensive or more expensive than #2).

Whether you choose the first or the second option depends on how often you fly Southwest and how big your family is. If you are a family of four or more flying on a single roundtrip vacation on Southwest, the first options is, perhaps surprisingly, the most economical. Here’s the math:

Choice fares are at least $30 more expensive each way than a Basic fare. Four family members x 2 one ways x $30 = $240. The annual fee on the Southwest Priority credit card is $229, meaning the card more than pays for itself with its seat assignment perk alone compared to upgrading the whole family to Choice fares.

sit together & check bags for less!

Best Credit Card for Southwest Family Travelers

I highly recommend that families flying Southwest carry the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. This card allows the cardmember and everyone booked on the same reservation to select an advanced seat assignment (even on the cheapest Basic fares) plus check a bag of up to 50 pounds. The card more than pays for itself for a family of four on a single roundtrip itinerary!

For a very limited time, the card has a higher-than-usual signup bonus of 90,000 Rapid Rewards points (after spending $3000 in 3 months) – worth roughly $1100 in free travel aboard Southwest – also well worth its $229 annual fee.

Card Perks at a Glance:

• Advance seat selection.
• Free checked bag per person.
• Guaranteed Group 5 or better boarding.
• Earn 4x points per $1 spent on Southwest direct purchases.
• Earn 2x points per $1 spent on gas stations & restaurants.
• Earn 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• 7,500 bonus points on renewal each anniversary year.

2) Know which fare type is best for travelers with kids to buy.

I’ve already alluded to some of Southwest’s different fare classes because of the seat assignment question. But more generally, what fare class should families buy when booking Southwest?

Personally, I don’t think the vast majority of families will have any use for the two most expensive fare classes – Choice Extra or Choice Preferred. The real question is whether to buy the cheapest Basic fares or the next step up from that – Choice.

If you don’t have a Southwest credit card that entitles you to advance seat selection (Priority or Performance Business), I’d strongly recommend buying Choice so you can guarantee seating together as a family.

If you have one of the cheaper Southwest credit cards (Premier, Plus, Premier Business) that allow you to select a seat at 48 hours in advance but not at booking, it’s a closer call. If traveling during a peak time like Christmas break, I’d probably also still recommend Choice. I’d only chance it if you have older kids (where sitting together is nice to have but not absolutely essential) or if you are traveling at a lower demand time.

If you have a Priority or Performance Business card, however, you can realistically book Basic fares the vast majority of the time because seating is taken care of. The only time in which the upgrade to Choice over Basic might be worth it for a Priority or Performance Business cardholder is if you are booking a trip very far in advance with cash. Why? Because if you have to cancel a Basic fare, the credit you get is only valid 6 months from the original booking date. If you booked that trip more than 6 months in advance and later have to cancel the week of your trip (which happens – kids get sick!), the credit will already be expired and forfeited.

Choice fares, in contrast, give you a 12 month window to rebook and use a flight credit. An average traveling family might find that timeline for rescheduling a trip more realistic.

(Note: The same concern does not arise with Rapid Rewards points bookings, which are completely flexible since there is no expiring fare credit at all. If you cancel a trip booked with points, those points simply return to your account for later use anytime for free.)

For an even deeper dive into the fare class question, check out my guide to which Southwest fare type to buy.

3) You can minimize the impact of Southwest’s new checked bag fees.

For years, Southwest touted the tagline “Bags Fly Free” – remaining the last airline holding out and still offering free checked bags. That made it a favorite of families who often found it too difficult to travel with everything they needed in carryon bags, especially with little ones who can require a lot of gear.

In 2025, the airline reversed course and begin charging for bags like everybody else. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some ways to save money on checked bags with Southwest.

The easiest way for most passengers to pay a lot less is to hold a Southwest co-branded credit card (notice a trend here?). All Southwest cards entitle the cardholder to one free checked bag of up to 50 pounds on each flight. This benefit extends to the cardholder and anyone else booked on the same reservation.

Again, this means the credit cards can often pay for themselves when compared to paying checked bag fees a la carte (now up to $45 for the first bag each way!).

Some airlines require that you book the flight with your co-branded airline credit card to get a free bag benefit, but Southwest doesn’t even do that. As long as a Southwest card is linked to your Rapid Rewards account number, you get the benefit even if you book a flight with a different card.

One trap to watch for: free bags only extend to the primary cardholder and anyone booked on the same reservation as that person. So if you split your reservation up, some family members will not be entitled to a bag. Book carefully!

If you do take advantage of a credit card’s bag benefit, be aware that lap children do not get a baggage allowance of their own. But checked strollers and car seats do not count – those items always fly free no matter what.

4) Plan for Southwest’s special rules for lap children.

Speaking of lap children, if you have a baby or toddler under the age of 2, Southwest has some special rules and practices you need to plan for. The one that trips family travelers up most (and that is less family-friendly than competing airlines in my opinion) is its lap child ID requirement. Southwest is the only U.S. airline that requires you to show a birth certificate for every lap child.

This rule applies no matter what the age of your lap child and even for domestic flights. If you have flown another airline with a lap baby, chances are pretty good you would not have been asked for proof of age unless the child looked to be nearing the age of 2. Not so with Southwest. Even if you obviously have a newborn who would never be mistaken for a toddler nearing the age cutoff, pack that birth certificate!

Related: Tips for Flying with a Lap Todder

In the past, the airline sometimes accepted hospital discharge papers or vaccination records from your child’s pediatrician, but Southwest’s official rules say that a birth certificate, passport, or government ID are now the only documents it will accept (either the original or physical photocopy – no digital screenshots). Call the airline in advance if you find yourself needing to fly with an infant before you can get your hands on a birth certificate.

In order to board a Southwest flight with a lap child, you also need to obtain what is called a boarding verification document (BVD). This document is similar to a boarding pass and confirms that the child has been age verified.

In years past, you used to only be able to get document at the ticket counter or kiosks, adding an extra step that took valuable time for family travelers. This feature has now been added to the Southwest app, so you can skip the counter and go right to security as long as you’ve added the lap child to your reservation in advance. You can do this at the time of booking for paid reservations or by calling Southwest after booking a points reservation.

5) What Southwest has to entertain your kids: In-Flight Entertainment & Wi-Fi.

Keeping kids entertained on planes is essential for a less stressful flight for parents. While we try in my family to pack a few tech-free entertainment options for our kids, electronic devices are also a crucial part of our strategy for passing the time.

Southwest’s Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment options have really come a long way. The airline pioneered cheap Wi-Fi and free messaging apps, and finally launched totally free Wi-Fi earlier this year. The only hitch is that you have to have a Rapid Rewards account to access the system (but that’s free to join). Just be sure that your kids have their own frequent flyer accounts so that everyone in the family can access it!

Southwest also has live streaming TV channels as well as in-flight movie options, all of which are also free to access. The movies usually include a wide variety of new releases with plenty of kid-friendly G and PG choices.

The most important thing to know about all of these systems: you must have your own device! Southwest does not have any seat back screens like some airlines. If you have kids too little to have their own devices, you may want to pack an extra one like an old phone or tablet or you may find your own phone getting commandeered. One other important tip: be sure to bring your own headphones for everyone in the family as well.

Years ago, in order to access movies on a smartphone or tablet, you had to first download the Southwest app on your device before the flight. Thankfully, this step is no longer needed (but I recommend having the Southwest app anyway for all its other uses). Just go to southwestwifi.com in your browser of choice to access all of the in-flight entertainment.

6) Southwest has minimal food, so pack lots of snacks.

There are a lot of things that will make kids cranky when you fly, but don’t let hunger be one of the causes. Air travel is hectic, and I never rely on being able to have time to buy food at the airport. Packing meals and snacks is simply a must when you have kids, especially if they are picky and might not like options available on planes and in airports.

Related: 50 Kid-Friendly Snacks to Pack for Airplanes

It’s even more important to bring your own food though when you fly Southwest because of the airline’s limited food choices. Don’t expect a sandwich or a hot meal for purchase like many other airlines have. Southwest has only pre-packaged snacks.

The snack options on Southwest have changed several times in the last couple of years, so if you haven’t flown Southwest recently, you may see something new. No more pretzels or snack mix (and if you were planning for peanuts, those were discontinued even before that due to allergies).

In 2026, the two most common offerings are Maui onion flavored pretzel sticks and cinnamon graham cracker bites (usually on morning flights only). Very long flights may also serve snack packs of Oreo cookies too. Flight attendants usually let you have more than one of each if you ask, but the snacks won’t be enough for most kids on anything but the shorter haul flights.

If you are in Southwest’s extra legroom seats, you’ll also be offered pistachios and/or Mexican wedding cookies – both delicious but maybe not a favorite for younger picky eaters.

If you are bound for Hawaii on Southwest Airlines, there are additional food options on these flights (but still not enough to amount to a full meal). See my Southwest Hawaii flight guide for additional details and photos.

7) Maximize Southwest’s Rapid Rewards loyalty program – it still rocks for family travelers.

Have you ever collected airline miles for years only to find them next to impossible to redeem at a decent rate when you actually want to use them? Or have you had trouble finding enough award tickets for a family of four or more on a single flight?

You’ll have no such problems with Southwest. If there are seats available for purchase with cash, you can redeem your Southwest Rapid Rewards points for them. This anytime availability still makes Southwest’s frequent flyer program the most practical and easy to use for traveling families – even after all the airline’s changes in the last couple of years.

So be sure to sign you and your kids up for Rapid Rewards accounts the very first time you plan to fly Southwest. It takes seconds. You’ll accrue miles you can actually use. Points on Southwest also never expire, so there’s not another date to track.

And be sure you are doing all you can to earn points for your family’s next trip. If you are applying for one of the Southwest credit cards, you can secure a big signup bonus that can help add to your Rapid Rewards balance. The airline also runs occasional promotions that can help points add up faster.

8) Southwest’s unaccompanied minor program is still one of the best (and least expensive).

Speaking of money-saving tricks, Southwest has one more that families with older kids need to take note of. If your child is ready to fly as an unaccompanied minor, Southwest’s policies are some of the best.

In 2026, Southwest charges $100 each way, while most other airlines charge $150. Southwest only charges, however, for 5-11 year olds. Kids who are 12 and up are free to travel without the service. Other airlines require paid supervision until kids turn 15, even if they don’t need it.

My daughter flew on Southwest for her first experience as an unaccompanied minor when she was 10. Her brother did it a few years later at the same age. Both went down to Southern California for a weekend with their uncle. The gate agents and flight attendants took great care of our kids, and I was happy the service didn’t cost an arm and a leg for such a short trip.

Now that my daughter is over the age limit, I’m also happy I no longer have to pay to use the service when she needs to travel solo or supervising her younger brother in the future. Since we fly so much and she’s independent and savvy, I’m totally ok with letting her fly solo as a teen without help.

9) Southwest can save your family money when fares drop.

Last but certainly not least is my favorite and most-used feature of traveling with Southwest. I’ve already mentioned Southwest’s flexibility that allows you to cancel flights with no penalty and claim a fare credit for a future flight. But Southwest will also give you a credit back when a flight you already have booked drops in price. For families buying 3, 4, or more tickets, even small per ticket savings can really add up.

This isn’t automatic – you have to call or rebook your flight online at a lower rate yourself. But if you watch for Southwest fare sales and monitor your existing reservations regularly, you can often save your family some real money on future travel.

If you have booked a Choice fare or higher, the process is easy. You simply select “change flight” when logged into your Southwest account and follow the prompts to rebook exactly the same flight again. The resulting flight credit will be automatically linked to your Rapid Rewards account (or points will be refunded).

If you have booked a Basic fare, those technically aren’t changeable. But all hope is not lost. Basic fares can be canceled, so what you do is first cancel the flight. After banking the fare credit (or points), you then immediately rebook the same flight, using the fare credit as the method of payment. The difference in price between the original higher-priced booking and the new reduced-price one will remain as a fare credit in your account for future use, subject to expiration rules.

It may sound a little complicated, but once you do it a few times, it’s all super quick. I regularly cancel and rebook flights in a matter of a minute or two now. Using this method regularly has saved my family 61,500 points (over $800 worth of value) on Southwest flights from just January to August 2026 – and many hundreds of thousands of points over the years.

Final Thoughts

Despite all of the recent changes with Southwest, I still think it does things better for family travelers. As long as you understand the new rules, you won’t get tripped up. And if you know where Southwest’s remaining unique rules have special benefits for families, you can really take advantage – often saving serious money and time in the process.

Be sure to check out Southwest’s Children & Family Travel section on its website for the latest information and to read the fine print for yourself. And please share your tips for flying Southwest with family in the comments!

Disclosure: I was a paid Southwest Airlines #SouthwestStorytellers brand ambassador in 2018. I originally published this post back in 2014 before I had any relationship with the airline and have updated it multiple times independent of that relationship. As always, all opinions are my own.