Flying Southwest Airlines with a Baby
Is it worth the drive to Buffalo?
Flying Southwest Out of Buffalo
We’re fortunate to be within a reasonable driving distance from Buffalo airport, so we can take advantage of the (sometimes) almost laughably cheap airfares that Americans (sometimes) enjoy.
Two years in a row we flew Southwest to get to F lorida . Since airfares are brutal with Canadian carriers, sometimes I doubt we’ll head to FLA from Pearson ever again. Airfare for three of us was the cost of one seat on either major Canadian airline.
And flying Southwest with a baby is pretty painless.
Driving to Buffalo to Fly Southwest
The drive to Buffalo usually takes about 2 hours. And please take the information from the Current Border Crossing Traffic Conditions Hotline with a grain of salt. They said the Peace Bridge had no delay and we actually waited for 45 minutes. That left us less than two hours once we got to Buffalo airport to park, check in, pass security, feed and change the kids, and board.
This would have been plenty of time in the olden days or if my kids were older. But we felt rushed and it was not a good feeling. For future airport trips we’d cross at Niagara Falls and leave 30 minutes earlier.
Flying Southwest with a Baby…
Southwest (still) has a generous allotment of luggage per person. We did not have any extra charges due to having five pieces (three suitcases, one car seat, one playpen).
We hung on to the baby’s car seat in case there was room on the flight. There was no room on the way out so we gate checked it with our stroller with no problems.
On the way home from Tampa the flight was not full so he was safely ensconced in his car seat on the plane for the entire flight. He slept the whole way home!
Sleeping Bub on Southwest…
Boarding on Southwest Airlines
Ok so here’s what I’ve figured out about Southwest’s boarding procedure…
There are no seat assignments. Depending on your boarding group, it’s first come, first served. You can pay extra for priority pre-boarding, but that does NOT guarantee you’ll be one of the first to board.
Luckily, if you’re traveling with children aged 4 or younger, you can escape the rigamarole and board following the “A” group.
Dealing with Boarding on Southwest
It’s a pretty mad scramble to get seated and organized. But on every trip we had no issues and first access to the overhead bin!
One note: Only the immediate family of the person aged four and younger can board together. Grandma was with us for one trip and she was not allowed to board with us.
The Southwest with Baby Experience
We found the Southwest folks very friendly. You get a little snack (peanuts – beware!) and a drink for free. The seat pitch is decent; even for my 6’7″ husband. The Southwest website is really informative when it comes to flying with children.
I don’t know if this is good or bad, but these were the first flights where the flight attendants did not make a big point of going over procedure of taking off and landing with a baby.
Pretty blue plane, but no change table
Issues Flying Southwest with a Baby
We had just 2 issues…
The washroom in the rear of the plane (Boeing 737-700) was extra small and did NOT have a fold-down change table in it. I don’t know if the front washroom had one, but I doubt it.
And our stroller was damaged after being gate checked on our return flight.
Keep this in mind for future Southwest flights… Had we reported the damage within four hours of landing, we may have been compensated. However, I just wanted to get our things and go home. When I inquired a few days later I was informed (via super-friendly automated email) of the four-hour window.
Final Thoughts on Flying Southwest with a Baby
I can’t lie. After a flight and travel day and tired and hungry kids and husband, driving home from Buffalo airport is a bit of a slog. However, the savings in airfare is definitely worth the drive to Buffalo! And home again! In fact, with how great Porter Airlines is out of Toronto Island airport, our trips out of Pearson seem to be fewer and fewer.
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See Also:
Best Airlines for Families
Sunwing with a Baby or Toddler
Air Canada with a Baby or Toddler
British Airways with a Baby or Toddler
Westjet with a Baby or Toddler
Airplane Safety: Beware the Armrests when Flying with Babies & Toddlers
Infant Travel: Planning Your First Trip with Baby
Tips for Flying with an Infant or Toddler at Every Age & Stage
A Complete Guide to Booking and Using Airplane Bassinets
The Mother of All Packing Lists for Travel with Babies & Toddlers
Carry-On Packing List for Flying with Babies & Toddlers
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