Best airlines to travel with children
Traveling can be fun and exciting. This is especially true when you are with your loved ones. However, traveling as a family with children requires extra effort and planning. When traveling with children, you’re probably looking for insight into the best airlines to book to make future trips less stressful and more enjoyable. Here are some airlines that are good for traveling with children.
american airlines
American Airlines is one of several airlines that makes every effort to seat children under 15 and an accompanying adult at no additional cost, when possible.
American Airlines has an online system that detects family travel. If you are unable to select a seat, are traveling on a basic economy ticket, or do not wish to pay for a seat, the system will search for a seat together before your departure date.
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The airline will do its best to seat everyone together. However, where seating is limited, children under 15 years of age will be seated next to at least one adult traveling on the same booking.
If you are traveling with a child under 2 years old, you can ask the gate agent to let them board early. Because of these policies, families can feel more confident about booking flights with American Airlines.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is also committed to accommodating families with children. The airline guarantees that children under the age of 13 will be seated with one accompanying adult at no additional cost. This service is available when booking a flight on the same reservation and some other conditions apply.
Moreover, Alaska’s system is built to detect when families are traveling together and automatically attempts to allocate seats together during the reservation process.
Southwest Airlines
Unlike other major U.S. airlines, Southwest does not offer seat reservations. Instead, your boarding group (A, B, C) and seat (1-60) will be assigned to your flyer at check-in. The group and location on your boarding pass reflect your boarding order.
After boarding the plane, passengers can choose their preferred seat. Passengers in the faster group and location will board first. Boarding order is determined by when you check in for your flight. Checking in as early as possible increases your chances of getting an earlier boarding group.
Some travelers dislike Southwest’s no-seat policy. However, this policy may be helpful for families traveling with children. how? Families who check in early for their flights can receive an early boarding group, giving them more flexibility in choosing their seats on the plane. This allows the entire crew to sit together.
Southwest also has a generous early boarding policy for eligible families. Up to two adults traveling with children aged 6 and under can board the flight after Group A but before Group B boarding begins. Each group holds 60 passengers, so families with young children can feel confident they can sit together.
Lastly, every ticket includes two free checked bags. If you’re traveling with a flight attendant, you can avoid the added cost of expensive baggage fees by flying Southwest. Most other airlines have recently increased their checked baggage fees, so this offer can result in significant savings.
Book a direct flight
These tips can improve your family’s travel experience no matter what airline you fly. Booking direct flights can help everyone spend less time at the airport between transfers. Less wasted time equals less stress and more smiles.
Direct flights tend to cost more, so purchasing this ticket type will impact your savings account. However, the added convenience of not having to deal with the frustrations of a long stay may be well worth the extra cost.
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