Alaska Airlines with a baby: rules for strollers, car seats & infant fares
Key facts
Short answer: Alaska Airlines lets babies under 2 fly free on your lap across the US (including Hawaii), checks one stroller and one FAA-approved car seat free per child (with planeside stroller valet at the gate), and seats children 13 and under next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost, even on Saver fares.
Flying Alaska Airlines with a baby or toddler? Whether you are flying up the West Coast, out to Hawaii, or down to Disneyland and Florida, here is everything Alaska Airlines' official pages say about lap infants, free strollers and car seats, cabin sizes, family seating and breast milk, checked 27 October 2026.
Quick answers
- Lap infant fare: free on US domestic flights (including Hawaii and Alaska) for children under 2. Flights to Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize and the Bahamas incur taxes (and/or 10% of the adult fare).
- Free stroller & car seat: one stroller and one car seat per infant or child are checked free of charge at the ticket counter or at the boarding gate (Plane Side / Ala Cart).
- Cabin carry-on stroller limit: 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 35 × 22 cm) including wheels and handles. Fits in the overhead bin as your carry-on bag.
- Family Seating policy: Alaska guarantees that children aged 13 and under will be seated next to at least one accompanying adult at no additional cost, including on Saver fares.
- Pre-boarding: families with children under 2 years old board early right after military/first class pre-boarding.
- Breast pump & milk: a breast pump and cooler of breast milk or formula are exempt and do not count toward your carry-on limit.
Stroller and car seat rules on Alaska Airlines
- Free gate-check or ticket counter check: Alaska Airlines checks one stroller and one car seat per child free of charge. You can use both through the terminal and gate-check them at the boarding door; pick up a gate-check tag from the customer service agent at the gate before boarding.
- Double strollers and joggers: Alaska allows collapsible double strollers and jogging strollers to be checked free at the counter or gate.
- Cabin strollers (22 × 14 × 9 in / 56 × 35 × 22 cm): ultra-compact folding strollers within 22 × 14 × 9 in can go in the overhead bin as your adult carry-on bag. Note that on regional Horizon/SkyWest Embraer 175 jets, larger carry-ons and compact strollers may be tagged 'Ala Cart' (plane-side valet) at the jet bridge and returned plane-side as soon as you step off.
Lap infants, FAA car seats & diaper bags
One infant under 2 can sit on the lap of a passenger aged 16 or older. You can add a lap infant directly during booking on alaskaair.com. Remember that only one lap infant is allowed per three-seat row segment because there is only one extra oxygen mask per row side.
If you purchase a seat for your child (or if an adjacent seat is empty at departure and the gate agent lets you use it), you can secure an FAA-approved car seat or CARES harness in a window seat (never an exit row or aisle seat). Alaska's Boeing 737 seats are about 17 inches wide in Main Cabin.
For a lap infant, a diaper bag counts toward the adult's standard cabin allowance (1 carry-on + 1 personal item), whereas a breast pump and breast milk cooler are always exempt. If your baby has a paid seat, they receive their own full carry-on + personal item allowance.
Summary table
- Stroller / pushchair
- One stroller and one car seat checked free per ticketed passenger or infant (at the ticket counter or gate). Compact strollers that fold within carry-on limits (22 × 14 × 9 in / 56 × 35 × 22 cm) may go in the cabin as your carry-on bag.
- Car seat
- One FAA-approved car seat checked free. Use on board requires a purchased seat (or an open adjacent seat if available at the gate) and an FAA-approved car seat or CARES harness; window seat required.
- Cot / bassinet
- No onboard bassinets (single-aisle Boeing 737 and Embraer 175 fleet). Travel cribs/Pack 'n Plays count towards regular checked baggage allowance.
Compact strollers & pushchairs for flying
| Product | Weight | Folded size | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bugaboo Butterfly 2 | 7.3 kg (16.1 lbs) | 44.8 × 24.5 × 55.5 cm (17.6 × 9.6 × 21.8 in, IATA cabin-compatible) | £435 RRP / $479 MSRP | Check price at Bugaboo |
| Joolz Aer+ | 6 kg (13.2 lbs) | 53.5 × 45 × 21.5 cm (21.1 × 17.7 × 8.5 in) | £419 RRP / $449 MSRP | Check price at Joolz |
| Stokke YOYO3 (Babyzen YOYO) | 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs) | 52 × 44 × 18 cm (20.5 × 17.3 × 7.1 in, IATA cabin-size) | £399 RRP / $449 MSRP | Check price at Stokke |
| UPPAbaby Minu V2 | 7.7 kg (16.9 lbs) | 58.4 × 45.2 × 29.2 cm (23 × 17.8 × 11.5 in) | £399 RRP / $399 MSRP | Check price at UPPAbaby |
| Joie pact lite | 5.35 kg (11.8 lbs) | 46.8 × 26 × 54 cm (18.4 × 10.2 × 21.3 in) | Around £160 / $199 (varies by retailer) | Check price at Joie |
Blank cells: not yet verified from the maker's official page.
FAQ
Does Alaska Airlines charge for strollers and car seats?
No. Alaska Airlines checks one stroller and one car seat per child free of charge, either at the ticket counter or at the boarding gate.
Does Alaska Airlines guarantee family seating?
Yes. Alaska guarantees that children aged 13 and under sit adjacent to at least one accompanying adult on the same booking at no extra cost, including on Saver fares.
What is the carry-on stroller size limit on Alaska Airlines?
Compact strollers must fold within 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 22 cm), including wheels and handles, to go in the overhead bin as a carry-on.
Does Alaska Airlines have baby bassinets?
No. Alaska's mainline fleet consists of single-aisle Boeing 737 and Embraer 175 aircraft, which do not have wall-mounted bulkhead bassinets.
Sources
- Alaska Airlines: Traveling with Lap Infants (checked 2026-10-27)
- Alaska Airlines: Traveling with Children & Special Baggage (checked 2026-10-27)
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