Airline Baggage: Thoughts and Planning

So one of the things I've been thinking a lot about right now is which luggage and bags to take with us. I know that's not something most people even give a second thought to until about three days before a trip but I believe a good job packing makes a huge difference in the end and that starts with knowing what bags to pack!

I have an obsession with Thirty-One. We have so many Thirty-One products, I could have my own store! And my first item to look up today is whether or not my two newer Thirty-One proudcts qualify as carron bags. They aren't appropriate to be checked bags so whether or not I take them depends fully on the airlines size limits.

I went on the Southwest website and got this information:
Southwest Airlines limits carryon bag dimensions to 10 x 16 x 24 inches.

So then it's off to the Thirty-One website to find the dimensions of the products I want to use as carryon bags.

The first one on my list is the City Weekender bag. According to the website it is 12"H x 19"W x 9"D, so it is definitely within the size limits.

Next is the Pro Duffle that was a special item for the month of April. According to the website it is 12”H x 12”W x 22”L. It's a really large duffle bag but it's still well within the limits of a carryon bag.

We can have four carryons plus four back packs or purses plus the baby's stroller and car seat.

Strollers and Child Restraint Systems (CRSs) or Car Seats

• Customers traveling with children will be allowed to check one stroller and one Child Restraint System (CRS) or car seat per child without charge. This is in addition to the regular free baggage allowance.
• The stroller and CRS or car seat allowance applies to any type of stroller (umbrella, full size, jogging stroller, etc.) and CRS or car seat.
• The Customer may check the stroller and CRS or car seat at the curb, ticket counter, or gate.
• Southwest Airlines will not assume liability for damage to strollers, CRSs or car seats. (An optional Southwest-branded reusable car seat/stroller bag is available for purchase at any Southwest Airlines ticket counter for a $15 one time fee.)

These seems like a lot of carryon baggage to me so we will see. Everyone will be using a personal item.vHubby will be carrying the electronics bag with our laptop, ipad, charging cords, camera, etc.
I will be carrying all the paperwork, tickets, boarding passes, magic bands, the baby carrier/sling and probably the snacks. Each kid will wear a backpack. I haven't decided which bag I will carry as my personal item.

And this is interesting information: Southwest sells stroller bags for $15. We will definitely be buying one. That's a bargain anyway, stroller bags can be pricey. We have a car seat bag. I am bringing the car seat just in case. We plan to use Disney transportation at all times, which doesn't require a car seat. But should we have to take a cab, or have some kind of emergency that requires renting a car, we will definitely want to have a car seat on hand. Oh, the things you don't think about when you are used to traveling with older kids! And when they were babies, we couldn't afford to travel much so this stuff didn't matter!