Baby Born Aboard Southwest Flight

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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It’s always nice to end the week on a positive note. Friday morning, a woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy some 35,000 feet in the air aboard a Southwest flight flying from Chicago to Salt Lake City. The flight made an emergency landing in Denver, where the mother, father, and newborn departed for a nearby hospital. And yes, there was a doctor onboard, who helped with the delivery.

When the baby arrived, a flight attendent announced, “We now have a new passenger!”

As the pop culture travel blog Jaunted points out, Southwest now has a decision to make: Air Asia awarded free flights for life to a baby born during one of its flights. Will Southwest do the same? Should it?

Anyways, congrats to the happy family, and hats off to the crew and doctor aboard the flight. Well done!

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