Can you check an umbrella stroller as luggage when you fly?

[gymnuts]

Hi! Sorry I haven't flown since 1989. We are flying on JetBlue and I was wondering If we would be able to check an unbrella stroller as luggage?

[DMRick]

You can..but you can also check it as last minute luggage (gate check), and you can use it up to the plane door..then they will pack it, and it will be waiting for you when you get off the plane. Don't bring a really good one though..we gate checked and one of the two of ours was broken upon landing : (
It still makes it better gate check than luggage checked IMO.

[flyingcircus]

If you check it in at the ticket counter, make sure that you put one of those big plastic bags on it. They have them at the counter. They are pretty thick, and they protect the stroller pretty well. At the gate, they don't have the bags.

[Margie J]

I'm not surprized the stroller was broken. I watched the crew load some strollers that had come from the plane and they just tossed them down a chute and then into the cargo area. :eek:

[SueM in MN]

If you gate check a stroller, ask about it when you are first checking in. I have seen people first mention it to the gate agent as they are boarding the plane. Doing it that way doesn't always give enough time to make sure the tag is marked correctly so it will be delivered where you want it. Sometimes the tag gives a choice of the gate or the baggage area of your final destination or at the connecting city for flights where you change planes.
Also, be sure the stroller is folded securely so that nothing will pop open while it's being loaded or unloaded. The last thing is to make sure you pick it up when you get off. Because we travel with a child who is disabled, we are usually the last off the plane. We almost always see a stroller or two sitting at the doorway waiting for people who got off before us.

[B3LM]

We were able to gate check our stroller on our trip in November. It was great. We were able to keep our stroller for our DD until we were ready to board the plane. I just mentioned that I wanted to gate check it to the ticket agent and he got a tag ready for me.

Beth