Stroller gate check

[andreschris]

When you gate check your stroller at the airport, do you put it in a stroller travel bag or not?
If not, does it come out in good condition?

 

[all4fun]

I never do and I've never had a big problem - but the one stroller we have traveled with most is black and silver so it wouldn't show much in the way of dirt anyway. Our first stroller had foam on the handles that got torn once. Our latest stroller is a jogger and the only bag I can find to fit it is $80 which I'm too cheap to pay .... so on our last trip I just used bubble wrap around the foam handles to protect them (which worked btw) and was pleased that the stroller was handled very well at the gate (we saw them loading it).

Having said that though - I have read some "horror" stories of strollers being damaged by the airline, broken wheels and other parts so there are no guarantees. A bag is only going to prevent the stroller from getting dirty but if you really want it to stay clean then I would recommend using one. BTW, the gate check tag is also a limited liablity waiver, which is why they want you to sign it.

hth

 

[kim_o]

I always use a travel bag when flying with my expensive strollers. If I take a cheaper stroller to fly with, I don't bother with the bag. My Graco Quattro Tour has gotten pretty banged up and scratched....but it was all cosmetic damage and didn't affect the functionality of the stroller.

 

[doberlady]

One year my graco was broken on a Delta flight being gate checked.

Baggage claim was awesome and took my word for how much it cost. Thank goodness we had rented a car and we went to Target and bought a new one. It was a travel stroller.

10 days later I received the check in the mail.

I have gate checked many times and that was the only time that happened

 

[BlondeAlligator]

I gate checked my favorite stroller on the way home from WDW in 12/06, no bag. It came out the other end COVERED in grease; the seat, the canpopy, everything was a MESS. Since it was not broken (only "dirty"), the airline assumed no responsibility (read the gate check tag they give you carefully; it covers their butts pretty well). There was no way to clean the stroller so it went into the trash.

As a result, I now bring a bag for my stroller and my carseat everytime. On our last trip to WDW we forgot it, and AA said they no longer provide them due to cutbacks. My smart DH asked for a large trash bag from the airport McD's & that worked just fine.

 

[blessedby3]

We have always gate checked our strollers and never had a problem. Maybe we were just lucky. I would think that as you are loading and have your hands full with kids and bags that it would be a pain to stop at the door and fold and bag up the stroller?

 

[tinkandpan]

We used to never use a bag to check and never had a problem. The only problem we did have three trips ago was someone with the same stroller (although much older and dirtier) walked off with mine from the gate check. I was able to chase them down and switch off the strollers, but now I just stick it in a stroller bag and have no issues. Someone on here suggested this ugly red stroller gate check bag from Walmart and it does the trick.

 

[andreschris]

Now there's a good and cheap idea, a large trash bag

 

[tmatthews]

never did but thinking about it now!!!!!!!!

 

[kileybeth]

me me me! I suggested the ugly red gate check bag from walmart

and they work! and are cheap! and fold up into a tiny pouch and keep your strollers clean!

we also got a from the airline employees for bagging them. said it makes things easier for them and they loved the red bags. I was afraid they would think it was a pain to carry them altho bags do have handles just not as nice as rolling your stroller.

anywho, they were about $14 shipped from walmart but I just saw the same exact bag today at BRU for $29 :

My Mac volos are both light colored so I was concerned about grease/dirt more than damage.

I have traveled with a double graco brand new and an infant seat and they were returned to me in perfect shape. We always roll up to door of plane(not gangway) last on and then retrieve it first off. This does take 2 parents to accomplish but very worth it in my mind. Since my premmie was on a heart monitor both times and our arms were excessively full of who knows what maybe they took extra pity/care of us?

so to gate check bags!

 

[hebbynan]

We've never bagged our stroller when we gate checked it. But we never really worried about the condition, becuase we always took the less new stroller of the 2 on our trips. That way if something did happen to it, it wouldn't break my heart...as much.