Airports and Baby Gear

[kroy2004]

Hi,

We are heading to Florida at the end of March and staying with family and we are planning on taking our two car seats and our tandem stroller. However, I have no idea how to get it all down there in one piece!

We have DS's infant carrier and base, my other DS Eddie Bauer seat (big) and our Tandem Stroller, plus two over the shoulder carry on bags.

Should I check the seats (Older DS has his own seat but won't be using the carseat and the baby will be on my lap) and the stroller with our luggage?

Just check the seats and gate check the stroller?

Or check the Eddie Bauer and gate check the carrier and stroller?

Thank you for your help!

 

[Fall1]

You can gate check all car seats and strollers. I think that's the easiest thing for you to do. You can use the stroller to help you push through the airport.

We gate checked our double stroller on our last trips. We brought the car seats on the plane, but they did offer to us that we could gate check them.

 

[Mommee]

Check the car seats with your luggage so you don't have to tote them through the airport if you're not using them on the plane. Gate check the stroller so the kids can ride in it to the gate.

You can buy special bags to check the car seats in, or call the airline and see if they have the heavy-duty bags to place them in at the check-in counter.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

Hi,

We are heading to Florida at the end of March and staying with family and we are planning on taking our two car seats and our tandem stroller. However, I have no idea how to get it all down there in one piece!

We have DS's infant carrier and base, my other DS Eddie Bauer seat (big) and our Tandem Stroller, plus two over the shoulder carry on bags.

Should I check the seats (Older DS has his own seat but won't be using the carseat and the baby will be on my lap) and the stroller with our luggage?

Just check the seats and gate check the stroller?

Or check the Eddie Bauer and gate check the carrier and stroller?

Thank you for your help!

FYI, the infant will have to go through security seperately and you'll have to take him out of any carrier because the carriers have to go through the security scanners too - along with your stroller.

My advice (we've done this with 2 kids now) is to get a baby bjorn type of carrier and check everything but the stroller. Take the stroller with you. Prior to boarding, put infant in the baby bjorn and gate check the stroller. The baby bjorn will make things easier for you to get settled into your seats and will secure your infant.

We actually have 2 very nice Eddie Bauer bags for our car seats. Nice padded straps as well making it much easier to lug them around an airport. They hold a rather large and bulky Even-flo triumph car seat each. Airlines will ship any baby stuff for free - so I don't hesitate to use that service.

 

[Britgirlus]

I used a "Pac Back" to carry my carseat through airports - even when I checked it in, it came in very handy, especially when I traveled alone - here's a link to see it - http://www.amazon.com/Cheeky-Monkey...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1204257455&sr=8-9

 

[kroy2004]

Thank you so much for the replies!! I am thinking about checking the seats with our luggage but I am so paranoid that they won't arrive in Orlando with us.

For those who checked their seats and strollers, did they get damaged? Can anyone suggest something that would fit both car seats in it to protect it?
Also for gate checking, is there a limit on checking carry ons?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[pilotwife_02]

Car seats are exempt from the "checked bag" rule so you won't have to worry about paying to check them. I haven't seen any bags that you can buy that would hold more than one car seat, the one we have holds only one and has a strap on it so we can carry it.

To be honest, DH prefers we gate check it cause he says he sees a lot of them get damaged from getting checked and getting tossed around before they make it to the airplane, but that's his personal preference. It's a pain to deal with to get through security, but worth it not to have damaged car seat (especially since they are so expensive to replace).

 

[jlk51496]

i agree...def gate check your stroller and car seats... although it will be annoying..they are handled less that way and you get them handed to you rt outside the plane instead of who knows what happens when they are tossed on the baggage belts

 

[melifeld]

Are you renting a car?

Whenever we go somewhere and are renting a car we always get the car seats from the car rental company. If we aren't using the car seat on the plane, then I prefer to not carry one. One less (very large) thing to lug around.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

why lug around a car seat through security - a pain in the a$$ if you ask me. Just check it at the counter. Get a good bag for each seat and you'll be fine. We've never had a car seat get lost or damaged.

But if you are worried about damage/loss - just take pictures of the seats prior to your trip and remember that the airlines are responsible for damages up to a certain dollar amount and loss of luggage as well. Do some research to find out exactly what they are responsible for damage-wise.

To me, it just isnt worth the hassle and trouble of carrying around 2 car seats through security and the airport - but to each their own.

We have 2 of the following bags and they hold our EvenFlo Triumph car seats just fine - plus they have nice straps and pockts.

http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Car-Seat-Travel/dp/B00005YXVW

 

[bestjsg]

sorry for the silly question, what exactly is 'gate check' ?

 

[DrummerBoy523]

sorry for the silly question, what exactly is 'gate check' ?

checking your item at the gate (ie, where you get on the plane) as opposed to when you check in prior to security.

You have to check things at the gate if they are over-sized like strollers, car seats, or large bags that dont fit in the overhead bins or under the seats.

Does that help?

 

[bestjsg]

checking your item at the gate (ie, where you get on the plane) as opposed to when you check in prior to security.

You have to check things at the gate if they are over-sized like strollers, car seats, or large bags that dont fit in the overhead bins or under the seats.

Does that help?

yes, thanks just didn't know about this service..

 

[jjj444]

So am I understanding this right, there is no charge for a checked car seat? We are flying Delta and they have a charge for baggage which is $25 I think per bag. I was going to gate check it but if there is no cost to check it with our suitcase that seems so much easier.

 

[thepeach80]

It's safer for kids to use their seats on board and my kids just act better on the plane in their seats b/c they know they can't get up and move around etc so they stay calmer. Last time we flew we took all 3 carseats on board and gate checked the double stroller. This time we'll just have 2 carseats on board for the girls and then the boys will take their boosters and stow them since we'll need those in FL. If you can't take them on board, gate checking is much safer for the carseats. They are handled less so less chance of being damaged and it's highly unlikely they'll get lost.

 

[snoopy5386]

I would leave the base at home, you can install the bucket seat without it. I would check your older DS's seat, but gate check the baby's seat and the stroller. You never know, you might luck out and get an empty seat for your younger one and then you can use his bucket seat. We've had that happen several times.

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

before you think about using it on the plane make sure it is airplane approved - it should be in the manual and there is somethingon the seat itself that the FA can find that tells them - my youngest DD HAS to be in a carseat for flights or she would be screaming about wanting to get down. The older 2 are great fliers - they occupy themselves well with crayons, music etc - they are only 4 & 5. We gate check our stroller. I am placing the jump seat for the stroller with the stroller too. I am going to figure out a way to strap them together or get a bag or something - I have a Baby Jogger City Elite. Anyone know a good bag that won't cost an arm & a leg?

 

[J3nn78]

WArning about gate check. We gate checked our double in Nov 08. Made it to Disney just fine, but the wheel broke off coming home. It fell off the loading conveyor belt. The airline refused to pay for it.
I will never gate check a stroller again. We rent from OrlandoStroller when we get there. It is waiting at the hotel for us.

 

[pilotwife_02]

WArning about gate check. We gate checked our double in Nov 08. Made it to Disney just fine, but the wheel broke off coming home. It fell off the loading conveyor belt. The airline refused to pay for it.
I will never gate check a stroller again. We rent from OrlandoStroller when we get there. It is waiting at the hotel for us.

I know it might be a pain in the butt, but we have always put our stuff in luggage bags when we gate check just as we would if we checked at the ticket counter. Not sure if there are bags big enough for double bags or not since we never gate checked a double, but you can always do that when you gate check. We always do that with the car seats.

 

[El&Asmom]

WArning about gate check. We gate checked our double in Nov 08. Made it to Disney just fine, but the wheel broke off coming home. It fell off the loading conveyor belt. The airline refused to pay for it.
I will never gate check a stroller again. We rent from OrlandoStroller when we get there. It is waiting at the hotel for us.

Same thing happened to us with American Airlines. We gate checked our double stroller and the front wheels were broken with no possibility of repair. We were forced to carry a 9m old walk with a 3yo and all of our carry ons through O'hare. Then I had to get all our checked luggage from the belt while dh dealt with the airline. They refused to pay for the stroller as well. Now we only bring our less expensive umbrella strollers for fear of breaking our nicer ones that we would be angry with loosing.