Checking a stroller at the airport with the regular luggage?

[goofy4wdw2]

Have any of you ever checked your stroller with the regular luggage (not gate check), and did it suffer any damage? We have a nice, but heavy double stroller. We're thinking of wrapping it in bubble wrap or something, then putting it in a huge Christmas tree bag, and checking it when we first get to the airport, instead of gate checking it. DH is having anxiety about how we will manage 2 kids, a (heavy) double stroller, one car seat, a backpack, and a diaper bag (with a small cooler b/c my daughter has dietary restrictions, we need to bring some food for her) through security and at the gate. Any ideas? thoughts?

 

[thegrimdwarf]

I would think a stroller wouldn't fare well if it was checked with regular luggage, even if it was bubble-wrapped. Airlines really don't exercise much caution with luggage, and it would be so easy for your stroller to get bent or smashed. If you really feel that your stroller is too heavy to travel with, perhaps look into purchasing a lighter weight model - especially if you travel with any regularity.

 

[Mrs. Toaster]

I agree with the last poster. Gate checking is definitely the way to go! We always leave the regular stroller at home and bring a much lighter weight stroller to the airport. Even if noone is sitting in it, you can always push it to the gate with bags in it! When we arrive at our destination, one of us escorts the kids out of the plane, while the other one waits by the door for the stroller.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I did it on a trip to California and it was just fine. My stroller (a Chicco Caddy) came with a travel bag which made it easy. The bag got a little dirty, but the stroller was fine on both the flight there and back.

The reason I didn't gate check it was because I was flying alone with DD. I did not want to have to deal with getting the stroller through security on my own, so I wore her in a sling. It made getting through the airport very easy.

 

[carj]

We will be gate checking ours. Air Tran told us that if we check it with our luggage, it will count towards our alloted bags. If we gate check it, it will be considered a mobility aid for our children and will NOT could towards that alloted bags.

 

[PatsDizBrat]

We did it last week with a Mac double stroller. We put it in an inexpensive stroller bag and had the airline put "FRAGILE" tags on it. It made it to and from MCO without a scratch.