Flying SWA....bring stroller or buy one upon arrival?

[ZuZugal]

Big question......

We have a 21 month old and we will be flying SWA. I figure we'll need to use the stroller while navigating the airport, etc., but on our last flight the stroller was broken (we checked it) and they gave us $ to buy a new one.

Does anyone wait until they arrive to buy a stroller?

Any suggestions if we check ours?

Thanks!

 

[CEDmom]

We've had 2 strollers broken while traveling. The breaks weren't anything major and we could still use the stroller but it was still irratating. After the 1st time we learned our lesson and bought an inexpensive umbrella stroller rather than risk more damage to our pricey one.

Frankly I wouldn't travel with a small child w/o one. Even though our DD is now 5 we'd still take one with us. It can to tough navigating through a crowded airport with a walking child.

 

[DisneyPete]

It's been a long time since I have flown anywhere without a stroller.

We have never had a stroller broken or lost (we do the gate check) and it has been indispensible for navigating around the airport.

Anything could happen, but you can't worry about things you can't control. I would say take the stroller.

 

[Lollipop Mom]

I would lean towards taking one because I'm picky about strollers and I wouldn't want to risk getting to Orlando and having a hard time finding one that was acceptable in stock. This is especially true if you are not renting a car. You wouldn't want to have to pay a taxi or town car driver for the time you spend checking out strollers in Target or Babies R Us or something.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Originally posted by ZuZugal
Any suggestions if we check ours?

We wrap a bungee cord around our stroller before we check it. This way it doesn't pop open as it is being "handled."

 

[Rowlf]

For the trip we just returned from yesterday, I gate checked my Pliko and made sure it was locked closed. It got maybe one scratch on it through the whole process of going and coming home!

 

[ZuZugal]

Thanks for the great ideas everyone. I think a gate-check is in order this time. Now....which stroller to use.......

 

[swilphil]

I have checked our expensive double stroller 4 times while flying Southwest and it never broke, but I did fold it up myself. I love having the stroller checked at the gate. It's such a nice way to corral the kids, hold luggage and/or keep your place in line. I'm a little nervous about checking it again because I'd hate for it to break!

 

[KristinU]

Now you all have me nervous! We have a Maclaren Triumph that we bought the Mac carrying bag for and I was intending to check it like luggage. The bag is big enough for me to fit DS's little duffle bag in it as well as a quilt to wrap around the stroller and a few misc other things. I'll be carrying him to the gate in a front carrier and carrying his carseat so I decided that checking the stroller with the luggage would be the easiest (DH is meeting us at WDW from a business trip so I'll be solo with DS). Should I re-think my plan based on possibility of the stroller being broken or do you think it will be OK since it will be in a carrying bag surrounded by a quilt and some clothes, etc? Would it be more or less likely to get broken if I gate check it without the protection of the carrying bag?

TIA!

 

[Rowlf]

If you are fast, I don't see why you can't put the stroller in the carrying bag at the gate to give it extra protection. I think there's less chance of it getting broken if you gate check it vs. checking it. It seems that it would get tossed around less!

BTW, I posted a while back asking whether we should take our Volo or our Pliko P3 - on the advice here, we went with the P3 and it worked out wonderfully!

 

[BevS97]

I think a maclaren in a bag will be fine checked either place - do which ever is easiest for you in the airport.
If you have a baby and a carseat to deal with, it will probably be easier to check the stroller with the luggage - I would be very suprised if it was damaged.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I'm flying SWA in Dec. with my 2 1/2 year old by myself. I will have him, a stoller, and his carseat. Luckily, we're flying at 6:45am, so maybe he'll sleep.

What would you do? Use the stoller all the way to the plane or check it with luggage?

TIA,

Lori

 

[madscrapper]

We have a Graco double stroller that has been checked at the gate (USAir, AirTran and SWA) at least 10 times. My MIL made a bag that covers it. Knock-on-wood, but we have never had a problem. The stroller is always at the gate and it has never been broken. I think checking at the gate is a little safer - no banging onto the luggage cart.

Good luck,
Jeannine

 

[jweiss]

I flew SWA last month (California to Orlando) with a 6 month old (also two other children and no other aduts, so not alot of other help!!!) I left baby in carseat ON stroller up to the gate for every flight. At gate I put stroller in stroller bag and took carseat onto plane. It took me a few minutes after each flight to get organized, but nothing was broken 9including my back from carrying things) and I had no trouble with SWA at all.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I guess I will use the stoller until I have to surrender it at the gate. I imagine that being at the airport at 4:45am and our flight not leaving until 6:45am that my 2 year old will be asleep.

So I'll push the stoller with one hand and hold the carseat in the other and have my backpack on my back. It should work. in theory at least.

Lori