Emily and Jack's Dad said:
You can take your stroller right up to the jetway and then give it to someone to stow in the hold. Then it will be available to you when you get off the plane - just wait on the side in the jetway and someone will bring it up to you.
I just wanted to point out that there is a little more to it than that.
Doing this is called
gate checking and we do it all the time with a wheelchair.
You can ask when about gate checking when you first check in. Sometimes they will give a gate check tag then, but most often they will tell you to request one at the gate. Ask about it when you get to the gate - well before boarding begins.
You will be given a gate check tag filled out with the correct destination. Depending on the airline, there may be checkboxes to choose where your stroller will be returned, the gate or baggage area of your destination or a connecting flight city.
The tag is usually neon pink or green, so it's easily noticed by the baggage people. If you try to do this while boarding, chances are good your stroller will not be delivered to the correct place (if you are lucky, it will go to baggage claim; if you are unlucky, it will go to another city). Put the gate check tag somewhere it won't slip off easily.
If you have anything extra attached to your stroller (like cupholders, fan holders, etc you added) or have pieces that are removeable, take them off ahead of time and carry them on with you. Anything that sticks out can get caught and damaged. Fold the stroller and secure it so it won't pop open before you leave it at the gate.
When you get to your destination, remember it takes a few minutes for them to get the gate checked items delivered to the gate. If you hop up right away, you will be waiting on the jetway (not a large space) with all the other passengers trying to get past you.
This may seem obvious, but remember to pick up your stroller. We are sometimes the very last people off the plane (I have to partially assemble a wheelchair before DD can get off). We frequently see strollers sitting waiting at the gate whose owners forgot they gate checked them (a friend who was a flight attendant said this happens all the time).
