Gate Check Stroller Question

[princesscate]

Ok, I've never flown with a child before. We'll gate check our stroller, so when do we get our stroller back? Do we have to wait or go somewhere else? We're flying AirTran if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Cathy

 

[3girls4me05]

Typically it is waiting for you as soon as you step off the plane.

 

[princesscate]

Thanks Kat,
I hope it's there!

We'll be visiting Mickey at the same time!
Cathy

 

[tammy1210]

I've flown USAir and Delta with strollers and everytime the stroller was set up and waiting for us when we came off the plane.

 

[MamaOfTwoPrincesses]

Do you now have to PAY to gate check a stroller? Just wondering with all of the fee hikes these days.

 

[Swimmergirl]

I know Southwest does not charge for gate checking a stroller, and the stroller does not count toward your 2 bags per person limit. I'm not sure about other airlines.

To the OP - keep in mind that most airlines will want you check in at the desk in front of your gate to get a special tag for your stroller to be able to check it. You'll then drive your stroller down the jetway and leave it in the hallway for the baggage guys to take. Once you get off the plane the baggage handlers will bring the stroller up and put it right by the door of the plane (do not walk down the jetway into the airport - wait for the stroller off to the side in the jetway hall). We love gate checking the stoller since it helps wrangle the kiddo and gives us a spot to store stuff!

 

[JustJamie]

Gate check it. It is so much easier on you. And it will literally be waiting for you as soon as you step off the plane in the "Jet Bridge", is that the right word. Not out by the terminal counter, but literally on the bridge from the plane into the terminal. And there is less chance of it getting broken or lost when you gate check.

 

[shoppgirl]

Don't panic if it's not there waiting for you! They may not have had a chance to bring it up for you yet. This would likely happen more if you are on a smaller aircraft (ie Emrbraer). We flew the smaller Jet Blue planes down to MCO and both times I had to take the girls up the ramp into the airport while DH waited for the guys to bring up the strollers. But before this, I always saw the strollers waiting as I exited the plane. Going down, the agent came up to me to tag the stroller...coming home, I went up to the gate agent and asked for a tag. It was so easy...and my strollers came up with no damage either...I had worried about whether or not I should invest in stroller bags, but it certainly wasn't necessary on this trip!

 

[princesscate]

Thanks guys for all your help. I did buy a bag, just in case. And now I know where to pick it up. Thanks again!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Typically it is waiting for you as soon as you step off the plane.

This is correct - and I've done it on AirTran multiple times, they've always been great. Simply make sure that you clear your stroller of any things that might slow you down at security (bags, items in the pockets, etc...). Also note that, if it's a single, they will ask you to fold it up and send it through the x-ray machine. They'll check a double by hand through the weelchair gate.

Do you now have to PAY to gate check a stroller? Just wondering with all of the fee hikes these days.

I checked on this when we travelled in June, and what I understand is that strollers are considered items needed for accessibility and therefore are not part of the count for bag fees, etc... The same seems to be true for car seats. We checked two car seats and gate checked a stroller and weren't charged the overage for any of them.

 

[disneybridetobe]

Air Tran is still free!

 

[swavay72]

Jetblue is still free, right? We fly in a month.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Jetblue is still free, right? We fly in a month.

This is a quote from the JetBlue web site - it seems to be the consistent policy. Strollers are treated as an assistive device and therefore do not count as baggage.

"JetBlue will courtesy gate-check any of the following assistive devices: strollers, car seats, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, or crutches. There is no limit to the numberof assistive devices a Customer may transport as carry-on or checked baggage."

 

[nikkers]

Same thing with car seats, you can always gate check them. We have never had either a car seat or stroller count as 'extra' luggage. We fly several times a year with 2 children.

 

[Ucan'tNemo]

We flew AirTran earlier this year and gate checked the stroller. We must of had bad luck, because we had to wait about 10 minutes each time for them to bring the strollers up. You can get a claim ticket at the gate that goes on the side of the stroller. We have been doing this for 6 years and have yet to lose a stroller.

 

[swavay72]

Thanks for the info, everyone.

 

[parkers*momma]

could someone tell me how this will work? I'm flying on NW with my 7 year DD and we are meeting with my oldest at MCO (they are flying to wdw at the same time but on a different flight and from a different state). All my oldest DD has is a cheap lil stroller so I'm planning on bringing mine(really nice with all the bells and whistles) for her to use with her 4yo DS or her 5yo DD or for me to use when my DD gets tired of walking (she's tiny-just started wearing a size 6) and still tends to use it when we have long days.

now my question-
Can I gate check it? I'm hoping to use it at the airport since it will just be myself and 7yo DD but mostly to help keep track of DD and our carry-ons. We have two carryons plus my purse and her DVD player with movie bag...way more than I want to handle alone at Detroit.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

could someone tell me how this will work? I'm flying on NW with my 7 year DD and we are meeting with my oldest at MCO (they are flying to wdw at the same time but on a different flight and from a different state). All my oldest DD has is a cheap lil stroller so I'm planning on bringing mine(really nice with all the bells and whistles) for her to use with her 4yo DS or her 5yo DD or for me to use when my DD gets tired of walking (she's tiny-just started wearing a size 6) and still tends to use it when we have long days.

now my question-
Can I gate check it? I'm hoping to use it at the airport since it will just be myself and 7yo DD but mostly to help keep track of DD and our carry-ons. We have two carryons plus my purse and her DVD player with movie bag...way more than I want to handle alone at Detroit.

Yes, you can definitely gate check a stroller even if you don't have a 'baby'. I have gate checked a stroller when going to WDW/DL even when my DD was 6 and 7, well past normal stroller age.

Just a word of warning to anyone gate checking a stroller...make sure if you have to change planes that your gate checked stroller makes the change with you! Usually I try to get direct flights so this had never been an issue, but last year flying to CA we had to change planes. I specifically asked the agent at the first airport if we needed to get the stroller and take it to the next plane and she said no, it would be sent on to our final destination just like our bags would be. LOL, later that day, we ended up at LAX, our stroller didn't. The agents there tried to say that it was our responsibility to pick up the stroller and then gate check it before we got on the next flightand weren't going to do anything for us, I told them that's not what I was told and produced the claim ticket from PHL that said we would pick up the stroller at LAX, the final destination. Then they decided we had a valid claim and sent us to the lost baggage office.

LAX (most airports?) has a huge collection of abandoned strollers, they told us to take one while they tried to find ours. However, DD being 7, most of these strollers were not going to work for her like our Maclaren Volo did, so because she is 7 and a stroller was mainly just to carry stuff and let her rest at night if necessary, we just didn't take one. On our third day, they did notify us that they had our stroller and they shipped it to our hotel at DL.

 

[SueM in MN]

LOL, later that day, we ended up at LAX, our stroller didn't. The agents there tried to say that it was our responsibility to pick up the stroller and then gate check it before we got on the next flightand weren't going to do anything for us, I told them that's not what I was told and produced the claim ticket from PHL that said we would pick up the stroller at LAX, the final destination. Then they decided we had a valid claim and sent us to the lost baggage office.

A good point - make sure the part of the claim ticket and the part that stays on the stroller both say where the stroller will be picked up. Sometimes, it's not marked on the tag on the stroller and the baggage people just set it out at the gate. That's also why it's best to ask for a gate check tag before boarding begins - less chance that the stroller tag will be marked incorrectly. I saw someone on a recent trip who got the tag for her stroller as boarding was occurring. They were going to Orlando, but the agent marked the destination code wrong; if the person had not noticed, the stroller would have gone to the wrong place entirely.

If I didn't have a short connection, I would probably wait a few minutes to get off to let the gate checked items be delivered to the gate - just in case the baggage person didn't actually look at the destination.

Also, when leaving the stroller at the gate; fold it and secure it somehow so it doesn't come unfolded. If you don't fold it, the baggage people will try and they may not know what steps to take to safely fold it. The frames on some strollers can get bent if they are not folded in the right order.
If you have removable things like cupholders, canopies, etc, it's best to remove those before your trip and pack them in your baggage. Those can get caught on things and cause damage to the stroller.

 

[all4fun]

We usually have connecting flights and once, the gate agent marked our tag to go straight through to our destination instead of having us pick it up at our layover airport. Well, even though that's how the tag was marked, they still brought it out for us at our connecting city. Thank goodness it was out there before we got off the plane, as we had to walk right by it, otherwise, we might have left it behind. So now, we always ask them to mark the tag with the connecting airport code, and plan on picking it up and taking it to the next flight. This way we don't accidentally leave it behind somewhere because someone didn't read the tag correctly.

This page here on expedia, has a list of airline website links to baggage fee policies. Most still do not charge for checking a stroller, but check with your specific airline.

hth!