Have you Ever Checked Your Stroller At the Gate?

[Lexxiefern]

A friend of mine did this on her trip last month and said it is very easy to do. I have a big stroller bag by Graco and I always check it in with the rest of my luggage.

However, now she got me thinking, maybe it is easier to have the stroller in the airport with you?

I would love to hear from you moms (and dads, grandmas, etc) who have done this. Is it easy? Thanks!

 

[megan2346]

HI, I am new to these boards but have found them to be a great help. I have two small children and have always checked my stroller at the gate. They give you a tag to put on the stroller and have it waiting for you when you get off the plane. It is great. I couldn't imagine not having the stroller in the airport. Even if the kids don't sit in through the airport, it is a great place to put your carry on bags, so you don't have to carry them.
Megan

 

[zurgswife]

We have been gate checking our stroller for years....and it is awesome to have a stroller while your at the airport....

 

[pjlla]

by a cousin who went to WDW shortly before us. If you have young kids who may want to be carried (or even lots of stuff!).... check your stroller at the gate!! We used our stroller to carry a small lunch sack, our carry-ons, and a 4 year old through the airport on our last trip. We wheeled it right down the jet-way, to the plane entrance. At that point they take it from you and tag it and it will be right there waiting for you when you get off. The only problem could be if it is raining hard, the stroller could get wet, as they take it outside to load it (at least in my experience)... but that was the only bad thing. I would certainly consider doing it again if we were taking a stroller, but alas, our children are getting older and are under their own power now!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I have lots of experience gate checking a wheelchair, which is the same way you gate check a stroller, so I have a few hints:

1) Ask about gate checking when you first check in. Sometimes, they will give you a gate check tag there, sometimes they tell you to ask at the gate. If you are to ask at the gate, ask before boarding begins. If you wait until you actually are boarding, you risk mistakes in marking your tag. (You don't want your stroller vacationing in California without you if the wrong airport code is put in).

2) Depending on the airline, your gate check tag may just say to deliver it to the gate when the plane lands. Sometimes, there are other options - like delivery to baggage claim. There may also be options to have it brought to the gate or baggage at a transfer city, if you need to change planes. If you have a very tight transfer, you might not want it brought to the gate until your final destination.

3) Before you leave the stroller, fold it. Otherwise, the baggage people will fold it and could possibly break something if they don't know how. Secure it so it won't unfold. Also, remove things like umbrella holders, cup holders that are not part of the original stroller. If they stick out, they might get caught on something.

4) Strollers take a few minutes to be brought to the gate after the plane lands, so if you are among the first off, your stroller won't be waiting for you. I think that might lead to a lot of occurances of #5.

5) Forgetting to pick up the stroller. We are often the very last off the plane and on about 1/4 to 1/2 of the flights we're on, we see a stroller waiting at the gate for someone who forgot to pick it up.

 

[MinnieGi]

Oh yes we always gate check the stroller!!! I don't know how we'd manage without doing that!! The airport can be a long walk with a little one. When we arrive in our destination they always have it waiting for us.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's always a good idea to gate-check strollers; if you check them with luggage you run a much higher risk of having them damaged.

Gate-checked items go into the hold last, on top of everything else (or with some planes, in a smaller luggage compartment that is separate from the main cargo hold). Strollers are made of hollow metal tubes, imagine what having 2 or 3 tons of luggage stacked on top of them might do.

By all means, use your stroller bag to bag up your stroller and protect it -- after you reach the gate. They will still accept it if it is in a protective cover. One thing to remember, though; a stroller in a cover is harder to identify as a stroller, so you might need to ask the ramp personnel on the jetway to go look for it if it does not appear in a timely manner; it might get swept up and sent to the carousels anyway, on the assumption that it was just an oversized piece of luggage that the FA's would not allow on board. To prevent this, I stenciled the words "BABY BUGGY" on my cover in large block letters.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Wow! I guess everyone agrees! Now should I put some type of ID tag on it? Or is that the gate check tag that has been mentioned?

Thanks everybody - you make some great points! Wish I had known about this sooner!

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

I couldn't survive in an airport without the stroller! Gate-checking it is so easy. I always put a luggage tag on the stroller just in case it gets lost or someone has a similar one. Then, of course, we get a gate-check tag for it

 

[tjmw2727]

Yes, definately put a luggage tag on it and like Sue said take everything else off and fold it, we even bungee cord it, at the gate.

Our girls are older now but we travel 4-10 times a year and for over 6 years we had a stroller with us. Gate checking is the way to go and we never had a stroller lost or damaged.

I won't repeat Sue as she said all I would say so take the stroller, use it in the airport, gate check and enjoy your trip.

TJ

 

[pjlla]

SueM made some great points!! Thanks for the helpful info!...P

 

[SueM in MN]

You're welcome. When you travel enough times, you learn things that might be useful to someone.

 

[BrittnTylersMom]

I am Sooo glad I found the DIS boards!! I've just learned yet another wonderful tip! I was going to just check my stroller in with the luggage...I didn't even KNOW you could check it in at the gate!!

Thank You soo much!!