? Regarding Stollers and Airplanes

[Piglet]

This will be our first time flying and we would like to take our own stroller along. Do you check it with luggage or can we take it to the gate? How should we tag it??

Melinda

 

[lookingforward]

We lived in Japan so I have a lot of experience with this. You can check the stroller at the gate. The gate agent will give you a special colored tag to put on your stroller and then you can leave it right at the entrance to the plane. When you exit the stroller will be brought right up to the door of the plane. This is the best way. The only downside is that as you exit the plane and are trying to unfold the stroller and put your baby in the seat the passangers from the plane will usually plow over you as they rush by!

 

[SueM in MN]

We gate check a wheelchair all the time, so we are experts at this too. Plus the DH of one of my friends is a flight attendant.
Ask the agent when you first check in. Some airlines will give you a gate check tag right away. Sometimes you get it from the gate agent. When you get the tag, look at it to make sure the correct destination is checked. Some of the tags just say to deliver it to the gate. Some have check boxes for delivery to the gate or baggage claim, at a connecting flight or your final destination. If you have a tight connection, make sure there is enough time between your flights to get it delivered to the connecting city gate. Sometimes there isn't, but the airline people will know that and help you out.
At the gate, fold your stroller and make sure it is secure and any parts like the canopy won't unfold. One poster to the DIS Boards had their canopy broken because it came unfolded. We take everything that is easily removable off my DD's wheelchair before we check it. We had antitip bars (little wheeled things on the back of the wheelchair to keep it from tipping over backwards) bent once. Those are meant to take the whole weight of the occupied wheelchair, so I don't know how they bent, but they did.
The last point is remember to pick up the stroller. We are usually the last off the plane. Almost every flight we see a stroller obediently waiting at the gate for a family who are probably halfway to baggage claim before they realize they don't have it.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

One thing that might help.... when you exit the plane, grab your stroller on your way out and just carry it into the airport. Then you can put your child back in without being plowed over.

 

[lookingforward]

Great ideas and advice! I love these boards because I really learn so many things and get such great info. I especially like the idea to get the tag when you check in and to set up the stroller in the airport and not at the exit of the plane. I can't tell you how many people have literally knocked me aside to get off the plane!

 

[KimRaye]

Like everyone said, gate-check it with a tag and it's really no problem. You'll be happy you brought your own!

 

[B3LM]

Has anyone gate-checked their stroller and NOT had it waiting for them when they arrived at their destination?

 

[KimRaye]

Yes, but it only took about 5 minutes for them to bring them all out. I guess someone forgot.

 

[maci]

How banged up does your stroller get when you gate check it? We have a big double stroller, I dont think I could find a cover big enough for it, to protect it??!! What about baby car seats, we had planned to rent one from the car rental place, but I am thinking now of just bringing our own. Maybe I am a little paranoid, but I wondered how clean the infant car seat would be that we would rent! That is the last thing we need is for my 6 month old to get sick right off the bat!!!!!

 

[skeezixspud]

My neighbor and I worked out a method that is fairly good for protecting a large stroller. Get a small tarp from the hardware store (or a heavy shower curtain liner) and a couple of bungie cords. Leave the tarp folded in half or thirds, about equal to the distance from the stroller's handle to the far set of wheels. Fold your stroller while you are waiting at the gate to board. Fold it and set it on the floor at right angles to the tarp, so that the wheels and handle stick out at either side. Wrap the tarp around the stroller and secure it tightly with one of the bungie cords. Secure the other bungie crosswise to that one, from axle through the handle and back down again (and make sure the bungie hooks face inward so they don't snag another stroller or wheelchair.) The gate-check tag must be visible outside the wrapping. You should be able to release the brake and pull the stroller down the jetway on two wheels. Set the brake when you leave it at the door of the plane, so that it won't roll around in the hold. When you come off the plane, wheel it back into the terminal before you unfold it. If you practice putting the cover on, it should only take about 5 minutes to do.

 

[deeshie]

Only once was our gate checked stroller not waiting for us. The first officer saw my DH waiting (I always walk out with DS and put him in the stroller in the waiting area), asked him why, and the first officer went and got the stroller!

 

[Jacksmom99]

We were traveling with a 9 month old during the whole millenium craze. I checked the stroller, the car seat and the baby backpack right at the gate and all were waiting for me at the door. Once the stroller was even set up. All of these things survived the millenium without incident even though the rest of the airport was crazy. We also waited to put our son into the stroller until we were inside the airport, but the stroller was great for the carry on luggage. I definately agree with you about the car seat. Bring your own, not only do you know where the germs came form, but you are familiar with how it is secured in the car so you won't have to mess around with a different model.

 

[maci]

Good info guys thanks! I think I will call and cancel renting the car seats, and save us some bucks!!!

 

[Youngjo]

Hi Piglet, We have only flown once and we gate checked our stroller. Upon landing they informed us that it was broken. The wheel fell off! Since we stayed at CS with a 2 yr. old, my arms were aching by the end of the week. When we go in Aug. I am going to check our new stroller in a large duffel bag. Good luck.

 

[robinb]

I have gate-checked my stroller many times. Unfotunately, it was broken by Northwest when returning from Disneyland in April. They paid for the repairs, but I was without my stroller for the 5 weeks that it took Maclaren to fix the darn thing. I now have a bag for it, but I've had it end up in baggage claim twice! I'm not sure if it's better off in the bag and ending up with the regular luggage or gate-checked naked.

As for car seats ... if you bought a seat for your child, then put the car seat in their plane seat. I bought a bag for about $25 to haul it around the airport in (made by Century). If you want to check the seat, the airlines provide clear plastic bags.

 

[skeezixspud]

The "bag" I use on my stroller is actually a tube with elastic ends. The handles and one set of wheels stick out of it, so it is pretty easily identified as a stroller. When I put it on, I first wrap my empty carseat satchel around the body of the stroller to pad it; thus killing two birds with one stone. The folded bag cushions the stroller, and I don't have to find a place in my carry-on to cram the thing.

I'm weird, I know, but I've actually talked to baggage handlers about the way they handle strollers I wanted to know what they thought so that I could make it less likely that mine would get damaged in transit or lost. One thing they said was that things mostly get broken during folding, or worse, if they accidentally come unfolded when being moved. They emphasized strongly that when they pick the stroller up, they want it already folded, with the brake set so that it cannot roll when folded, and best of all, secured so that it cannot accidentally unfold when handled. If they accidentally hit the latch and unfold it when they lift it, they will just try to cram it flat as quickly as they can, they don't have time or patience to figure out the proper way to fold it. I asked about bags, too, and they said that if they cannot see wheels, they will usually put it on the baggage wagons unless it is somehow really clearly marked that it is a stroller; they don't take time to read the details of the gate-check tag. (Remember that if the overhead bins on a plane are full, or a bag is too large, FA's will send luggage down to the hold via gate-check. When they come off, those bags normally go to baggage claim.) BTW; credit goes to the friendly baggage guys from SWA and Continental for this info.

I think that if I chose to use a full bag to encase my stroller for gate-check, I'd stencil "BABY BUGGY -- RETURN TO GATE ONLY" in big colorful letters on the outside of it; it might look a little funny, but I think it would be less likely to go to baggage claim that way.