Stroller Question - Gate Check at Airport

[js]

Good morning.

We will be traveling with my dd/dgs in two weeks. My dd's travel stroller is close to $300 and she is bringing to Disney (I know).
When we gate check the stroller at the airport, can we put it in a stroller bag and fold it up?
When I travel, I always see the strollers open and ready to go at the end of the ramp to get onto the plane.
How do the guys that load them know how to fold them, I've needed tutorials for her strollers LOL
Do they leave them open?
Just not sure if I should tell her to get a travel bag for it since this is the first time we are traveling with my grandson on a plane.

Thank you very much.

 

[RoseGold]

You fold stroller at the jetway and leave it right at the entrance to the plane on domestic flights. I've never seen one open, sounds like a good way to get your stroller broken. I've actually been traveling alone and juggling bags and kids and everyone just stares at me opening/closing it. International is a little different, or the huge international planes sometimes. Or the teensy planes.

I don't see the point of the stroller bag, they throw it on top of the luggage compartment, so it would maybe prevent a little dirt, which uh was never my concern with my strollers.

People travel with much more expensive strollers and mobility devices all the time. This is no big deal. If you have a booster, clip it to the stroller. They aren't approved for planes and they don't fit overhead. You need another tag for the booster. Infant seats you can take on and buckle in, usually.

 

[js]

You always fold stroller at the jetway. I've never seen one open, sounds like a good way to get your stroller broken. I've actually been traveling alone and juggling bags and kids and everyone just stares at me opening/closing it.

I don't see the point of the stroller bag, they throw it on top of the luggage compartment, so it would maybe prevent a little dirt, which uh was never my concern with my strollers.

People travel with much more expensive strollers and mobility devices all the time. This is no big deal. If you have a booster, clip it to the stroller. They aren't approved for planes and they don't fit overhead. You need another tag for the booster. Infant seats you can take on and buckle in, usually.

Thank you (AGAIN LOL).
I told her she cannot bring her every day stroller, too big and expensive so this is the compromise LOL
Okay, she will just fold the stroller and like you, I'm not worried about the dirt, I wasn't sure how they are actually stored.

She won't have a booster seat/car seat with the stroller. We are using the CARES Harness for the plane.

Thank you very much again for answering my questions all over these boards HAHAHAA

 

[Herding_Cats]

We DID buy a stroller bag, but not one that was $$ or specifically for our stroller....just a generic one off amazon, and it was a warehouse return so even cheaper. Our stroller bag has come out rather dirty on our trips. It would help keep it dry if it were raining while they were loading/unloading.

But I also use a bag because I feel like it's less likely to get other things snagged on the stroller/suitcase parts, and if something *happened* to get broken, it would be contained inside the bag.

Tons of people don't use stroller bags though, so this is just a preference thing.

 

[DeeBee3]

As RoseGold said, they give you a tag before you board and then it's easy peezy. We bring an umbrella stroller each time and it's there when we get off the plane on the jetway. I believe we may have brought our bigger stroller once. Either way, it's the same process and we have not had an issue. We fly JetBlue or Delta.

We don't like bringing anything expensive in case it were to get physically damaged, but we have only traveled with toddlers and never needed anything for an infant (if that's what you need).

 

[RoseGold]

I wouldn't be worried about an expensive stroller. I've traveled with several expensive wheelchairs and they are fine. Strollers are made to be banged around a little. It's not like anyone is going to steal it or something. Disney has the cameras of Vegas.

I didn't travel with my expensive stroller, just because of size. But in an Uber even that doesn't matter so much. If the expensive stroller is better for your needs, I wouldn't not take it because of the plane transfer.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I would definitely get a bag. It's not about dirt, it's about moisture. The compartment it's going into isn't climate controlled like the cabin is, and it gets damp in there. You don't want your stroller coming out soaked in plane juice. Just buy a cheap one, nothing manufacturer specific.

And since it sounds like you're new at this, just know that there are two different options when you check at the gate. There's "gate checking" and "checking through." When you gate check, you get the stroller back on the jetbridge at your destination airport. When you check through, the stroller goes all the way to baggage claim at the destination airport. The gate check tag is usually neon green, orange, or pink. The "checking through" tag looks like a normal white checked bag tag.

 

[Herding_Cats]

One other thought: some strollers either don't have a "lock closed" mechanism, or it may have broken or just not hold like it used to (for example, my 20 year old bob stroller does not have anything to keep it lock closed.) Having a bag for your stroller will keep it from accidentally opening while the luggage handlers load/unload it from the plane.

 

[SLThomas318]

We always used an inexpensive stroller bag that we got off Amazon to just to protect the stroller/keep it clean. Our travel stroller was a double in the $300-400 range that we gate checked about a dozen times... the bag came out scuffed and beat up but the stroller was always fine. Our double was super lightweight and the bag had a nice carrying strap so I always feel like it made it easier to load... strollers can be so awkward!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

One other thought: some strollers either don't have a "lock closed" mechanism, or it may have broken or just not hold like it used to (for example, my 20 year old bob stroller does not have anything to keep it lock closed.) Having a bag for your stroller will keep it from accidentally opening while the luggage handlers load/unload it from the plane.

Now we're on a roll and just going to fire off random stroller advice haha.

You want to make sure that anybody who's going to be opening and closing the stroller frequently knows how to do it quickly and efficiently, and that the stroller itself is decent in this regard. We have a stroller that I can close in 2 seconds, except when the canopy and snack tray are attached. Those two accessories are unwieldy when trying to close the stroller, and make it significantly larger once it is folded. So we leave them at home when we're going to WDW. We want to be fast and courteous, not clunking around and clogging up traffic while we wrestle trying to get the thing open and closed.

And if you plan to use the basket underneath, be prepared to stuff all of that crap into a backpack or something when it's time to pack up. I can't count the number of times I've seen someone trying to get on a bus only to block the ten families behind them because they have a diaper bag and 16 bottles of water in the compartment and the thing won't close.

 

[RoseGold]

I can't count the number of times I've seen someone trying to get on a bus only to block the ten families behind them because they have a diaper bag and 16 bottles of water in the compartment and the thing won't close.

I'm feeling very attacked LOL.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm feeling very attacked LOL.

The worst offenders are the people who rent. They don't bother taking five minutes to figure out how to use an unfamiliar stroller, they just assume if they shake it hard enough it will eventually close.

 

[SLThomas318]

Now we're on a roll and just going to fire off random stroller advice haha.

You want to make sure that anybody who's going to be opening and closing the stroller frequently knows how to do it quickly and efficiently, and that the stroller itself is decent in this regard. We have a stroller that I can close in 2 seconds, except when the canopy and snack tray are attached. Those two accessories are unwieldy when trying to close the stroller, and make it significantly larger once it is folded. So we leave them at home when we're going to WDW. We want to be fast and courteous, not clunking around and clogging up traffic while we wrestle trying to get the thing open and closed.

And if you plan to use the basket underneath, be prepared to stuff all of that crap into a backpack or something when it's time to pack up. I can't count the number of times I've seen someone trying to get on a bus only to block the ten families behind them because they have a diaper bag and 16 bottles of water in the compartment and the thing won't close.

Yes! I would use one of those large reusable shopping bags in the basket... everything went into the bag so when it came time to fold the stroller I could just grab the bag and not the 1000 items! Same with the cup holder/parent console... make sure you don't have a bunch of items in there... I've witnessed items go flying!

 

[sponica]

We've traveled with 2 different strollers.
In 2018 we brought our Bob Motion and when I bought it, it came with a travel bag (it had just been discontinued and albee baby was trying to clear it out of inventory). We brought this one because it WAS our daily driver and we both knew how to open and close it in 2 seconds flat.
In 2022, we brought our umbrella stroller as we were renting a double for the trip. We bought a cheapo stroller bag on amazon for it.

You just ask the gate attendant for a gate check tag, sometimes an uppity one will ask to see the stroller with a child in it. Here's the important thing. if you're using a stroller bag, attach the tag to the bag and NOT the stroller.

 

[RoseGold]

The compartment it's going into isn't climate controlled like the cabin is, and it gets damp in there.

Of course luggage is climate controlled or everything would be frozen and the animals would die. It isn't as controlled as the main cabin but definitely controlled. They even have lights for animals.

My strollers and wheelchairs have a whole lot of flights on them, and nothing has ever come out wet. Even in the rain. I guess it's possible, but I don't view this as a huge deal. I had a cover for one of my strollers because it was awkward to carry. The cover wasn't in bad shape at all. But the cover takes time and fuss, and I travel alone with kids a lot. Just personal preference.

 

[Aimeedyan]

The worst offenders are the people who rent. They don't bother taking five minutes to figure out how to use an unfamiliar stroller, they just assume if they shake it hard enough it will eventually close.

My favorite was the family who (rented stroller) had no idea how to close it and were holding up the parking lot tram. They tried and tried, to an audience of an entire tram of hot sweaty people anxious to get to MK.

Finally, the CM (over the speaker) told them to just put it on as-is and the dad sat with it completely open It was quite the sight.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My favorite was the family who (rented stroller) had no idea how to close it and were holding up the parking lot tram. They tried and tried, to an audience of an entire tram of hot sweaty people anxious to get to MK.

Finally, the CM (over the speaker) told them to just put it on as-is and the dad sat with it completely open It was quite the sight.

 

[Anna131517]

It’s your adult daughter’s stroller for her child. Let her worry about it. She can bag it or not. She can bring a large stroller or an umbrella stroller. I personally never bothered to bag a stroller and never had an issue.

 

[js]

It’s your adult daughter’s stroller for her child. Let her worry about it. She can bag it or not. She can bring a large stroller or an umbrella stroller. I personally never bothered to bag a stroller and never had an issue.

I wasnt asking who should worry about the stroller I was asking about a bag.
How is this helpful to my question.

 

[js]

Thank you all! I gave my dd the information and advice from all of you (well not that she should just worry about it) lol

I will let you know what she decides. Thank you again.