Will large baby stroller be an issue at airport?
nooz asked:
Hi,
My wife, 3 month old daughter and I will be flying from Chicago to Florida soon, and I wanted to know if anyone out there has had any problems with larger stroller travel systems. We own an Eddie Bauer travel system, its one of those larger convertible units that we can snap her car seat into, and later becomes a regular stroller when she becomes a toddler. Its super handy, but I have not traveled with it and the stroller itself is pretty bulky, even when it is folded up.
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Hi,
My wife, 3 month old daughter and I will be flying from Chicago to Florida soon, and I wanted to know if anyone out there has had any problems with larger stroller travel systems. We own an Eddie Bauer travel system, its one of those larger convertible units that we can snap her car seat into, and later becomes a regular stroller when she becomes a toddler. Its super handy, but I have not traveled with it and the stroller itself is pretty bulky, even when it is folded up.
http://eddiebauer.djgusa.com/product/detail.asp?ID=2803
My main questions is, have any of you traveled with this system before? And if you have, did you have any issues at the airport? I would like to take both the car seat and the stroller. It would be nice to use it all the way to the gate, can I check both the car seat and the stroller in at the gate?
Thanks so much for your help
March 15th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Contact your individual airline; most will allow you to gate check the stroller.
March 15th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I’m a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my three children.
I never had any travel system but I saw it a lot at work. I also saw much larger double strollers and really big buggies. I never saw anyone’s stroller refused because it was too big.
Having said this, I will confess that I was with a major airline flying on long haul flights. I spent most of my career on wide-bodies (2 aisle) jets so space was not really an issue. If you are flying a small regional airline and/or low-cost company, you may want to check into this specifically.
Hopefully, you have a seat for the baby. If not, check that your car seat is FAA certified (most sold in the U.S. are) and try to use it on board. Here is the information from the FAA site;
Ask nicely at check-in if the flight is full and if not, ask that they “block” a seat next to you for the baby and car seat. This is actually the only way to fly safely with a baby. Under 2’s are allowed in laps for commercial reasons but in the unlikely event of something going wrong, they aren’t protected.
Make sure she’s in it for take-off and landing. It’s a myth that babies need to suck on something during take-off and landing so no need to remove her. The actual tricky time for ears is at the top of descent (landing is too late). Here’s more information on ears;
The BEST way to avoid ear issues is to take her to the doctor a few days before flying. The doctor will look in her ears and make sure they’re clear and infection-free. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes
Avoid checking the car seat, which risks damage and/or loss. Airlines do not take responsibility because they’re considered “fragile” items. You probably need the seat to leave the airport so don’t take the risk of not having it (since there is more danger in the car than on the plane).
On a practical note, depending on how much car travel you will be doing, it might be a smart idea to leave the base at home. Check your manual because most do not require the base for air travel and installing it directly with the strap is as or even more safe according to car seat techs (CPST’s and I checked with some on that!) Balance the convenience of having the base against dragging it along and decide what works for you.
Please never bring a stroller on board an aircraft. There simply isn’t any room to stow it and they can’t be placed in overhead bins for safety reasons. When I worked, one of the jobs of the greeter was to “catch” parents trying to bring them onboard.
But the good news is that you can “gate-check” your stroller. When you check-in at the desk, usually they just assume you want to keep your stroller with you until you board the aircraft. They will either give you a tag or put it on themselves. Make sure it goes somewhere that it wont be hidden or squished when the stroller is folded.
If you can’t use your seat on board, take it to the gate because then it will be gate-checked with the stroller (as a separate item). This is gentlier than checking it in at the counter.
When you get to the door of the aircraft (or at the bottom of the stairs if you’re boarding outside on the tarmac), fold the stroller up and just leave it there at the door (with that tag showing).
This is *almost* standard but once in awhile, there will be exceptions. I was once allowed my stroller to the aircraft but Air France said it wouldn’t be returned to me until my final destination, forcing me to connect without it. I managed to sort it out with a supervisor (I flying alone transatlantically with three small children including a 4 month old) so it’s a good thing I asked!
Just some tips;
-attach the straps
-remove all “extras” like cupholders, toys and even the sunshade, depending on the model. Either stuff these things in your checked bags or leave them at home.
-Bring a bungee cord to double secure it before leaving it, even if you have a latch on your stroller. Most of them aren’t too secure and your stroller could get damaged if it pops open en route.
When you arrive at your destination, if you’re on a bigger aircraft, be sure to **exit the correct door** where you stroller is located. Listen to the welcoming announcement as they might mention this and/or mention this to the Flight Attendants as you leave the aircraft. On a bigger plane, if you go out the wrong door, you’ll have to walk all the way around to get your stroller. This headache is easy to avoid by listening or asking…
For more information on flying with children in general, I wrote an article about 8 years ago. It goes more in detail on the other subjects like diapering, feeding, security, etc. I both worked long haul internationals for 13 years and now fly between Europe and California with my own three. Parents from around the world have also added their own tips and it’s totally non-commercial.
Feel free to visit;
Have a good flight!