Just as the United dragging incident sparked a lot of interest regarding the finer points of how airlines overbook flights, the American strollergate altercation involving the mother of twins has led to a lot of discussion about the finer points of flying with strollers, prams, baby buggies, or the like. It turns out I've had…
Continue reading: How To Fly With A Stroller In The United States
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Do not take a regular stroller to the airport. Make your life easier and get a portable travel stroller
Uppa Baby Light, G Luxe, Quinny Yezz whatever, just get one.
I moved to the uk with my 2 year old. We fly all the time. Its so much better than her giant stroller
Corey -- Right, 3 children 5 and under. (It used to be 3 under 5.) But we do it all the time, so it's just our life.
And now maybe you'll realize why an umbrella stroller is not the answer for us (or lots of people.) We need to be able to put 3 kids on the stroller, plus bags, and then be able to roll it over cobblestones, uneven sidewalks, or whatever.
We have a Babyzen Yoyo. We have taken it on 20+ US domestic and international flights. Every single time we just put it in the overhead bin. No gate checking since it is the size of a carry on suitcase. Very comfortable and durable too.
The best option is the YoYo stroller - it folds up to be very compact and fits in any overhead (other than regional aircraft); downside is that it doesn't fit much if you plan to use as a schlepping tool.
On another note, reading about this issue from multiple sources, while the AA attendant was out of line, it seems this woman was at fault and not following rules that are pretty clear and not an issue for 99.9% of travelers.
The Britax B-Nimble stroller has been my go to stroller for travel with two kids. Its lightweight and you can buy an over the shoulder carry bag for it.
https://www.amazon.com/Britax-B-Nimble-Stroller-Prior-Model/dp/B0058NF91O
For sure Travis. Meant for people like me with 1 kid. Still great to have with multiple kids. 3+ though...Eh not really
Don't know how you manage. Well done
We have been traveling with our Britax for 3 years now. I was shocked to hear you say you don't think a protective bag is necessary!
We made one out of some beige canvas we had laying around, you would be amazed at how dirty it has become - obviously the color helps show the dirt.
If it were not for the cover, all of that grime would be on the stroller instead, ew!
anon -- Not every kid needs / wants to ride in the stroller all the time. So sometimes we'll have one in the stroller, sometimes two, and on very rare occasions, three. It's all about the flexibility.
As a ramper, if you don't want it get damaged, bag and check the stroller. If not, getting damages is a likelihood.
That's a great strategy for picking up the stroller after arrival! Thank you for that suggestion!
OMG dude you travel like an amateur first time parent. A full size stroller and a full size car seat? Who does that?
Buy a sit n stroll, the best thing ever it goes from stroller to car seat without having to take the infant out. Ours lasted through 2 kids, it will make your life so much easier when traveling.
We've only flown with it once and we've only got one kid, but my wife and I had good luck with a Mountain Buggy Nano stroller. Folds up easily to a small size, and comes with a cover that works well for flying. Can't hold much more than the baby and her diaper bag, though. In the Amazon reviews, some folks claim success in bringing it onto the plane and keeping it under their seat rather than gate checking.
Our kids are now 6 and 8 and its amazing how easy it is when we can fly with just carry ons and 2 booster seats which are carry on as well. Stress level has decreased by 99% at the airport.
We had bags for our strollers and car seats before and would always fill those bags with Diapers, clothes, etc so we never had to pay for checked baggage.
I will by flying with an 8-month old in June. We have a car seat stroller which we plan to bring on the trip. We also want to travel with the car seat base, which is a large bulky item. Can we gate check that as well? Can I just put it inside the stroller bag?
Travis, you forgot to mention that some airlines (AA at least) have weight limits on strollers that can be gate checked. I believe AA's limit is 20 lbs. (this came over from USAir with the merger). So, if you have a BOB (which is amazing), you will have to check it at the ticketing counter.
For those of you talking about smaller portable strollers, they are certainly nicer at the airport, but the BOB goes everywhere, and is especially nice if you are a runner and want to run while on your trip.
Will the Bob stroller make it through the metal detector - or does it have to be manually inspected by TSA?
When my kids were small, we typically just used cheap umbrella strollers and gate checked them. While the child car seats were checked with the regular luggage. However when my oldest was a baby and if I was traveling alone with her. I had this https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1818004/baby-trend-snap-n-go-single-universal-car-seat-stroller.jsp?ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=EC%20BABY%20NON-APPAREL&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=95543302&CID=shopping15&gclid=Cj0KEQjwrYbIBRCgnY-OluOk89EBEiQAZER58rXjWpd4ulNEYwr25k2BuPr6M6LYEUYV6m5-aurQZaoaAuTY8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CL2nk837xNMCFYccPwodLXgHpQ. which I would check at the gate, and remove the car seat to use on the plane.
On another note, The 'mom' on the AA flight was absolutely ridiculous, the male passenger who threatened the FA should have been removed from the flight and should be charged. The FA definitely lost his cool and should have shown more professionalism. He shouldn't have engaged with either of them, instead of tussling with the mom over the stroller, he should have told her the options, check check it or disembark the air craft.
Check the width of the stroller. Our B-Agile would not fit through the x-ray but luckily the TSA guy showed me how to remove the wheels and then it fit.
Travis, I dont have any kids myself, but I really enjoy reading about this. You really balance out this website with your posts. Keep it up.
Our favorite travel stroller for children under 35lb is the Doona by simple parenting. It's both a car seat and a stroller in one. It's not the best for piling 3 kids on, but we don't have three kids yet.
Where it shines is in it's ability to be wheeled down the aisle of the plane (if you have a seat to put it in) and totally eliminates the need to gate check it. For some reason it often has issues making it past the first 3 rows of economy on A320s and 737s but will fit the rest of the way.
If we do have to gate check it, it collapses in seconds and doesn't involve making a scene unpacking it.
It's not best for people with multiple kids, but if you carry the baby you can fit some things like diaper bags, coats, or small backpacks on it.
This past trip last week we actually brought our full size stroller and checked it in with our bags just using the Doona to transverse the airport itself.
Additionally, the Doona fits in the overhead bins on the A380 and 777-300, making it easy to stow away if you don't like checking it in. We only had some issues internationally where we were told in DOH we'd have to check it in all the way to our final destination (on a DOH-AUH-JFK-LAX trip) but argued that the F cabin to AUH was empty besides us and ended up just sticking it on a empty seat.
Another bonus: It shocks ticket agents and FAs alike, since most haven't seen such a car seat/stroller before.
I can't recommend it enough!
Adding my 2 cents (also have 3 kids under 5):
- Add Madrid to airports with loaner strollers
- After a fairly expensive stroller was damaged on a plane once, we now use a cheap(er) one for travel ($50), minimizing potential cost
- We always carry a large, clear plastic bag and we put the stroller in it before leaving it on the ramp to avoid arriving to find a wet stroller (very common)
- After waiting for a stroller on the ramp for a while at JFK I found out strollers are sometimes left in a corner near luggage carousels. You'll find out that a number of people don't get it by the number of strollers abandoned there... As Travis suggested: worth asking
Travis,
I purchased the Baby Jogger City Tour last month and I was able to bring the stroller on the plane and store on the overhead bin. It comes with a handy backpack. We fly every year to Brazil and to gate check is a problem because I can only puck the stroller on separate counter (oversize items counter) at luggage claim.
The stroller is very sturdy comparing to regular umbrella stroller and my 4 year old even took a nap.
Kudos to you and your wife for taking the kids on amazing trips.
Great Job Travis!
While I do not have a young one anymore I really enjoyed reading this post and I am sure this will benefit many parents. You covered it completely and answered all the unasked questions I ever had about traveling with a stroller and perhaps one day I will be able to help someone out with the knowledge I have gained here.
Having travelled recently with a three month old from the east coast to Hawaii, my only recommendation would be paying a bit extra to check your bags. We had a stroller, carsear, diaper bag and four carry-on bags and it was a nightmare. I wish Canadian airlines had the same policy, car seats and larger strollers must be checked.
Travis, thoughts on the doona for a first time parent? Convenience > cost? Three trips booked in the first four months
First time parent -- I never really feel comfortable giving advice on which stroller to get. It's like asking which is the best vehicle -- it totally depends on what you want to do with it, how much you have to spend, etc. And I've only ever really used one stroller -- the BOB -- which is perfect for us and our adventurous style of travel with 3 kids. I'll try to explain why it works for us in another post, if that's useful.
For first-time people asking for advice on strollers, my advice is borrow one for a few weeks and buy after you have the baby. That way you'll KNOW what you actually need. In terms of travel, many swear by having an umbrella, but I agree with Travis, they're also less comfortable.
Advice though, if you're getting an expensive stroller, one that costs more than $500/€500 then DEFINITELY get an approved travel bag. This way if it gets bashed, the manufacturer AND the airline will both cover you. I've had strollers bashed and if you don't have a protective case, many airlines will refuse to pay, or will fight you.
So either get an umbrella stroller, or a bag. The good news is an umbrella stroller and a bag are about the same price. (actually a bag is more expensive)... But it means you have your 'rolls royce' wherever you go.
If you're gonna travel a lot with kids, for airports, you want something that's super easy to fold one-handed (because you'll be holding the child in one hand on a jet bridge with the contents of the stroller in the other and folding the thing with spare fingers!). We have the UppaBaby Vista (we used to have Quinny, Phil&Ted, and a few others borrowed on trips but we wouldn't trade the vista for anything), but if you have a small car or small front door and narrow hallway, you'll find the vista takes up too much space with its wide wheelbase, hence the advice to go to a dedicated baby store and try every display model WITH all your baby gear and your baby. Fold each model, unfold it, take car seat off and on, etc...
Jay -- We've flown American once or twice with the BOB. Didn't have an issue.
The way I see it is that in the world of airline, there are rules, and then there are rules that are enforced. 😉
What happens if a stroller can’t fit through the X-ray machine.will they hand can it.
Rob, with OMG....
not very respectful plus, I am a runner and anything with small wheel will not allow me to run with my kiddo, hence, a big thule urban glider, which, with Travis his advice wil make out first trip with baby much more 'planned and less stressed.
Thanks Travis!
Did you have to take the wheels off to put it through the x ray machine? I am visiting my family in Florida and I got a Bob Revolution while I have been down here, but I’m nervous about flying back with it since I won’t have my husband to help.
I'm questioning the conventional wisdom that travel requires travel strollers. Their ONE advantage is a compact fold; they suck at everything else: small seat, small basket, small canopy, tiny wheels, wobbly.
My thinking: we walk a LOT on vacation (6 miles a day) in old cities with bumpy cobblestone; we could really use a roomy stroller with big wheels and a robust suspension. The ONLY times small and light matter are on the car rides to and from the airport. In our upcoming 10 day Paris trip, compactness matters 1 out of ~240 hours: 0.4%. Should I give up the convenience of a full size stroller for 99.6% of the trip for convenience on 0.4% that represents car rides? I don't think that's a sensible tradeoff to make.
Recommendation on traveling with car seat that attaches to stroller and bringing the car seat base? Thinking we’ll gate check the car seat and stroller but need to ‘bag check’ the car seat base.
What do you use to secure your stroller closed? Is there a special kind of strap you recommend? Where do you place it? Thanks!
Did you have to lock down the front wheel when you prepared it or left it free to move?