Contents
Umbrella strollers are ultra-light and portable, and so they are ideal for use when flying. There are, however, several crucial things to keep in mind when taking a stroller with you on a flight.
Knowing these rules and considerations will make your flight experience stress free and without any inconvenience. There are numerous airlines, and this complicates matters even more. You may have regulations varying between airlines, and if you do not know these variations, you’ll have a hard time. Therefore the first aspect we’ll look into is airline regulations.
Airline Regulations
One of the critical issues to consider when looking at airline regulations is the number of strollers they allow. Most airlines allow one portable stroller per passenger. It could be an inconvenience to you if you want to carry more than one stroller. You may need to check with the airport staff to give you further guidance.
Most likely, any other strollers you have will be regular luggage. What this means is that you probably won’t carry it in with you. The same could also apply to strollers with multiple seats. The critical thing to take from all this is to get regulations concerning strollers from airport staff before boarding. Airport staff will direct you adequately on all their regulations concerning baby strollers.
Weight And Dimension Restrictions
In addition to allowing just one stroller, most airlines also have weight and dimension restrictions. These restrictions vary, but generally, anything heavier than 50 pounds is unacceptable. For dimensions, you’d typically find anything longer than 1.5 m unacceptable. These dimensions are in line with weight limits for the plane and ensure the aircraft isn’t too heavy to fly.
Additionally, the stroller has to be collapsible for most airline companies. Collapsible strollers are easier to handle and you can store them with the rest of your luggage at no inconvenience.
Here too, you have to get a clear picture of all restrictions before boarding. It isn’t wise to assume that the stroller you have will meet all requirements.
Liability
Most airline companies will not be held liable for damage to your stroller during a flight. It is crucial that you understand the liability policy of an airline before boarding. Once you know the liability policy, then you’ll know the rights available to you as a passenger. However, it is best to ensure your stroller is secure and devoid of damage under all circumstances.
To prevent damage to your stroller, you could do several things, including:
- Storing your stroller near you so that you can keep an eye on it.
- Fold it properly to ensure no damage from accidental contact with other luggage
- You can keep it in a bag or within different forms of luggage. Such a method provides a cushion against contact and therefore keeps the stroller safe.
Security
You will have to put your stroller through security before boarding. In today’s world, this step is vital. For this, you’ll have to remove your baby from the stroller. Then you’ll fold the stroller and hand it over to the airport staff. The whole process shouldn’t take long as airport scanners are usually fast. If you are lucky, you may find that there is a dedicated line for families. Having the added pressure of lining up off your shoulders should ensure a smoother experience.
As we have already seen, larger strollers come under luggage, and so you won’t board with them. They’ll still have to go through security but you won’t interact with them. For these strollers, it would be best if you asked for a clean plastic bag for storage. The plastic bag will keep your stroller clean while it is in the luggage hold.
Early Checking
If you have a stroller, you’ll likely want to board before other passengers. Early checking gives you ample time to load your stroller before other passengers come in. Loading a stroller while other passengers are on board is difficult and could cause lots of inconveniences.
During early boarding, you could also get adequate time to settle your child in before the other passengers.
Storage
Small enough strollers should easily fit into the overhead bin. However, you may have a stroller that meets all the size and weight requirements but still feels too large. For such strollers, you may check them in at security and tag them then leave them at the jet bridge. Airline staff will load these strollers along with larger strollers and other luggage in the cargo hold.
Once the flight lands, you can get your stroller easily from the jet bridge. However, smaller, portable strollers are always better and that’s why you should go for them. You can easily keep an eye on your stroller and quickly pick it up after the plane lands.
Connecting Flights
Connecting flights are a hassle enough on their own, so when you add strollers, it could get a whole lot worse. However, there are several things you can do to make your experience better.
Use Tags
Typically, the tags you get while you are checking in have extra space. In this extra space, you can write the number of your connecting flight. Airline staff will then load your stroller into the connecting flight automatically.
However, there is always the risk of your luggage getting lost, especially if the time between your flights is short. If you have these fears, you could choose to transfer your stroller to your connecting flight manually.
Additional Items
If you are carrying a stroller, you’ll most likely have with you other items, such as formula. Regularly the limit for such things is 3.4 ounces but you can carry more. You, however, have to declare any extra weight before boarding. For all other concerns regarding additional items, you should talk to the airline’s gate agent. The gate agent should be able to help you with all queries to ensure no inconvenience and a smooth flight. Generally, though, you won’t have much trouble with these additional items and it shouldn’t take long before you are safely on your way.
