Strollers and the Gate

This is the time of year when many families choose to fly. Part of the travel experience with young children is toting along a stroller, for use at the airport. Since airlines have a fairly standard procedure for strollers, here is what you will likely experience if traveling with child and stroller:

• At check-in, the agent will either ask you if you would like to check in the stroller, will provide you with a tag for the stroller, or will advise you to see the agent at the gate.
• When you do receive a tag for the stroller, you will usually receive a stub, much like the luggage receipts you receive when checking in luggage.
• Large collapsible strollers, and strollers that don't fold or collapse are usually only accepted as checked in luggage. So if you have any doubt, call the airline.
• At the airport security screening point, you will be expected to remove the child from the stroller, and send the stroller through the airport screening machines.
• Do arrive at the gate area early enough to make the pre-boarding time that is set ahead of general boarding for those who require assistance, or are traveling with young children. This gives the airline ample time to load the strollers.
• In terms of strollers, pretty much every airline has their own stroller tags, which allows strollers to be left just before entering the aircraft. The strollers are then brought up to the door of the aircraft upon arrival.
• Less often, if a flight is not full, and you are traveling with a small collapsible stroller, you may be permitted to bring it on board for storage in the overhead bins.
• The next page describes the procedures usually followed for connecting passengers with strollers...