How to Protect Stroller when Flying with Your Kid?

Taking a plane for a trip is fun until your kid is also accompanying. Making sure your little one is not frustrated and scared of the whole experience is one thing. Being not sure of how to protect stroller when flying is another huge one.

As you may know, your kid will surely need the stroller at the airport and at your destination. You might have already got to know about a nice single or double type, paid for it and now you’re not sure if it will come back, or even reach the destination in one piece.

Well, put on your reading belts as today I’ll be sharing some thoughts on what you can do to protect your baby’s one of the most important items.

Here’s How to Protect Stroller when Flying with Your Child.

If you went through the phase of asking “What kind of stroller can I take on a plane”, then the matter of bringing a lightweight and compact one should be already inside your head. Lightweight strollers are often more fragile, so they are more likely to get damaged in transit. This fact right here can be enough for you to understand why a discussion of protecting the stroller is so necessary. If you are nodding your head right now, then keep on right.

Even If It’s Fragile, You Should Still Bring Only Compact Ones.

When choosing a stroller for the flight, there’s a good chance you will go for compact ones anyway. And most of the time, your reason to go for a portable one is the fact that these are easy to travel with. But there’s another benefit quite directly related to this whole stroller protection part.

If you consider the worst-case scenario to this matter, then it must be your stroller being damaged. Now if this stroller was an inexpensive and lightweight one, the thing would feel a tad bit less frustrating.

Imagine taking the one you bought for a good price and something bad happens to it. That situation would feel much burdened. So, for the sake of taking risks as little as possible, you should think about getting compact, cheap options for a stroller. Not just because of the lightweight design but because you want to face less damage overall.

Getting a Stroller Bag Is Your Next Task.

Many airlines check strollers for free, either at the ticket counter or at the gate; Delta, for one, charges no fees for strollers or car seats. Either way, the stroller rides in the cargo hold. And there’s no guarantee you will receive the stuff in one piece. One of the most effective solutions to this is getting a suitable stroller bag.

Not only will the bag protect your stroller from any hurtful situation buts also it’s going to keep it clean. You will find more than just a few options with it. But don’t take the stress and try to go for a convenient one. Something you know would help to keep your kid’s stroller safe.

Getting a Tag for The Stroller Bag.

Now comes the part of using the stroller bag. Fold the bag and keep it in the stroller basket. At security, you'll need to take your child out, because TSA screens strollers by X-ray, or inspects them by hand if they don't fit. Then you can walk to the gate with your child in the stroller. Ask the gate agent for a gate-check tag before boarding begins.

This is for the airport personnel to identify the stroller bag. They will only then be able to know the bag belongs to you and there’s a need to return it on gate area of where you’ll land. If you skip this important part, the stroller may be hard to identify, or it may end up at baggage claim instead of the jet bridge.

For Smaller Stroller That You Can Store in Plane.

Some ultra-compact strollers fold small enough to meet an airline's carry-on size limit. If yours does, it can go in the overhead bin like other carry-on luggage, but it may count as your carry-on item, so check your airline's rules. If you bring it on board then there’s very little chance of losing it.

In Case of a Connecting Flight.

There can be a situation of connecting flights. Ask the gate agent whether the stroller will be returned at the gate of your connection or sent on to your final destination, and make sure the tag shows the right flights.

On a short layover, waiting for a gate-checked stroller can eat into your connection time. If it is returned at the gate, you'll need to gate-check it again for the next flight.

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Wrap Up

And on that note, you now know how to protect stroller when flying with your kid. Strollers that are quite bulky and can be a pain to deal with, especially in a flight. And so, if it’s not very urgent you can think of skipping it.

However, usually, the case is not like that and it is actually a very essential thing for your kid that you cannot sidestep. In such cases, you need to take a little bit of risk. But still, I’ll suggest you try your best to protect it. If you are not absolutely unlucky and the situation favors, then hopefully nothing will go wrong, and your kid’s stroller will land in one piece.

Also Read:

1. How Much Liquid Can You Take on a Plane in Checked Baggage?
2. Can You Bring Wine on a Plane in A Checked Bag or Not?
3. Can I Bring Alcohol on A Plane in Checked Baggage International Flight?
4. Can You Bring Pepper Spray on a Plane Inside Carry-on Bag?
5. Can you bring candy on a plane carry-on or checked baggage?

Sources

• Children & Infant Baggage Items, Delta Air Lines
• Traveling with Children, Transportation Security Administration