We are flying back home on Air Canada (domestic flight) and will be bringing our BOB SE stroller. I want to bring it to the gate, but it is outside of the size restrictions. I really do not want to check it in (the travel bag costs $120!). Has anyone flown Air Canada before and been able to bring on board their bigger strollers, like the BOB or Bugaboo?
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I can't imagine they would let you bring it on board. It wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment and there is no where else for them to store it. I would call and ask if you can gate check it. We have an Uppa Baby Vista that we intend to fly with and we will gate check it. But we will be buying the travel bag to do so. That way if it gets damaged you are covered for a replacement from the company.
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@MamaMoose: sorry, i meant gate checking the stroller, which means they will bring it on the plane. I've seen strollers alongside suitcases people bring on board (but too large to fit in the overhead compartment).
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@caffeinated: Ah then yes, I think you should be fine to gate check. But again, for me personally it's worth the money to buy the travel bag to protect the stroller from damage, and to cover me if I want it replaced (Uppa Baby does that, not sure what the rules are for the BOB.. we have one but don't intend to fly with it).
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I would buy the bag too...cargo holds in airplanes are filthy (my dad was a baggage handler for 40 years!) and you would have to majorly sanitize your stroller...but if that's something you want to do...go for it!
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We're flying air Canada in two weeks and I'm hesitant to check my stroller, ideally don't want to see it damaged. Luckily DH's parents will be driving to meet us so I'm going to send my stroller with them and wear her through the airport.
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I've only taken umbrella strollers and have only seen smaller strollers at the gate..
I wouldn't trust airline carriers with my Bob.. is there a reason you want to take it and not something lighter and smaller? -
It wasn't with Air Canada but we had to leave our stroller at the gate but for a fee of $25.
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I once gate checked a Bugaboo Chameleon (full size stroller, over 20 lbs) without a problem on a Jet Blue flight, but this was 4 years ago before airlines started upping luggage fees and what not.
Just this last May though, I gate checked our BOB Revolution SE (single) also on Jet Blue without a problem. I didn't have the travel bag made by BOB... I bought a generic big red bag with the words "gate check" on it from a local baby gear store. It was no more than $15 or $19. It was just a simple bag to cover and label it... I'm sure a BOB bag would've protected it more, but I didn't have the time to order one at that point, nor did I want to shell out the money for it, honestly. Anyway, with the wheels popped off, everything fit in the bag... but barely. The guy at the local baby store did it for me as a trial run when I bought the bag and the metal attachment where the front wheel attaches stuck out of the bag. He suggested I at least wrap some bubble wrap around the part that stuck out of the bag, so I did just that at the airport when the time came to leave it. Lucky for me, my BOB didn't have any damage done to it during the flight! I'd do it the same way again if I ever travel with the BOB again.
I JUST read today though (in an Amazon review) that some airlines charge a $25-ish fee for gate checking strollers over 20 lbs. When I hear things like this though, I also sometimes think it just depends on the airline staff who gives you your gate check stub at the time. Maybe some of them are just more strict about it, while others are less diligent?
To prepare best, you could call your airline beforehand and ask... You could also discuss with them the option of checking it in at ticketing (when you first check in and get boarding passes). Most of them time I actually prefer to check my baby gear at that point so I don't have to go through security with too much stuff. I also babywear a lot though....
Anyway, all the times I've flown with baby gear (over 16 times in the past 4 years), never was I charged for checking in a carseat or a stroller for a ticketed, or even a lap child.
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@chopsuey119: LO is not old enough to put in an umbrella stroller, and we're planning on being there for 5 weeks.
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@NYCaliMama: Thanks for letting me know that there's an alternative to the travel bag. Did you also gate check your car seat, or did you check it in?
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From the AirCanada website:
Stroller policy
Small strollers
Air Canada strongly recommends the use of small collapsible umbrella type strollers (see examples below).A stroller with a collapsed diameter not exceeding 25.5 cm (10 in) and a length not exceeding 92 cm (36 in) is allowed, in addition to your carry-on allowance, regardless of destination. It can be checked at the gate to be delivered to you at the aircraft door at the end of your flight.
Large strollers
Because gate facilities in airports are not designed to accommodate them, large, heavy strollers will need to be checked in and will count as one piece of baggage toward the maximum number of checked bags allowed by your fare type. Large strollers are also subject to space limitations, and there is a risk that they cannot be accommodated in the aircraft.
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SInce it is clearly stated on the website, I'd not chance it, to be honest, and I'd be prepared to have it go as checked luggage, so I'd buy a bag for it.
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Btw, also wanted to mention that you could buy a generic travel bag that would protect it more than the flimsy red ones. JL Childress sells one.
I've also bought high end stroller travel bags on Craigslist.
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@looch: i already researched the website and saw their policy (thanks, though!) but thought i'd see if the flight attendants were a little more lenient and allowed full size strollers to still go through. i think i'm going to call and see anyways, since i'm going to start packing tonight.
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@NYCaliMama: thanks, i'm actually going to go and buy one at a local store today. no time to order from amazon, unfortunately!
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@caffeinated: I hope you get a clear answer! My biggest worry would be getting all the way to the gate and having to leave my stroller behind, YKWIM?
I'd suggest you email rather than call, because you'd have written documentation that you got an exception though.
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Update! It may have been because we had a 6am fligh (though it was a packed flight) but we were able to bring both our stroller and car seat to the gate without any problems and not have to pay a $25 fee. We broke down the stroller and put it in the red bag, and had a thick plastic bag that fit over the car seat. Not sure how many more trips the JR Childless bag will last but seeing how dirty it got I'm glad I covered it. Thanks for all the helpful advice!
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