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Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

kerrigjl
Explorer A

It is not hard to check either at the counter or gate. What we have done in that situation is to keep the stroller/car seat with us, gate check the stroller, and ask if there are open seats to put the car seat in (by the window) for our child to sleep in during the flight. If so, we take it on; if not, we gate check it and hold the child (assuming you're lap-childing; if you purchase a ticket, you can take the car seat on). If you decide to check it with bags at the counter, package the car seat/stroller in something protective; WN sells bags at the counter for $25 (?) that are rip-stop and have served us well on hundreds of flights since we had kids.

Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@kerrigjl wrote:

It is not hard to check either at the counter or gate. What we have done in that situation is to keep the stroller/car seat with us, gate check the stroller, and ask if there are open seats to put the car seat in (by the window) for our child to sleep in during the flight. If so, we take it on; if not, we gate check it and hold the child (assuming you're lap-childing; if you purchase a ticket, you can take the car seat on). If you decide to check it with bags at the counter, package the car seat/stroller in something protective; WN sells bags at the counter for $25 (?) that are rip-stop and have served us well on hundreds of flights since we had kids.


We got our blue bags for $15, I believe the price has gone up since then, maybe $17. Well worth it to prevent scuffs from handling. 

 

Our strategy is usually to curbside check if we're parking the car - obviously if you are traveing solo with kiddos then you can't get rid of the car seat yet, but you may be able to check everything else, go park the car, then bring the car seat back at the counter (allow extra time for all of this).

 

With my wife and I both traveling, we curbside and then wife and daughter go in at MDW with the stroller, I go park in economy garage and meet them at the gate.

 

 

 

Stroller we usually gate check so that we have it in the airport. 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Angeleyez61 wrote:

Is it hard to check in a car seat an stroller with your bags I will be traveling with my 4 month old for the first time an don’t know what all I need to do but I’ll need a car seat an stroller when we get to BWI airport from Texas.


Easy. As others said in this thread, a cover is recommended either your own or buy a blue bag at the luggage counter or at the ticket counter. 

 

The main decisions are:

  1. Maybe curbside check some of your stuff if you don't want to carry it from the car, parking shuttle, etc. Allow extra time to make a drop-off, then proceed to parking. Obviously if the child will still be with you in the car you can't curbside the car seat yet, but you can get rid of all the suitcases. At some of the less busy airports the curbside guy might even come out to the car and help wrangle. Make sure that Southwest has curbside at your airport though. They do at most larger sites.
  2. Consider "gate checking" the stroller if you'll want to have use of it inside the airport. If you do this, go through security with it and get the gate check tag as soon as you get to the gate counter. You may also be planning on family boading - you'll want to be ready with the stroller bagged and tagged at the start of boarding for your flight so that you don't miss family boarding getting everything bundled up. When you get to BWI you will retrieve the stroller the equivalent place that you dropped it outside the aircraft door, don't go up the air bridge without it. You might have to wait slighly for this - not usually too long, but don't rush to be the first off the plane, it won't be there that fast.
  3. It sounds like you are checking the car seat regularly, not planning to gate check or use it on the flight.

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

golanamt
Explorer C

I actually encountered the same dilemma, then I read about the same concern in this blog "To Bring or Not to Bring. That is the question!" good read actually. So when we went to Japan last month we simply opted to buy this gate check bag that they are selling (not even $30) for our son's car seat and this gate check bag that works well with strollers too. Guess what? I got my car seat and stroller faster and with no damage whatsoever. The bag made it easy for us to carry because it's like a backpack. Worth every penny.

Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

LindseyD
Retired Community Manager

Thanks for sharing, @golanamt! I know there are others who will appreciate the info and links. 

 

Re: Car Seat Gate check or luggage check

donnasmith
Explorer C

Safety is an important point when traveling outside the home. If you have kids with you, you must care for his safety. The baby stroller and baby car seats should have to be taken with you. A few months ago, I took the safest baby car seat during my traveling period with my 3-year-old baby. 

 

Have a good journey, Thank you.