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Gate check - hiking carrier & car seat

samlin
Explorer C

Hello,

 

My husband and I will be flying with our 1 year old. Will we be able to gate check a Deuter hiking carrier and car seat? And can we gate check without a special bag for them?

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Gate check - hiking carrier & car seat

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

The issue with checking things like that without a bag is if there any straps that could get tangled up on anything or if there's a concern about things getting dirty.  As long as there aren't any concerns there you should be fine.  You could also purchase the Southwest car seat bag at the check-in counter and use it when gate checking.

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Blog/Going-Green-Reusable-Car-Seat-Stroller-Bag/ba-p/41581

 

--TheMiddleSeat

 

Re: Gate check - hiking carrier & car seat

tappingmom1
Frequent Flyer B

Back in the day when we traveled with hiking carriers...

 

I always brought a 45-55 gallon trash bag (the clear, heavy-duty, yard and leaf kind from Costco).  I would first pre-write my name/address/phone/flight number(s) on the outside of the bag and let the ink dry.  I would then fold it up into a little square and put in into the carrier's pocket.  At the gate, the carrier went into the plastic bag and the bag was knotted tightly.  It was then gate checked.

 

The plastic bag kept it from getting dirty, the straps were contained, and the baggage handlers knew what was inside to <hopefully> handle with care.

 

It's always a good idea to put an identity tag on the item itself.

Re: Gate check - hiking carrier & car seat

reiddan
Explorer C

I think you need to contact the airlines directly and ask for any additional fees, and it is better to ask for a link to which you can refer at the check-in point.