Between Diaper Bag

Does an infant carrier & stroller count as a carry-on on a flight?

I'm not very experienced in flying, seeing as I've only flown once. I'm traveling alone with my 9mth old daughter, so of course, I didn't purchase a seat for her. I was told that I can bring her infant carrier & stroller to make things easier for in between flights. I've heard that I can just check it at the gate...but where exactly is "the gate?" Is that right before you board the plane? Do they charge money to do that? Will I still be able to bring a diaper bag as a carry on? HELP!!!

Most airlines do not count the stroller and car seat as luggage. Don't take my word on that though. Check with your airline. Be especially wary if you are flying a "low cost" company.

You can "gate-check" your stroller. When you check-in at the desk, usually they just assume you want to keep your stroller with you until you board the aircraft. They will either give you a tag or put it on themselves. Make sure it goes somewhere that it wont be hidden or squished when the stroller is folded.

The gate is where you board but technically, it's not where you give up your stroller. When you get to the door of the aircraft (or at the bottom of the stairs if you're boarding outside on the tarmac), fold the stroller up and just leave it there at the door (with that tag showing). Other people will be doing similar, also with wheelchairs.

Please never bring a stroller on board an aircraft. There simply isn't any room to stow it and they can't be placed in overhead bins for safety reasons. When I worked as a Flight Attendant, one of the jobs of the greeter was to "catch" parents trying to bring them onboard.

This is *almost* standard but once in awhile, there will be exceptions. I was once allowed my stroller to the aircraft but Air France said it wouldn't be returned to me until my final destination, forcing me to connect without it. I managed to sort it out with a supervisor (I flying alone transatlantically with three small children including a 4 month old) so it's a good thing I asked!

Just some tips;
-attach the straps
-remove all "extras" like cupholders, toys and even the sunshade, depending on the model. Either stuff these things in your checked bags or leave them at home.
-Bring a bungee cord to double secure it before leaving it, even if you have a latch on your stroller. Most of them aren't too secure and your stroller could get damaged if it pops open en route.

When you arrive at your destination, if you're on a bigger aircraft, be sure to **exit the correct door** where you stroller is located. Listen to the welcoming announcement as they might mention this and/or mention this to the Flight Attendants as you leave the aircraft. On a bigger plane, if you go out the wrong door, you'll have to walk all the way around to get your stroller. This headache is easy to avoid by listening or asking...

Don't say "of course" you didn't purchase a ticket for you baby. Many people do, including myself, because lap children are not protected in an emergency. Babies under 2 are allowed in laps for commercial reasons, and because flying itself is so safe but if anything goes wrong...

I urge you to try to use your car seat onboard if possible. It is the only way to fly safely with the baby. It also guarentees that your carseat will not get lost or damaged in the hold.

First, check that your seat is FAA approved;

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

Most car seats in the U.S. are.

If you are flying with a foreign airline, check that airlines' site to see if your car seat will be accepted.

When you check-in, ask if you can get an empty seat to strap your carseat into. They usually heed this request since flying with babies can be tricky for everyone. Be really nice as this is a favor. We always made an effort to get families extras seats, car seat or not.

This means your child is safe and you still don't have to pay for the seat. Call the airline and see if the flight is full. Take the seat to the gate no matter and if you don't succeed, your seat will be "gate checked" with the stroller. You'll hand both over at the same time.

If you don't get a seat for your baby, make sure he or she is loose in your lap for take-off and landing. Never have the child attached to you or your seatbelt in any way. Dangerous double seatbelts are still used by some foreign companies.

Just as a word of warning, if you do get to use the car seat onboard, be sure that he's strapped in for take-off and landing. There is no reason to remove a child from a car seat during these times. It's a myth that they need to suck during take-off and landing. It's a good idea at any time during ascent (after take-off, while reaching altitude) and the most critical point is at the top of descent. This is when passengers complained. Landing (when the plane touches down) is too late.

To really prevent ear problems, see the doctor before leaving. One of mine was very good at getting symptomless ear infections. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes. I never do anything special on take-off and landing and none of them, including one with the "history", never had any problems. I rarely saw them in my 13 years in the air either.

Just some extra tips;
-use a backpack style diaper bag to keep your hands free. They will let you bring it on board.
-put your money and valuables in a small purse or fanny/bum bag. Don't bring a big purse in addition to the diaper bag.
-Bring about 1/3 more supplies than you think you'll need, formula, diapers, wipes, etc.
-Bring a change of clothes for both of you (at least a T and shorts for you)
-wrap everything bulky, like clothes and extra diapers in plastic bags, and use rubber bands to reduce the bulk and save space in your carry-on
-If you formula feed, use the kind of bottles with plastic liners. Premeasure the powder, roll them up and put them in a ziplock bag. Airplane bathrooms have bad sinks for washing traditional bottles.
-Make sure you baby is used to a room-temperature bottle. I warmed many a bottle in my career but I saw first-hand what a pain it is. The baby isn't getting any health-advantage to the warmed bottle and no one will do this task while you're in the security or check-in line.
-Bring three pacifiers if your baby uses them
-Make sure you have a good baby carrier. Forget those uncomfortable front packs like the Bjorn and get something more useful like a wrap, pouch or sling. Some parents like carriers like the Ergo or Becco which can also put the baby on the back. They make flying with a baby much, much easier (parenting too .

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed, both on line and in Real Life. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.

Feel free to visit;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a good trip!

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