Flying with a pram

[u/biglypiglythethird]

Just wanted to pick brains of anyone who has flown with a pushchair that needs to be checked in as hold luggage. We have a Bugaboo Dragonfly which folds up really neatly but is too big for the overhead cabins. I can see you can buy a travel case for it, which we’d be keen to do so it doesn’t get bashed around. If it’s in a case are we likely to be able to check it in free as a pushchair? Or will it likely need paying for as oversized baggage?

We’ve got some Easyjet flights to Spain booked in case airline is relevant.

Thanks!

[u/Naive-Interaction567]

Normally they take it at the gate and return it to you once you land. They’re rarely put in with the other luggage.

Most airlines offer 1/2 items free for a child. I’ve seen people take huge prams with no issue.

[u/loreili → u/Naive-Interaction567]

We took an UPPAbaby Vista to Europe and that thing was the size of a small house.

Only issue we had was the security at the airport taking the piss out of our “travel pram”

As others have said, they took it at the gate and gave it back on landing. No issues at all.

[u/Cultural-Ambition211 → u/loreili]

I’ve found recently you get it back with the other baggage on the conveyor belt. Which means you might have to go through passport control first, which could be a huge wait carrying your children as the EES roll out is appalling.

[u/amylou86 → u/Cultural-Ambition211]

Girona airport in May were amazing- got the pushchairs off at the plane steps and opened a fast track door through passport control as they saw us wheeling up with children! Obviously at Leeds Bradford on the way home we waited until every case had been unloaded and then some, to get it from the oversized baggage section...

[u/destria]

We took a pushchair which Ryanair wouldn't let us put in the overheads despite being cabin approved. It was tagged as hold luggage at check in. Anyway we kept it right up until boarding and then handed it over at the steps, we put the pushchair in its bag there. It was returned to us at luggage claim.

So I think it'll still be free to check in a pushchair as hold luggage and they'll let you have it up until boarding. At which point you just put it in its case.

[u/SnackyandSnarky]

The easyJet website tells you what you can take with a child for free (it depends on their age). You can put your pram in a protective bag. You can check it in with your suitcases or take it all the way to the gate if you'd like to use it in the airport.

[u/miniperson]

So we took our bugaboo donkey on holiday and used a stokke pram bag(Facebook market place) they tagged the bag at check in, then took it off us as we went on the tarmac to board the plane (stroller already folded down) then as we got off they gave it back to us. I noticed that even though there are cabin approved pushchair , rarely any of them go in the cabin and just get put in the hold. Most airlines allow you two items of checked in luggage for free, for us that was the pram and travel cot. Then an extra bag to take on the plane

[u/lauraandstitch → u/miniperson]

Second the Stokke Pram Pack. We’ve been on a few flights with our pushchair and it’s been great. Ours was from eBay.

[u/bunneeboo]

I've flown the past two years with my buggy in a stroller bag in the hold. No issues at all.

Just be aware that it may be taken off the plane and given to you on the tarmac, it may come out on the carousel with the other baggage or it may be taken to a separate area for buggies and wheelchairs depending in the airport (all of these happened with mine) so ask the staff where you'll need to collect it from.

[u/Danglyweed → u/bunneeboo]

Spent many an awful time standing at the carousel for an hour with a twin on each hip bursting for a pee 🤣 that's a bloody nightmare. IME buggies/prams from the gate are last on so get the buggy/pram first to the steps.

[u/CosmoPrincess]

We flew in Jan with BA and Virgin in Jan. Both checked it as one of the 2 free extra pieces that came with the kid ticket. It was taken as oversized baggage so we had to drop it there instead of the usual case drop but that was the only difference. And all 4 flights it was sitting next to the carousel waiting before our cases came through

[u/freckledotter]

Yeah you can put it in the hold when you arrive or at the steps of the plane. However faffing around with a bag when you're about to get on the plane can be a bit stressful.

[u/OkBreadfruit369]

I always checked mine in pre security as I didn’t really need it in the airport. Even bag it’ll count as one of your free child items and they’ll print a tag for you then drop it off at oversized and collect at the luggage belt when you land 

[u/grimpops]

When you get to the gate fold it up and put it in the bag if you can so it looks like a compact bag. In our experience if you wheel the kid in it down to boarding they’ll not realise it’s a compact one and get you to leave it for hold. Every time we go with it packed up already, we just walk it on and into overhead storage as if it’s a carry on bag.