Many young parents, during their first flights with a small child, are faced with such a very important problem as transporting a stroller. Is it possible to transport this child's vehicle at all, if so, under what conditions, is it free or has some value - these and many other questions torment parents before flying on vacation, but you shouldn't worry. Below you will find all the rules and details of transportation.
Features:
There are no specific features of the carriage of wheelchairs on the plane; each airline sets individual conditions. Therefore, before making plans, you must take into account all the nuances and familiarize yourself with the details. You can do this on the website of the company whose plane you fly, or when communicating with the operator of this airline in person or by phone. This phone number is usually listed on tickets or on the official website. Most often, all information is located under the section "Passengers with children" on the websites, it is easy to find out about free or paid transportation in the subsection "Baggage".
Some companies classify strollers as carry-on baggage, which is allowed to be taken into the cabin, but most often this means of transportation for the baby has to be checked in to the baggage department, the conditions for this change are different everywhere. When using the luggage department, larger companies carry out transportation free of charge to maintain their image, while smaller companies charge money for such luggage.
Models
On the first flight, parents are faced with the question of choosing a baby stroller, which will not be difficult to transport by plane. Of course, you can take with you any means of transportation for a child who has not yet learned to walk on his own, but a stroller with a smaller size and a functional folding mechanism is much more convenient, because this affects the possibility of transporting it in the cabin.
Most airlines around the world have set standard dimensions for carrying strollers on board. These norms are 55 * 35 * 25 cm.
Some companies require a special case or packaging on the device.
Strollers are divided into several types.
- Stroller book. In many cases, this subspecies is allowed almost to the plane's ramp, but some of them are sent with luggage after check-in and returned directly with the main luggage after arrival.
- Cane stroller - a subspecies, which most often has a mass of less than 8-11 kg and suitable dimensions, therefore it is almost always carried in the cabin of the aircraft. An exception may be some kind of single airline, where the stroller is picked up near the gangway and, upon request, after the flight, bring it to the gangway.
- Standard station wagons - devices weighing more than 11 kg and always carried in the luggage compartment. Most often, strollers fly for free.
How to choose?
At the very beginning, you need to decide what the main function of the baby's vehicle you need, why you will use it and for how long. You need to take into account everything to the smallest detail, so you need to adhere to several rules.
- It all starts with the flight, so you need to start the selection based on the requirements and conditions of your airline in order to be allowed on board with this stroller. Having familiarized yourself with all the subtleties in advance, you can already weed out some of the options and choose some of them that are suitable in size, size and mechanism.
- You also need to consider the rule of the airport itself. In rare cases, he may have his own characteristics and determine which stroller is allowed to be used in the room itself.
- For younger passengers, for whom strollers are used, it is better to take a device with a folding back on vacation, because force majeure can happen in the airport building or during the journey itself, for example, delaying the plane. In these cases, the backrest, which takes a horizontal position, turns out to be a "life buoy": the child will be able to lean on it and rest.
- It is also worth considering negative factors and not buying a very expensive stroller for a trip, because during rest there is a very high risk of breaking or spoiling its appearance. And it all starts, as a rule, from the airport and the plane, where this vehicle can easily break or get dirty, especially if it will be transported in the luggage compartment.
While staying at a vacation spot, there are also such risks, so it's not worth spending a lot on a stroller, but you don't need to take a too cheap option either, since in this case the risk of being left completely without wheels in the most inappropriate situation increases.
- The stroller should also have an additional device such as a hood or a visor, since in hot countries it often rains heavily, in which the child needs some protection. The hood will also come in handy during strong sunshine, so when choosing a stroller, you should be guided by this factor as well. When choosing a stroller with a hood, one should not forget about the flight period, so this visor should be compact.
- When choosing, pay attention to the wheels. Firstly, the standard wheels of the cane stroller will not be able to ride on the sand - in this case, you need to choose large options. However, not all airlines will accept a stroller with large wheels as carry-on luggage, and some of them will also charge a considerable fee for transporting a view with large wheels in the hold. To avoid such problems, you need to familiarize yourself with all the rules in advance. Secondly, the wheels of the stroller must be maneuverable and strong, which is useful both at the resting place, and during the flight, and at the airport.
- The last factor is the presence of additional devices on the baby's locomotion device. This includes a cup holder, lifting handle, rain cover, etc. All of this is selected individually based on personal wishes and finances.
And you can also add: no matter how comfortable and functional the stroller is for the flight, the main emphasis when choosing it still needs to be done on the pastime in the resting place. You need to take into account all climatic and weather conditions, as well as the features of the roads along which you will need to transport this device on wheels.
Proceeding from this, it should be understood that if a stroller comfortable for a child and parents does not fit the standards of carrying hand luggage on the plane, then an ergonomic backpack or sling can be used on the plane.
How to transport?
Each company has its own characteristics, but almost everywhere there are some rough rules. To begin with, the parents themselves need to decide how it will be more convenient for them to transport the stroller. If the owners of the device immediately decide to carry it in the luggage compartment, then you need to roughly know the weight of the frame and wheels. Most airlines set the maximum weight for this device - about 20 kg. If this maximum is exceeded, the stroller is considered additional baggage, and you will have to pay extra for its transportation in a special compartment.
The procedure for handing over the child's means of transportation occurs most often at the side of the aircraft itself, from where it will not be difficult to take the child to the landing site. When you check in the stroller in the luggage compartment, you need to agree in advance with the flight attendant to be handed it over to you immediately upon arrival, however, some companies do not provide this service due to security conditions. Also, we must not forget about registering the stroller as baggage and attaching a special name tag to it with your data.
If the stroller has the ability to fold, then it can also be additionally packed in a specialized box or film for greater safety, especially when you fly on a plane of a little-known airline.
If there is a desire to carry the stroller not in the luggage compartment, but as carry-on luggage, then in such cases it is also necessary to know in advance the basic information about the frame and wheels, because in this way it is allowed to transport strollers that only have certain standards. Then it is better to pack it and all other property.
It is possible that the airline ruins all your plans, and the flight attendants do not let the stroller on board for transportation, although it is suitable for all standards.
To avoid such force majeure, you need to choose the best airlines that have already been tested by time.
Airline regulations
Many companies follow general rules, but some of them have exceptions and additions.
Aeroflot:
- a child's stroller weighing not more than 19 kg is allowed to be carried without paying for a separate luggage space;
- the dimensions of the stroller are allowed by the sum of all parameters - no more than 115 cm;
- in addition to the stroller, the child is allowed to carry 10 kg of extra baggage;
- if a seat has been purchased for the child, it is allowed to transport a cradle or stroller;
- at the time of registration, a special note is issued at the counter.
"Victory":
- it is prohibited to carry any folding mobility devices of any weight and child seats in the cabin, except for cradles;
- the child's age has a limitation of 2 years, after this age the mass of the child's vehicle should not exceed 10 kg, and the sum of the dimensions cannot exceed 1.58 m;
- up to 2 years, the carriage of strollers in the baggage compartment is carried out without payment of funds.
S7:
- it is allowed to carry children's vehicles if there is a child on board (children under 11 years old), otherwise additional baggage will be paid for;
- transportation of car seats, cradles, strollers for children under 2 years old is free of charge;
- when carrying cradles on board the aircraft, you must comply with the size standards: 55x40x20 cm.
UTair:
- if the fare does not include free baggage, baby items can only be carried in hand baggage;
- if a child under 2 years old is flying with you, then the stroller is transported free of charge in the luggage compartment, subject to all rules and regulations;
- in addition to the stroller, you can take 10 kg of luggage.
Alitalia:
- standards practically do not differ from general ones;
- free transportation of strollers is provided for children under 11 years old;
- upon arrival, strollers are served on board only on Italian territory.
Nordwind:
- only folding strollers can be carried free of charge, for all others it is necessary to buy one piece of luggage.
Thair Airways:
- no age restrictions;
- the stroller can be used before boarding the plane;
- a child vehicle can be transported even without a child.
Ryanair:
- works according to all general norms and standards;
- the property is transported to the gangway and issued to the board immediately upon arrival.
Lufthansa:
- up to 2 years old, you can carry a cradle or a wheelchair cane into the salon;
- dimensions should be no more than 158 cm.
Turkish Airlines:
- allowed on board the cradle 70x30 cm;
- other vehicles of children are carried in the luggage compartment.
Air France:
- the baby's mobile luggage must be packed;
- a child under 2 years old can carry strollers-canes in the cabin;
- the cane stroller should be 15x30x100 cm.
British Airways:
- strollers no larger than 117x38x38 are checked in luggage at the very side and are obtained at the gangway upon arrival.
Helpful hints
When flying on an airplane with a child and his vehicle, you need to consider a number of nuances:
- first, you should replace the standard stroller with a more compact folding model, which should fit in size for carrying hand luggage;
- pick up a stroller of average cost;
- you should carefully read the rules of a particular airline and discuss all issues;
- in advance, you should take care of the availability of a special cover or film for transporting a child's vehicle;
- before the flight, you need to attach a special tag with all the data to the stroller;
- at the check-in counter, the stroller must be marked with a special DAA sign;
- Before the flight, it is advisable to remove all additional equipment from the stroller (hood, bottle holder, basket, etc.).
Conclusion
When on vacation with a small child, you will definitely need to bring a vehicle for your baby. Most often, this device is a stroller. When flying on a plane with a sidecar, you need to take into account a huge number of nuances and standards of various airlines, which you must definitely familiarize yourself with in advance in order to avoid force majeure.
Each of the companies has its own individual characteristics, therefore, having familiarized yourself with each of them, you need to give preference to conditions that are more convenient for you, and then make the choice of the stroller itself. Most often it is required that it be compact, functional and comfortable.
In this case, the most important thing - do not forget that you will spend most of the time on vacation, and not at the check-in counter or on the plane. It remains only to wish you a good choice!
You will learn more about how to choose a stroller for an airplane in the following video.
