Stroller Damaged on planes?

[mickerbaby]

I'm thinking of bringing my relativly new, light weight stroller to WDW (it's a graco with canopy and big basket rather than a regular umbrella stroller) for my 13 month old. I know that I will need to check it at the airport, should I worry about it getting damaged? I'm traveling on Delta.
thanks,
Crissy

 

[akasleepingbeauty]

The airlines will generally wrap your stroller in a clear plastic bag when you check it. It protects it from general exposure to water and dirt.

That said, we found decided to buy a stroller bag for our stroller on our last flight. We bought it at RightStart for $15 (I also saw one at Babies R Us for a little more but it was too small for our stroller) and it worked great. It had two carrying handles along with a shoulder strap. It is made of medium-weight black nylon and did a great job of protecting the stroller. It also gave us some additional space for smaller items (our cooler bag etc.) so we didn't have to make room for them in our luggage.

You will probably have no problems just checking your stroller with the airline bag but the bag is a nice relatively inexpensive investment to tilt the odds a little more in your favor.

Have a great trip,

 

[MinnieGi]

We did not have any problems with our big Graco reclining stroller being gate checked. We flew USAirways.

 

[carriep1657]

We gate check our stroller every flight. We've probably done this about 30 times. One of ours actually did get broken on one Delta flight. We were able to fix it with a little glue and duct tape for the trip. It was a light weight Combi.

I'm guessing the airlines would have paid to fix it but we don't know. It was a very awkward situation. The flight it broke on was my father-in-laws last flight for Delta. They make a huge production for last flights and there were so many people to greet the flight then there were presentations then we all went to a party so we just didn't have a chance to file a claim. Turned out we could just order a replacement piece from Combi which was easier than going back to the airport and file a claim. Also, this was a pretty old stroller so we weren't too broken up about it.

 

[jldriscoll]

We've done both, checked ours in a stroller bag and gate checked it. Both worked fine. 5 years now ans we are still using the same stroller (also a Graco like you described.)

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

We've gate checked twice with no problems.

On our last trip, we saw another gate-checked stroller (accidentally) getting damaged by the baggage handlers.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

We had a nice Graco Lite that was damaged. We gate checked it and when we arrived and got our stroller it had been bent and would roll right. Front right wheel was off the ground. The attendant said they weren't responsible! I am not sure aobut gate check anymore. I wonder if you have your own stroller bag if you can put your stroller in it before you check it at the gate or not. Anyone done this?
Bill

 

[Eeyore1954]

Unfortunately, most airlines will not accept responsibility for "wear and tear" of checked baggage. At Chicago O'Hare, several airlines post signs telling passengers that they should EXPECT some damage as a result of checking luggage. Things like torn zippers or zipper pulls, scratches, dents, dings, and tears are to be EXPECTED!

Because of the restrictions on carry-on now, you'll probably have to check strollers. I would ask when you check-in if they have any boxes that might accommodate your stroller. You can also ask that your item be tagged FRAGILE. I don't think that will stop some of the "gorillas" that load/unload the baggage, but maybe someone will take note and try to handle it with a little care.

Another point the airlines make (and this is kind of valid): they can't be responsible for turbulence during the flight and often some, but not ALL, damage can occur because of that. But I have seen some baggage handlers treating luggage like they were on a basketball court! No excuse for that. As my dad said, you pays your money and takes your chances.

 

[padams]

We have checked strollers on Delta flights more than 14 flights, and only once was a stroller broken. It was our fault because when we folded the stroller (doing so quickly at the gate as we boarded), the seat belt was left dangling outside the folded stroller. The seat belt obviously became caught on something in the baggage compartment which then caused the stroller to be ripped. It was just one of those $20 umbrella strollers so we bought a replacement and didn't file a claim. Lesson to be learned here: Fold up your stroller carefully, and if you can get to the gate without the stroller, then have the baggage people wrap the stroller in plastic.

 

[R4racing]

We gate checked our stroller, we folded it down before we got to the actual area where you leave gate checked items and zip tied it shut. It worked back then as we were able to take a nail clippers to cut the zip tie and use the stroller during our layover at O'Hare. I think the bag might help, as I have heard that some of the damages to strollers may be caused by airline agents not knowing how the folding mechanism works or the lock to hold it shut works. Not sure how true that is though. OH, our stroller was a Graco Literider. We packed the tray for the front of it in a suitcase on top of the clothes since otherwise it would have fallen off. I think that size stroller works great at Disney. Big basket, comfy reclining seat, sunshade, and ours has cup holders too.

 

[bduddy]

we secure our double stroller with bungy cords, after tucking in the straps and sunshades. we've never had a problem with any damage, until we lent it to a friend and they didn't use the bungy cord. a broken sunshade but the instep company sent us a new one.

 

[ABCMom]

We checked a double stroller and it was damaged on a Midway flight (they are no longer in business.) What we think happened was that one of our suitcases was extremely heavy (my mother is a librarian and had purchased a ton - quite literally - of books at WDW) and we think that it was dropped on top of the stroller somewhere along the line. Fortunately it was on the trip home, so it didn't matter too much. We were able to take it apart and bend the frame back enough to sell it in a yard sale.

 

[SueM in MN]

We've gate checked a wheelchair for the past 15 years, so I've got a lot of experience with gate checking.
I agree with those who posted to make sure the stroller is folded and everything is secured shut before you check it (whether gate checking or checking it with the baggage). I've often seen strollers left at the gate with all sorts of stuff hanging off. Anything that sticks out is a possibility to get caught and cause damage.