Flying with a Stroller Just Got Harder

Perry Hall Patch: Air travel with kids is anything but easy, but some airlines are making it even harder—especially for parents with strollers. Most have already imposed luggage restrictions or implemented high fares for bags, which create hardship for parents traveling with children, especially young children who require a lot of gear.

To make matters worse, last week American Airlines announced that strollers can no longer be checked at the gate, unless it is an umbrella stroller or fully collapsible stroller weighing less than 20 pounds.

I find this quite frustrating.

When I travel with my children, ages 4 and 16 months, it’s nice to be able to push them through the airport and have the stroller at our destination, especially if we're running late. And, quite frankly, between early morning flights and exhausting vacations, a stroller is a travel essential for my kids.

Apparently, United Airlines already had this rule in place, and other airlines are expected to follow suit.

So many passengers are carrying on bags to avoid fees that there is little or no room for large or over-sized strollers. At least the airlines are allowing strollers to be checked free of charge, but it still means figuring out how to get your youngsters to gate B32 without your stroller.

So, how will you cope with this new restriction? Personally, I’ll try to fly airlines that still allow gate-checked strollers. But I guess if push comes to shove, I’ll purchase two cheap umbrella strollers that can be gate checked, and either rent a double stroller at my destination or check my own. Of course, it seems absurd to make a parent travel with three strollers—but the rules are the rules.