How to Travel with a Stroller: A First-Timer’s Guide to Flying

If you are preparing to fly with your baby or toddler for the very first time, you probably have a dozen questions racing through your head. But there is one question that causes more anxiety than almost anything else: What do I do with the stroller?

Bill Britton

7/16/20264 min read

seven assorted-colored strollers near building

Do I check it at the ticket counter? Do I take it through security? Will the airline break it? Will they charge me an extra $50 just to bring it?

Take a deep breath. At Vacationcents, we are all about making family travel affordable and stress-free. The good news is that flying with a stroller is actually much easier than you think. In fact, it’s completely free.

Here is your ultimate, step-by-step guide on how to travel with a stroller, designed specifically to ease the minds of first-time flying parents.

The Best News You’ll Read Today: It’s FREE

Let’s start with the biggest budget win. Under US Department of Transportation regulations, every US airline must allow you to check one stroller and one car seat per child for free.

Even if you are flying on a strict "Basic Economy" ticket that normally forbids carry-on bags, your stroller is exempt. You will not pay a dime to bring it.

Gate-Checking vs. Counter-Checking: Always Choose the Gate

When you arrive at the airport, you have two choices: check the stroller at the main ticket counter with your luggage, or take it all the way to the airplane door (gate-checking).

Always gate-check your stroller.

Here’s why: The airport terminal is massive. Your toddler will likely get tired of walking, and carrying a 30-pound toddler plus a heavy diaper bag through a long concourse is a recipe for a back injury. You need that stroller to navigate the airport, make bathroom stops, and keep your child contained while you grab a pre-flight coffee.

Step-by-Step: What Actually Happens at the Airport

To take the mystery out of the process, here is exactly what your journey will look like with a stroller:

1. The TSA Security Checkpoint

When you reach the TSA line, you will keep your child in the stroller right up until you reach the metal detector.

The Process: A TSA agent will ask you to take your child out of the stroller. You will then collapse/fold the stroller and place it in a bin to go through the X-ray machine. You will carry your child through the metal detector or body scanner.
Pro Tip: Wear slip-on shoes and minimal jewelry. You will be carrying a toddler, folding a stroller, and grabbing bins. Keep your hands as free as possible!

2. Navigating the Terminal

Once through security, unfold the stroller, buckle your little one in, and enjoy your walk to the gate. This is your time to relax, grab a snack, and change a diaper using the spacious airport restrooms.

3. Boarding the Plane

Airlines usually board families with small children right after the first-class and elite passengers. When your group is called, simply roll your stroller down the jet bridge.

Right before you step onto the actual airplane, you will see a flight attendant or gate agent. They will hand you a bright colored tag. Tie this tag securely to the handle of your stroller.

4. Leaving the Stroller at the Plane Door

Collapse your stroller and leave it in a designated area right at the end of the jet bridge (or sometimes at the top of the stairs if you are boarding a smaller regional jet). You just walk away from it.

5. Picking it Up When You Land

Here is the best part: When you step off the plane at your destination, your stroller will be waiting for you in that exact same spot at the end of the jet bridge. You don't have to go down to the crowded luggage carousel to hunt for it. Unfold it, buckle the toddler in, and you're ready to go!

Which US Airlines Make Traveling with a Stroller Easiest?

While all US airlines must accept strollers for free, some make the process much friendlier than others. If you have flexibility in your booking, here is how the airlines stack up for stroller travel:

Southwest Airlines (The Winner): Southwest is notoriously relaxed about stroller sizes. While the official FAA rule says strollers must be under 20 lbs to be gate-checked, Southwest agents rarely weigh them. Even parents with heavy, double Bob joggers usually report zero issues gate-checking them on Southwest.
JetBlue Airways: JetBlue is incredibly family-friendly and very efficient at getting gate-checked strollers from the jet bridge to the cargo hold and back again. Their staff is generally very helpful with folding and tagging.
Delta Air Lines: Delta is great, but they tend to be stricter on the "20 lbs/20 inches folded" rule for gate-checking. If you have a massive, heavy double stroller, a Delta gate agent might force you to check it at the regular baggage counter instead of the gate.
United Airlines & American Airlines: Both are perfectly fine for standard, single strollers. However, like Delta, if you are bringing a bulky, oversized travel system or a heavy double stroller, you run the risk of gate agents making you check it downstairs with the regular luggage.

Vacationcents Tip: If you have a giant double stroller, print out the airline’s official policy before you go. Politely showing a gate agent the rules can sometimes work in your favor, but always have a backup plan in case they make you check it at the counter.

5 Pro-Tips to Protect Your Stroller (and Your Sanity)

Before you zip off on your trip, read these crucial tips from parents who have been in the trenches:

Buy a Gate-Check Bag: For about $15 on Amazon, you can buy a padded travel bag made specifically for gate-checking strollers. Airport baggage handlers are rough, and gates are tight. A bag will protect your stroller frame from getting scratched, dented, or dirty.
Remove ALL Accessories: Take off the cup holder, the phone mount, the snack tray, and the parent console. These snap-on pieces will easily pop off during transport and get lost forever in the cargo hold. Put them in your carry-on bag.
Put Your Name INSIDE the Stroller: Gate-check tags can get ripped off. Take a piece of masking tape and write your name, phone number, and flight number on the inside of the stroller frame or under the seat cushion.
Practice Folding It One-Handed: You will likely be holding your toddler in one arm while trying to collapse the stroller with the other at the gate. Make sure you know how to fold your stroller quickly and easily before you leave for the airport.
Don't Buy a "Travel Stroller" Unless You Travel Constantly: Many parents panic and spend $200 on a tiny umbrella stroller just for a one-time trip. If your everyday stroller folds up reasonably compact, just use it! Don't spend money you don't have to. That's the Vacationcents way!

You've Got This!

Flying with a stroller for the first time feels like a daunting logistical puzzle, but once you realize that the airport staff deals with hundreds of strollers every single day, it takes a massive weight off your shoulders. Roll it through security, gate-check it at the door, and enjoy your family vacation!

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