To take a big pushchair on an airplane?

[Aliveinwanderland]

I have a Mama's and Papa's zoom- am I mad to take this on a flight? DS will be 9 months old when we go. Have plenty of adult help with carrying things, but am worried about how big and heavy it is.

Should I buy an umbrella stroller instead? I prefer the zoom as it has a big hood to keep sun off and also have a parasol to go with it- it is pretty big though!

[Sassypants82]

Place marking. I'm wondering if IWBU to take my baby's pram (which will double as a cradle for nights) on our holiday.

[Sassypants82]

Upshot is that I'd need to take nothing a stroller & a travel cot otherwise.

[SolomanDaisy]

I wouldn't take your main pushchair on a flight. They get chucked about and broken.

[TeaBelle]

Does the flight have dimension limits? BA does for prams you can take to the gate, if not they go in as hold baggage and are thrown about as such

[Gardencentregroupie]

I take my uppababy vista on the plane all the time. The only issue you might have is if you take it to the gate and there are flights of stairs down to the actual plane. I check mine in with luggage and carry DD in a sling through the airport (easier at security too).

[DearMrDilkington]

Don't take an expensive pram on a plane. They get chucked all over the place. It could get broken or lost. Get a cheap holiday one.

[malvinandhobbes]

I recently flew with my uppa baby vista because I bought DD (4 months) a seat and needed to bring her infant car seat. It was too wide to gate check in its own, so I bought a travel bag and took off the wheels for gate check. Check with your airline that you can gate check it.

Pros:

1. It was very good to have in the airport, easy to push around and the giant basket held a lot of stuff. Even when she was in the sling, I could push our bags in the buggy. It was a long haul flight with delays and I was happy not to have to carry everything all the time.
   
2. I was happy to have the (group 0) car seat on the plane
   
3. Happy to have that buggy on our trip
   

Cons:

1. It was a huge faff to pack and unpack it at the gate. I was flying on my own.
   
2. Even in the travel bag, it did suffer a bit of damage
   

We are doing another long haul flight this summer, but this time with family so I will have support and she will be too big for the group 0 car seat. I still want the vista at our destination, so I will check the buggy as luggage and carry her in a sling around the airport.

[Cheby]

I wouldn't because of risk of breakages. We flew recently (took slings and no buggy, DD is 3 though so sling was for long walks only). One family on our plane had their pushchair broken on the way out and another on the way back. The airline just chucked it on the baggage carousel with 2 missing wheels, one wheel came round on its own later mixed in with all the suitcases, the other never made an appearance.

If we go away with impending DC2, we will take slings and a very cheap 2nd hand umbrella stroller that we don't care about.

[SooDeNimm]

We used to take our BJCM on the plane and I was so grateful for it. It would have been really annoying having a cheapie, just because they're nowhere near as easy to push around as the good quality BJCM.

It also provided good shaded napping facilities which is more difficult in a cheapie. And decent sized basket underneath for carrying stuff to the beach etc.

If worried about breakages, I would check if covered under travel insurance maybe? (no idea if that's a thing) And buy the travel bag for it.

[Notso]

We took the BJCM double when DC3 and DC4 were little. I bought the travel bag which was handy as there was space to shove hoodies, blankets etc in.
I was concerned about it getting broken/lost so checked it was insured.
It was invaluable on the holiday.

[Aliveinwanderland]

I'm not worried about breakages as it's only a second pram.

I have a Joolz geo as my main pram and wouldn't take that because I don't want it damaged. I was given the zoom second hand and so will only use it for this holiday anyway! Just wondering whether to sell it and buy an umbrella stroller, or take it with us.

[Redkite10a]

We have taken our Babyjogger versa twice. It fits a cheap Ikea storage bag as it folds up fairly small. It's strong plastic so stops any bits being lost but doesn't have any padding. That was enough protection for me, you'd have to really chuck it around to damage once folded and I think you could claim against the airline at that point.

It was definitely worth taking both times and I'd take it again. You actually spend more time out and about with a pushchair on holiday than you do at home and I find cheap strollers annoying - harder work to push and not enough space in the basket.

[pestov]

How does it fold? We took our bugaboo chameleon on a flight and were only able to gate check it because we had a bag for it (2 piece fold). Got it at the gate on the way there but with the bags on the way back, despite our car seat arriving at the gate! We then bought a second hand MacLaren techno x t which is brill. Lies flat for naps and good sun shading. If it dies on a flight I'll be straight back on eBay looking for another as it's nice to push although nowhere near the bugaboo.

[mummyof2pr]

I would take it with you, not sure which airline you're flying but I know British airways and a few other airlines let you check a pushchair for free, most times even at the gate. I've always taken mine (a big single when just DD but now a giant double for both DD and DS)

[honeyroar]

The other thing to consider is that you may be allowed to take the buggy to the gate or even plane door in the UK, but it may not be brought to the door for you at the other end, you may have to get all your stuff, and baby, through customs and to the baggage hall. With a small buggy the crews can usually find somewhere to put it on the aircraft (usually, not always), but the ones that are huge simply don't fit in.

[Aliveinwanderland]

Well the zoom has gone! Sold it today as I decided it was definitely too heavy for me to manage.

I've got a cheap Quinny zapp at home for grandmas house but it's a two part fold so didn't think it was ideal to take.

I will keep my eye out for a cheap stroller type to take with us instead. With DS only being 9 months when we go I wanted it to be sturdy enough so was worried about strollers but I'm sure I will find something suitable.

[OonaLoona2]

We took our icandy apple (enormous) when dd was a few weeks old. She was still in the carrycot so we took that part too. We packed the carrycot in a travel bag and that went through with the luggage and we used the frame and car seat in the airport and just handed it over when we boarded.

[eyespydreams]

We have taken both uppa baby vista and maclaren everywhere! Always, always take it to gate, never a problem short haul or long haul on any airline. Does vary as to where you pick it up at the other end. But umbrella maclaren far easier to fold for security obviously.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

We bought a cheap umbrella pushchair from Wilko to travel with DS. Cost about £20 and was pretty sturdy.

[TooSmittle]

I can't recommend the Zita City stroller enough. I got it to travel to Florida on my own with my 2yr old last year, it was only £30 on amazon. Certainly not as nice quality as 'proper' pushchairs but my goodness it was better than expected. Sturdy, not at all flimsy, a massive hood to shade from the sun, cool feeling fabric and super lightweight. It looks far more expensive than it was.

I'd meant to just throw it away after our holiday but DD preferred it to our proper one. We walked miles and miles with it when we were home and it lasted. We've saved it for when our 4 month old is bigger.

And just a side note - while I was able to take it to the gate at both airports, I didn't get it back until baggage claim either time. This was with Thomson. So if you're planning on using it to carry your bags or anything through customs, just bear that in mind.

[KathArtic]

Just a thought that if you have to check it in with your luggage theres that plastic wrap machine you could use. Squeeze it as tightly shut as possible and wrap away - may prevent some damage.

[Mouikey]

We have a Jane Trider which is amazing, but huge and heavy! We did some research and purchased a Babyzen YoYo+ not cheap BUT... they can go on as hand baggage AND Ryanair won't class it as a handbag but a pushchair!!! It's very lightweight and so easy to use!

[Aliveinwanderland]

Well I've narrowed my options down to 3!

Any recommendations on the following-

Quinny zapp (I like that it can parent face)
Silvercross pop
Baby jogger city mini (looks very sturdy, love the one hand fold).

[Feelingkenty]

I have a Baby Jogger City Select but bought a second hand City Mini to use as a travel pram. It's been great! It's been on several flights so far and as it folds flat we've generally been able to check it in at the gate.

I don't know much about the other plans you've shortlisted but an easy fold decent travel pram is the best option (if it's an option obviously)

[Notso]

Is the pop an umbrella?
I've had a zapp and the babyjogger and the babyjogger was better by miles. My zapp only parent faced in recline not sure if that's still the case, youngest is 4 now.
The babyjogger basket is gigantic Zapp one is tiny,
I never needed an extra sunshade on the babyjogger thanks to the giant hood, Zapp hood is tiny,
Zapp wheels are great in a shopping centre but rubbish anywhere else, babyjogger is better if you go for the gt then it's great on any surface,
Babyjogger seat is huge, Zapp is not,
Resale is great for babyjogger, bit hit and miss for the Zapp.