What to do when needing buggy on transfer?

[KT12]

Am flying to Cape Town via Frankfurt with 22 month old DC. I'll check all the luggage through at Bristol to Cape Town, but will need the buggy in Frankfurt. Has anyone had experience of needing buggy on transfer? How does it all work?

Hi there - I am facing a similar situation and was going to ring the airline this coming week to ask about luggage allowances for the LO. I know most airlines will let you keep the buggy with you right up to the door of the plane (they have a special place to store them) so assume they would then get them out for you when in transit. If no helpful MNers out there answer over the weekend, I'll let you know what Singapore air tell me about it on Monday.

I rang up Lufthansa (airline I am using) and they said I should ask to take the buggy on board). But in my experience what customer services tell you and what happens in reality is not always the same. So to help us both, I'd be very grateful if someone who actually had experienced this, could shed some light and give advice. I would however be very interested to hear what your airline has to say.

I haven't had this situation but have experience of how aircraft/cargo is handled. I was a flight nurse in the RAF.
Usually the buggy can be kept until the last minute up to the tarmac, also if you ask the cabin staff for it back you can usually get it as it has been put in the hold last. The cabin staff need to contact baggage handling so they can get it out for you. I am sure there will be others on the flight who will also need their buggy.

we had this situation at xmas, specifically asked for buggy as we had a 3 hour stop over. they promised and even put a ticket on to say so. in reality i think they just did it to appease us. we didnt get the buggy, they said there was no way of doing this.

Thanks for replies. Hifi, what did actually happen to the buggy? Did you have to go to baggage collection? Was that possible when you were in transfer? Or did the buggy go to the destination? Thx

No experience of Lufthansa but Iberia on transfer at Madrid collected it for us and brought to the plane door on arrival - This happened on departure and on return. They stuck a hand luggage label on buggy.Totally fasntastic and super efficient.
London airports are crap and nobody will guarantee anything. When I asked BA they said it would be brought to the plane . I had the buggy ticketed only to London just incase and we agreed that dh would go and get it and come through security again ! However plane was not full and so cabin crew on the ball and they got it for us.
I used 2 diff airlines this summer and EJet mega crappy and could not get buggy I was on own and 5mths pg had tired toddler and buggy was last item on carosel - Never again !!!
Would have thought that Lufthansa would be more on the ball ??????? I would on arrival at Frankfurt insist you have the buggy and tell them when you get on.- refuse to get off unless you have it!

Thanks Rosa - very helpful reply.

Some airports have buggies you can borrow/hire so you could contact the relevant people (airport/airline?)to see if it is available at your transit locations. This could always just be a backup in case you can't get your own buggy back.
If you have a small umbrella style buggy they do fit in some of the storage places on the plane. Anything bigger probably won't so you reduce the chances of getting it back. (but not all crews will let even a small buggy on board!)
It would be nice for airlines to give definitive answers that are then followed through. At least then you know where you stand and what to expect. It seems that what you are told by airline staff etc. may happen, but equally may not. Not very helpful.!!!

I have seen some fabulous tiny cases you can sit on with wheels and a pull along handle. Is this any use?

i think it will really depend on the airport - at small airports where you walk down the steps and they are unloading the luggage then you can usually get your buggy. They will load it last and as you get off the plane you can get it.
however if you find yourself going down a hangar/walkway to the airport (like it is from my experience at Frankfurt) i think you will find it difficult to get the buggy (unless you are very lucky and have great cabin crew and they manage to get hold of the buggy at just the right time as it is unloaded). It will typically go straight to your end destination.

Have you seen the Microlite buggy? These fold up really small into a bag and fit in the overhead locker as hold baggage. Alternatively bring the smallest buggy you have and just plead with them to let you bring it on board. Again it will depend on the cabin crew and how busy the flight is.

the thing is you can ring up everyone, but it's down to the staff on the day. Make sure you tell the air staff when you board that you need it back, and then the people who are getting the plane in when you get off and hang around until someone gives it to you. I think I've always got buggies back on stopovers - have done quite a few.
If you get a very small lightweight, umbrella folding buggy, they can sometimes store it on the plane rather than in the hold, which makes things easier.

If by bad luck it doesn't appear I would ask staff to help, they usually will. I have flown with lufthansa and they were really good. It was BC though.

We flew to NZ in February. On the way out they let us take the buggy on the plane and put it in the overhead lockers.

On the way home the same airline said it "wasn't policy" to let you take the buggy on board and we had to hand it over at the door of the plane. We were told we would get it back from the same place.

It wasn't at the door and it didn't come off at baggage handling. We'd had to struggle across LAX with a non walking baby and too much luggage (all planned for how many hands available with buggy). It still hadn't turned up when we got on the next plane and wasn't waiting at Heathrow either. We had to look for the baggage man and ask him. Turned out it was sent on a different plane and got to Heathrow a day and a half before us

Oooo - Catweazle - which airline. It's NZ I'm travelling to in December!

Hi

We live in NZ with our 2 little ones currently 23 months and 5 months and have travelled back to the UK and to Australia. We have not had the buggy at any point during our journey and have had to check it in at oversized baggage and have eventually got it back after all the other luggage has arrived. BUT our buggy is quite large and we have departed from such small airports that we couldn't/didn't need to use it in our departing airport anyway. We have found that letting the 23 month walk/run and be active for a while whilst in the transit airports was actually beneficial and made for more comfortable flights for everyone!!!! If I was you I would plan for not having the buggy in transit in terms of carrying hand luggage and managing children just in case. Much to some peoples disgust we have used reins for ds which helped ensure he did not run off in the airport, but still enabled him to stretch his legs for a while. Some airports also have 'express lanes' for customs/immigration for those with children making the process much easier.

Singapore airport is good with excellent facilities especially if you have a few hours to kill. If only there for a short time if your children are toddlers+ let them have a run around to make the long flights sitting still a little easier!!!! For a non-walker have a front pack/sling sooo useful.

Enjoy your trip. We are actually going back to the UK for Christmas - the first time for 5 years we will have a winter xmas!!!
(We have flown BA/Qantas/Air NZ and Singapore Airlines for our trips)

When we emigtrated to Australia, we flew Heathrow - Singapore [Singapore Airlines] & we left the buggy at the entrance to the walkway to the plane & it was brought to us about 5 mins after we got off at Singapore.

Then, Singapore - Adeliade, again we left buggy in similar place & it was on the tarmac before we got off the plane in Adelaide.

Some airlines prefer you to book it in, and it goes in with the luggage [we did this when we went home from a visit here in 2005], but they usually have their own supply that you can borrow. We had to collect it luggage collection with other stuff.

PLEASE do not take an expensive buggy. Our clip got broken, so it now does not stay folded, but we weren't too bothered as it was only a cheapie form Toys R Us.

you have to ask for it to be brought to you at the plane door at frankfurt and also at cape town else it will just go to the carousel. don't check it in at bristol - keep it until you get to the plane door.

Thanks for some very helpful replies. We have the very lightweight quinny buggy, so hopefully that will help. Tori, what is BC? Glad to hear Lufthansa were great. I think I'll insist on having the buggy brought to the plane at Frankfurt and remind staff a few minutes before arrival. With such varied experiences on here, I guess it will just depend on the staff on duty on the day. Adds to the 'excitement' of travelling with a small child....

KT12 is it the Zapp you have? You are allowed to take that on the plane and put it in the overhead compartment. My mum has twins and was worried about the state the pram would get into so she bought 2 of these and took them onboard. It is also part of their advert thing that it is one of very few prams that are allowed onboard.

That's interesting Mamadiva. Yes it is the zapp. We have travelled loads with it, but have never had to deal with a transfer before. We have only ever once been permitted to take it on board and that was when we travelled club class and DH was with us. He is a tall chap, so folded up in his hand it looked small and went on unnoticed.

ha ha, KT12 i bet he did the "ooh look it is so light it is balancing on just the tips of my fingers"

i do that with those wheely trolleys, carry it effortlessly as you check in / get to the gate rather than wheel it
make it look light
works quite a lot of the time!

I didn't get mine at Schipol last year despite travelling on my own with two children under four. My plane was cancelled and I had to spend about six hours there. Just as I was on my way to finally catch our plane I saw they had hire buggies and the buggers had never even offered me one despite me begging for my buggy! I was livid.

BC is before children!

Like others have said, if you don't check it in it will go into the hold last. The hold is always opened to get bags off on a stop over because obviously not all passengers are on a connection iyswim. So long as you ask staff you should get it back.

Pack the Zapp in the travel bag, sling it across your back and walk onto the plane like you know what you're doing. If you take the front wheel off it makes the buggy even smaller IIRC.

TBH though, I'd take a sling instead. In fact,I'd take one anyway in case you have the buggy prised from your grip never to be seen again.