Can you take a stroller/pushchair on a long haul flight and can you recommend one which is light and small enough to fit in the overhead compartment..

[dev9aug]

The title says it all really.. We are flying next week and would like a stroller to be used by ds2.8. Can you take on a flight and which one would you recommend.

TIA

You'll have to hand it over at the steps/airbridge. So don't worry about it being small enough for the bins. If you don't have one already take something cheap. :)

yes you can. you can have it tagged at baggage check in, and then take it up to the gate, then it will be stowed for you in the belly, but also removed first when you land

so that while it isn't carry-on, and you may have to wait 5 minutes or so, you will have access to it pretty much from when you arrive

we took our maclaren techno both times when we went longhaul

hth

usually pushchairs are left at the gate and (depending on airport) you get it back at the gate or with the luggage. have not seen a puschair in the cabin for ages.
we usually take a cheapo buggy as airline/airport staff can be rough with them, have seen them dropping the pushchairs from the plane door down to the tarmac...

Long haul, I hit it lucky once and it went into the cabin but every other time its been taken off me at the gate and put in the hold. I never got it back as I got off the plane at the other end so there's the walk to the baggage reclaim plus because pushchairs get loaded last, they come out first but then end up at the bottom of the baggage trolley and so often arrive at reclaim after the suitcases. There are two pushchairs that fit your bill. The Quinny Yezz which looks odd but seems pretty good and has a huge seat. Or there's one called the Backpack stroller by Quicksmart which I haven't seen. I have the Safety 1st Surf which my 3 year old can sit on great and although I wouldn't want to use it a lot, it depends how desperate you are!

The quicksmart and the zapp are usually allowed in the cabin to put in the overhead bins, some umbrella types as well (think small cheap plasic ones) and I have taken my city mini but the flight was not full, if the flight is busy there is not always room enough. You can always ask, but dont be offended if the staff say no as there is very limited space to store buggies on board.

I fly long-haul a couple of times a year with dd's wheelchair - which I know is different from a buggy, but... there is always some room in a coat closet at the front of the plane (bigger than the overhead locker), so I always ask if there is room on board; you will get to board first as you are travelling with a young child, so ask about taking it on board - if you are the only one with a pushchair, then logically speaking there should be room on board. If not you get to take it to the door of the plane, then it goes underneath and you'll get it back when you land, but make sure to double check that you get it back at the plane door, not in baggage reclaim, as otherwise you'll have to carry dc through immigration. Have a good trip!

If they take it at the gate is it extra in terms of luggage allowance?

There;s no guarantee that it will be available at the plane door. I have been on a lot of long haul flights with a buggy - we have always been able to take it right to the plane door, but only once has it been available at the door at the end - every other time we have had to get through passport control and then to luggage reclaim to get it. I think you need to be prepared for a long walk with DS. You might want to do piggy backs/shoulder carry, or get a trunki so you can pull him along (trunkis can be taken on board as carry on)

Thanks everyone... We went couple of years ago and I bought a quinny zapp at the time for the transit during the airport ... I am afraid to say that it didn't last the trip.. After the very first flight, we got it back with a broken wheel so I will try some of the ones you mentioned and take something cheap and cheerful so if it breaks it's not a biggy.
We have a connecting flight so I will see if I can try and get it back straight after landing as baggage reclaim and immigration would probably be a very long wait if past experience is anything to go by..

We took the Chicco LiteWay Pushchair on holiday with us and loved it

It is easy to handle, and fully reclines so baby can sleep comfortably.

Ooh thanks milk that looks promising.. I have just checked on amazon and there is a picture of a women carrying it as a backpack.

Unfortunately that's not what's happening. :o It's the storage bit - it can be used as a basket or unclipped as a backpack.
Personally I found the liteway a bit small for my son by the time he got to 2 or so. (and he's not a chunk!)

I have one which is in the Uk at grandparents ( I am in Italy) and I am looking to sell it its this one www.babymondostore.com/public/it/157-passeggino-worldwide-gordani.asp its in silver . It was bought exacltly for airport use and has only been used in the airport ( manily Gatwick in fact it would probaly go on its own between North and SOuth Terminal !!!). It weights exactly 7kg and saved my bacon on so many times. It would be rubbish as a proper pushchair as with all its joints it will not do mega bumpy stuff. It has 2 nylon bags which I bung round it but I also have the hard bag which you can see in the picture but that is in Italy. I am coming to the UK on 21 April and was going to put it on Ebay then ......
Even check in staff have been amazed as I take it apart and pack it up to show that it will fit in the cabin ......

Doh... Thanks Panzee... I had almost ordered it from Amazon.. Looks like I will be repairing the quinny Zapp for the trip... We bought the bag for it for storage so I am going to try and see if I can smuggle it on the plane somehow.

Rosa thanks, but I am on a stupid iPhone so will check out that link when near a computer.