Gate check experiences

[bass_ke]

Good morning greater AFF community,

I'm wondering what all of your experiences with gate-checking items are?

Our little one has grown out of the car seat we normally take travelling and we will therefore be taking one of our more expensive seats.

The last seat we didn't really worry too much about and checked it in as per a hold bag, if it got damaged we would of just purchased another however we don't want to see one of our good seats damaged.

From what I've seen on wide bodied aircraft the gate-checked items are stored in a "Boot" slightly separate from the cans in the main cargo hold, being that VA's 737's don't seem to use cans is there any point gate checking something like a car seat and have any of you been refused the ability to gate-check an item?

Thanks
Nate

 

[Must...Fly!]

Honestly I would say no point. The rampies deal with car seats etc all the time and if you deposit it at oversize then it is handled manually all the way to and from the aircraft. Get a bag/sack for it if you wish and it will be fine, and you'll also find it much easier than gate checking.

This is assuming you'd even have a choice, I can't imagine you'd get a car seat through security.