Stroller rules?

[docjames]

So I know QF allow a collapsible stroller to be carried (checked) when traveling with any child <12yrs.

What is the process at the airport? Can we hang on to it until we get to the gate, or does it have to be checked in the usual manner (and hope to borrow one from qf to use within the departures area)? Have previously checked it early (large bag/non "umbrella" stroller.)

Followup question: What are DJ's rules on this? Are they any different.

Have late notice trip to syd and will need to take it with us and obviously would prefer to gate-check the stroller. So Bne Dom and Syd T3 or T2 pending booking qf or DJ if terminal makes any difference.

The qf/DJ websites don't seem to answer this very well at all.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Simo]

IME you have to check it in prior to going through security.

I have a 3 year old so we generally always travel with one.

We now travel with a cheap stroller because our good one was damaged as it comes out on the baggage carousel.

It will generally be the first luggage out or last luggage out.

Sometimes you have to go to a special gate and drop it off and also a special area to pick it up as well.

 

[doctork]

Can only answer for QF.
Have now flown from SYD (x3), ADL, PER, HBA with stroller.
Completely inconsistent in being allowed to "wheel to gate", varying from port to port, and even at different times in SYD T3. Once I was forced to wake my one year old, transfer her (crying), and check the stroller, only to get to the gate and another customer had the same model stroller "wheel to gate" and hand over for stowage underneath.
Now I just ask really nicely, try to make my daughter look cuter.
I think HBA let us wheel to gate without our even asking. PER, too, but I was the guest of a CL member so that must have helped.
Off main topic, but SYD T1 and SIN staff were happy to let us wheel to gate. LHR: no.

I think the airlines deliberately make their policy vague.

 

[Simo]

Never been able to wheel it to the gate.

Have always had to carry everything.

 

[docjames]

Thanks for the replies - as I expected, consistent inconsistency.

Will ask if we can gate check it, but I suspect it'll be a formal check-in job.

 

[harvyk]

check with the airport on checkin, they may have a stroller you can borrow once yours is checked in...

 

[simongr]

We were almost caught out flying to the Uk. We have a Bugaboo chameleon (kinda big so didn't want to gate check it) and they included it in out luggage allowance even though the rules say it doesnt count...

 

[markis10]

The Quicksmart stroller can be used to the gate then breaks down to carryon size baggage:

Quicksmart Backpack Stroller Review - Strollers and Prams

 

[docjames]

Thanks again for the replies, we are now actually travelling Virgin (BFOD policy), although I assume it wont make much of a difference to airport protocol. On the plus side, I plugged the Velocity number in and auto seat selection 3B+C so I'm happy as I had got the the status match. We might try and enrol mrsdoc with a match in the lounge. The company who booked it should also be happy as QF's prices were ~$250pp greater each way.

QF info is useful for travel later this year though so thanks again.

@ Markis10 - I'm not buying (yet) another stroller!

@ Simongr - we have checked the same stroller (in it's own bag) and they do seem to add it as part of luggage alloance - they've rung up and got an authorisation to have "excess" although I was reay to argue if required. I think techincally the rules are around "collapsable" strollers, implying the "umbrella" type but the wording is grey (the BB Camelion also collapses, just a bit difficult to do in twenty second at the checkin desk!). We were travelling J so apart from the 30sec it took to make the phone call, it was never an issue.

@ HarveyK - we've done that previously when travelling with the Bugaboo - sometimes it's seamless, other times it's a PITA to get anyone to help you (read: Mel J lounge where I had to 1. insist they call the cityflyer desk to check if one was there after being told that's where they lived and 2. then go and collect myself - surely someone could have brought it up! Conversely, BNE J lounge the "dragon" was actually an angel and saw us walk in and by the time we'd sat down and got organised she magically appeared next to us with one!)

 

[StevePER]

This is what the Virgin website says about Domestic:

Specific Infant Equipment is carried free of charge on Virgin Australia and Pacific Blue domestic flights. All other infant baggage will be included as part of the parent or guardian’s purchased/free baggage allowance.

Items of infant equipment include but are not restricted to:

• Pram/stroller
• Portable cot
• Car seat
• Baby capsule

Note it doesn't say you can only take one of these - does that mean you can take one of each?

 

[harvyk]

Thanks again for the replies, we are now actually travelling Virgin (BFOD policy), although I assume it wont make much of a difference to airport protocol. On the plus side, I plugged the Velocity number in and auto seat selection 3B+C so I'm happy as I had got the the status match. We might try and enrol mrsdoc with a match in the lounge. The company who booked it should also be happy as QF's prices were ~$250pp greater each way.

QF info is useful for travel later this year though so thanks again.

@ Markis10 - I'm not buying (yet) another stroller!

@ Simongr - we have checked the same stroller (in it's own bag) and they do seem to add it as part of luggage alloance - they've rung up and got an authorisation to have "excess" although I was reay to argue if required. I think techincally the rules are around "collapsable" strollers, implying the "umbrella" type but the wording is grey (the BB Camelion also collapses, just a bit difficult to do in twenty second at the checkin desk!). We were travelling J so apart from the 30sec it took to make the phone call, it was never an issue.

@ HarveyK - we've done that previously when travelling with the Bugaboo - sometimes it's seamless, other times it's a PITA to get anyone to help you (read: Mel J lounge where I had to 1. insist they call the cityflyer desk to check if one was there after being told that's where they lived and 2. then go and collect myself - surely someone could have brought it up! Conversely, BNE J lounge the "dragon" was actually an angel and saw us walk in and by the time we'd sat down and got organised she magically appeared next to us with one!)

Yeah I found BNE to be fairly kid friendly in that regard, only PITA was that we needed to carry the kids through security along with the 1001 pieces of luggage that babies \ little kids need when they fly... Never tried in MEL (at either T1 or T2), although there it wasn't a problem as there was only 1 kid and 6 adults who could carry her.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

So I know QF allow a collapsible stroller to be carried (checked) when traveling with any child <12yrs.

What is the process at the airport? Can we hang on to it until we get to the gate, or does it have to be checked in the usual manner (and hope to borrow one from qf to use within the departures area)? Have previously checked it early (large bag/non "umbrella" stroller.)

Followup question: What are DJ's rules on this? Are they any different.

Have late notice trip to syd and will need to take it with us and obviously would prefer to gate-check the stroller. So Bne Dom and Syd T3 or T2 pending booking qf or DJ if terminal makes any difference.

The qf/DJ websites don't seem to answer this very well at all.

Thanks in advance.

I realise you're travelling on DJ on this occasion, however the rules for baby & child accoutrements when domestically on QF are as follows:

Infant: 3 pieces eg porta-cot & baby capsule & stroller

Child: 2 pieces eg stroller & car seat in addition to their one piece of luggage up to 23 kilos (or up to 32 kilos if travelling in the same pnr as a PS, SG, WP or J as the 32kg applies to all bags for all pax).

Any time you are checking in at the kiosks & you have infants and/or children in the booking if system will prompt "are you travelling with any of these items today" & list items such as stroller, car seat, portacot etc. If you select "yes" an assistance card will print out & you will be referred to a customer service agent.

If you are in the above situation just go directly to the service desk queue as the checkin agent will need to get the supervisor to waive the excess pieces which the kiosk cannot do - yet.

If you are SG, WP, CL or travelling J you would just go directly to the Premium checkin queue as normal.

Strollers cannot be gate checked at BNE although I understand other airports can do this eg MEL. If the stroller is smallish as of just recently it can now go down the normal baggage belt at checkin if it doesn't exceed 1200mm but if it is one of those massage three wheeler designer type strollers it must go down to the oversize luggage belt where you would drop off pet cages or golf clubs.

ISS Security at the oversize baggage belt will only accept items that are strictly oversize ie items that won't physically fit down the normal baggage belt behind checkin such as golf clubs, surfboards etc. Fragile items that would fit in the red plastic tubs must be sent down the belt in these at checkin otherwise if you take these smaller items to security they will send you back to checkin.

Loan strollers are available from the City Flyer Desk adjacent to gate 22 and can be left at the boarding gate for your flight when finished with. If you are departing from the ground floor gate 1-3 to a regional destination you can have your stroller tagged at checkin then take it through to the boarding gates with you. QF Link staff will then take it from you at some stage prior to boarding your flight.

 

[equus]

(or up to 32 kilos if travelling in the same pnr as a PS, SG, WP or J as the 32kg applies to all bags for all pax)

I take it that this behaviour is an unpublished benefit related to the behaviour of the system.

You wouldn't happen to know if similar behaviour applies for International? Would be especially interesting given the effective pooling of weight based allowances.

For example, 2 PAX, 1 x QPNB and 1 x QPPS travelling J(ASA) should have 42kg and 64kg allowance (BNE-HKG). Or would it end up being 64kg + 64kg. Not that I am too concerned, even with extensive shopping in HKG, 106kg is probably ample, let alone 128kg :shock:

 

[WCFCHobart]

We took our stroller all the way to the gate at MEL as recently as last week, flying DJ

 

[niemann]

We took our stroller all the way to the gate at MEL as recently as last week, flying DJ

QF usually (read almost always) let you take your stroller to the gate at the big airports with gate chutes (ie. not BNE apparently from the posting above) and just let the gate desk know you've got one. Help them help you by a) getting to the gate early, b) disassembling it yourself (they are idiosyncratic things!), c) be ready to help with the tagging (usually a limited-release tag ie. all care/no responsiblity), d) don't load any other stuff in it and e) travel without your oversized huge cars-on-wheels numbers that give everyone the sh*ts. It needs to go smoothly down the chute, and they're not that wide. If you try to use it as an extra bag ie. stuff it with all sorts of stuff, be prepared for an argument you may lose and you'll get told it can't travel on that flight. The biggest tip is get to the gate and do all this early, as they'll hate you if come at the last minute potentially delaying the flight.

Once it's tagged, the gate person will then radio the ramp to let them know one's coming down the chute and it will go in the bulk hold. You can pick it up at either oversize, or on the belt at the other end.

I've never seen anyone have any problems with this, unless the stroller is so huge it won't go down the chute, or you've used it as an extra case or you try and do this all too close to departure. The alternative is to check it in, go through security with your kid and no stroller, and ask at the service desk to borrow one of the little ones they'll happily lend you airside - it's up to you, whatever's easier.

All bets are off if you're using the gate chute and connecting afterwards to another flight: there's a high risk it won't be hand-delivered to the next flight on-time if the connection is tight: in this case you should always check it in as luggage, which is still the preferred way of dealing with strollers.

 

[docjames]

Result: Both SYD and BNE checkin are happy to tag the stroller and you then keep it and gate check it (DJ). No hassles at any point either at the gate or checkin.

The only drawback is the long carry of the ever-growing minidoc from the end gates in either terminal upon arrival.

 

[doctork]

Update on QF from SYD T3: no wheel to gate when departing Gate 1 Cityflyer last week.

For DJ from ADL: wheel to gate dependent on staff availability (not possible on Monday 31/10 given how busy DJ were with the QF lockout.

 

[Mogul]

Over the years with VA have always had to check it in at desk.

Last trip a month ago wheeled to gate, we were travelling J and my youngest (3) had just had an operation to remove a peice of metal from his foot the day before so it was all bandaged up, otherwise we wouldn't have taken it. Stroller tagged "priority", just dropped at the gate and was second piece out in WA.

It probably depends on status, class flying and book in person whether or not wheel to the gate is possible.

 

[StevePER]

Our recent experience with DJ is that we had to check the stroller in at the oversized baggage counter in PER, but we were able to take it to the gate in MEL.

 

[ataline]

Bumping up this topic to ask a question. I'll be travelling with my two year old with Virgin (PER-SYD). Am I correct in my interpretation of Virgin's rules that a stroller/pram 'counts' toward our baggage allowance? I know QF allows strollers free of charge for kids but according to Virgin it's only for infants?

Might have to buy extra baggage allowance!