Taking a stroller to the gate

[chriswarr]

Hi, It's my understanding that at some airports, or with some airlines, you can take your child in a stroller to the gate. Then they'll take the stroller off you, and give it back once the plance lands.

I'm flying with Qantas, Melbourne-Brisbane and back in a few weeks. Just wondering if we'll be able to do this with the stroller.

Chris.

 

[dot]

Yep - that's how it works - when you check your luggage in, the stroller will be checked in as well, but you retain it to take your child to the gate. When you board, the staff will take it off you and slide it down the spiral slide on the aerobridge for ground staff to load in the hold. When you get to BNE, the staff will bring the stroller up to the aircraft door for you to put your child in. The downside is that you will probably be one of the last off the plane as a result, but who said travelling with kids would be speedy - personally, I would rather be last off the plane and have the convenience of having the stroller from the gate...

I presume you are talking about an umbrella stroller rather than a humongous doesn't fold down much tri/quad wheeled monster.

 

[Evan]

Also allow some extra time for security screening as they will want to xray it.
E

 

[chriswarr]

cool, thanks for all that info. And yep, an umbrella stroller.
Yeah, allowing heaps of time, as I'll be on crutches for this trip. It's taking quite a lot of organising, just the flight. The actual holiday is the easy bit.

 

[dripool]

At Brisbane international.... you have to check all strollers, but just through immigration they have loaners to hold the kids while in boarding lounge.

(Even though Qantas will say you can take stroller to gate, you can't here...apparently airport policy)

 

[Chook legs]

Hi,
Don't know about Brisbane or Melbourne but at Sydney and Perth domestic they made us check the stroller with luggage and we had to carry the bub. They tell you there are loners inside but the directiosn to find them for us were vague.
Sydney international they let us take it to the gate.
Since you are on crutches they may be a bit more helpful.... you would hope

Cheers
Chook legs

 

[Soundguy]

They allow this everywhere in the US but I've never had any luck with QF in Australia, although I haven't tried at that many airports here. In Sydney QF offer you a loan stroller from Customer Service.... much better than nothing but still no-where near as convenient, especially if customer service isn't near your gate. Bottom line, don't just assume they will oblige, maybe you could try calling them first & see if you can get any sense.

 

[straitman]

Last time I looked taking the stroller to the gate was the norm in MEL.

 

[dot]

My experience (on a MEL-BNE-MEL) with the family was as I described earlier, at both ends.

 

[chriswarr]

Thanks for all the responses erveryone!