If you’re reading this, you are probably traveling with your child(ren) soon, or you hope to travel with them in the future. Yay!!
Whether you have a baby, a toddler, or a small child, you have some decisions to make about your stroller…
- Are you bringing a stroller? And if you have multiple strollers, which one are you bringing?
- Are you standard checking it at the ticketing counter? Or bringing it to the gate and gate-checking it? OR do you have a fancy stroller that folds down small enough and fits in the overhead compartment?
Answering these questions is going to depend a lot on your child(ren)’s age, how much stuff you’re traveling with, who you’re traveling with, and where you’re going.
The one time I would suggest standard checking your stroller (which means not bringing it through TSA and to the gate), and navigating the airport without it, is if you’re flying with a baby that is NOT YET crawling or walking.
I’ll talk more about what that looks like at the end of this post!
For the most part, other than that scenario, you’re probably going to want to take your stroller through airport security and to your gate.
So let’s talk about EXACTLY what that looks like.
When I was preparing for my first flight with my first son, I wanted someone to tell me exactly what would happen each step of the way. And while I won’t go into detail about the ENTIRE process (yet! I’ll save that for another post once I’ve figured this app out more!), I will walk you through what happens with your stroller at TSA.
First things first, apply for TSA pre-check (or global entry which includes TSA pre). If you’re traveling with kids, you don’t need the extra hassle of taking your shoes off and pulling your laptop out of your bag. Plus, people in the pre-check line usually travel often, so you won’t get stuck behind the guy who hasn’t flown in 27 years and brought a full water bottle in his bag.
disclaimer, I actually left my Stanley full of water in my diaper bag for our last trip. That was embarrassing.
Anyways, it’s $85 for 5 years. I would pay DOUBLE that. 3x that honestly. So TREAT YOURSELF.
Oh and your child can accompany you for free! Until they are 12, or 17… that part gets confusing.
Alright, alright, I’m getting to the point! I have a lot to say, I know. That’s why I made a page on this app: an Instagram caption would never let me write a novel like this 🤦🏼♀️
When you’re at TSA with your stroller, there are two methods for screening.
And neither of them involve keeping your child(ren) in the stroller… sorry. They have to come out. Which is why I always recommend baby-wearing any non-walking babies through TSA. More on that in a future post.
- Fold your stroller down and send it through the belt scanner.Now, unless you have a simple umbrella stroller or a fancy travel stroller, yours probably won’t fit. But they WILL make you try… Even if it’s a giant triple stroller that separates into two pieces, and OBVIOUSLY won’t fit through the belt scanner. (speaking from experience. God bless my patient husband who took it apart and folded it down, just to open it up and put it back together.)So, if you know it won’t fit, stand up for yourself, and tell them. There is another way!
- TSA hand screens your stroller and does a wipe test.This is simple: remove EVERYTHING from your stroller, and let them take a look. They will use a wipe and rub it all over your stroller (see IG reel linked below!) and stick it in some fancy machine. Hopefully you pass!
The key to success with option 2 is to make it easy on yourself to remove everything from your stroller. Don’t just haphazardly throw a bunch of loose items in the bottom storage bin on your stroller. Keep as much as possible in a bag so it’s easy to pull out and put in a bin on the belt to be screened; and then it’s easy to toss back in the stroller after!
I use THESE zipper pouches for literally everything when we travel.
Don’t worry, I didn’t forget! The one time I standard check my stroller and skip bringing it through the airport: when I have a baby that can’t walk or crawl.
Instead, I baby wear the whole time! When I need to put them down, I pack a small thin blanket as a “floor blanket” and I lay them on that. A muslin swaddle works great! (IG reel linked at the end too!)
But what about if you have to use the restroom?!
Y’all, I have baby worn while using the loo MANY TIMES. I’ve even done it while wearing TWO BABIES! Yes, my twins. Practice at home, you got this.
Now I’m guessing you now have more questions… like
- How do I gate check my stroller?
- Can I bring my stroller as a carry on?
- Do I need to put my stroller in a travel bag?
- Will they carry it down the jet bridge for me?
- Where do I pick up my gate-checked stroller?
- What happens during my layover?
I promise I will answer ALL OF THOSE and more on this page! In the meantime, check out these videos for more information about traveling with kids!
STROLLERS & TSA
FLOOR BLANKET
TODDLER TRAVEL