Stroller on the plane? Check if it’s allowed and how to pack it!

Table of contents

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• - Different pushchairs for different ages
• Young children up to six months
• Children who can sit up unaided
• - The requirements per airline
• KLM
• Corendon
• Ryan Air
• TUI
• Transavia
• - What does taking a pram on a flight cost?
• - Where do you collect the pushchair?

Travelling for the first time with your baby or toddler requires some preparation. Especially if you go by plane, you need to plan things well. After all, taking a buggy or pram with you is not a given. Every airline has its own rules on what is and what is not allowed when taking a pram on the plane. To make sure you don’t have to spend hours looking for your buggy on arrival at your holiday destination, here are a few tips on what to bear in mind when taking a pram on the plane.

Different pushchairs for different ages

Which pushchair should you take on the plane? In part, this has to do with your own preference, i.e. what you find convenient. Or what you think you will need at your holiday destination. Of course, what you ultimately choose also depends on the age of your child.

Young children up to six months

If your child is younger than six months and cannot yet sit up unaided, you will most likely take an ordinary pushchair. You will then automatically carry the corresponding carrycot. The pram falls under regular baggage and you will therefore hand it over when you check your bags. To make sure that the chassis of the pushchair does not get separated from the carrycot during the packing process, pack the whole thing well. Special travel bags are available for this purpose that not only allow you to securely store the whole pushchair, but also other necessary things like nappies. Another advantage of such a protective bag is that it prevents damage to the pushchair during the flight. When getting in and out of the plane, your pushchair will not always be handled with care. A good protective cover is therefore not a luxury.

Children who can sit up unaided

For children who are older than six months and can therefore sit independently, there are other options for taking a pushchair on an aeroplane. You can opt for a pushchair that can be folded into the shape of a buggy. Buggies of course come in all shapes and sizes, where you can, for example, choose a buggy that offers a lot of support to your child while sitting. The seat of some models, such as the Joolz, can be laid flat so your child can lie down comfortably in it as well. This type of buggy can, as long as it does not exceed a weight of seven kilos, be taken to the gate or as hand luggage. Whether this is actually possible depends on the airline, among other things. Of course, the size of the folded buggy also plays a role. Roughly speaking, if the buggy is larger than 55x35x25 centimetres, it cannot be taken as hand luggage. If you choose a buggy that folds up like an umbrella, chances are it will be so small that it can be stored in the aircraft’s luggage compartment.

The requirements per airline

Even taking into account the size and weight of the pram you are taking with you, it is a good idea to check whether the airline you are travelling with has any special rules for taking a pram. This is because these rules are not always uniform, and it is better to know in time than to be surprised at the point of departure. We have listed the conditions of a number of airlines for you.

KLM

At KLM, the pushchair with carrycot is automatically included in the baggage carried in the hold. However, it is mandatory to properly pack the pram for protection. A foldable buggy is considered as hand luggage. During the flight, the buggy will be under the seat or in the baggage compartment. Should it prove impossible to transport the buggy as hand luggage, it will be moved to the baggage hold after all.

Corendon

Corendon also transports the regular pushchair in the baggage hold. You can keep the foldable buggy with you until the gate, after which it will also be moved to the baggage hold. So you can leave your child in the buggy until boarding.

Ryan Air

Ryan Air’s service goes a bit further than most airlines. That is to say, you can come to the gate not only with the buggy, but also with the pushchair. For this, you do need a special label, which you got at check-in. You leave the pushchair in the terminal, so it can still be stowed in the baggage area for during the flight.

TUI

The rules at TUI for transporting your pushchair are the same as those of the other major airlines. At the check-in desk, you hand in your pushchair, after which it is taken to the baggage hold. You may take the small, folded buggy as hand luggage.

Transavia

As long as your child’s baggage does not exceed ten kilos, you can take it in the hold of Transavia’s aircraft free of charge. Both the pushchair and any type of buggy fall under hold baggage. You can only take the buggy that folds up like an umbrella all the way to the gate.

What does taking a pram on a flight cost?

Prams and buggies are usually not counted as standard baggage by airlines. In other words, you check in the pram as extra baggage and so they do not count in the maximum weight you can take with you. This is good to know, because it means you can therefore take a bag as hand luggage on the plane in addition to the buggy. However, a nappy bag does count as regular hand luggage, keep that in mind. On the other hand, an airline may argue that the buggy is the child’s luggage, especially if you have not yet booked your young child’s own seat. This is mandatory from the age of two. If this does not apply yet, there is a chance that you can take the pushchair for free, but you cannot check in any other luggage for your child. In that case, you have to pack the clothes and other baby stuff in your own suitcase. So you generally pay nothing extra for bringing a pram or buggy. But there may be some conditions attached to this service. Pay close attention to this when booking your tickets.

Where do you collect the pushchair?

You will collect prams and buggies that are already moved to the baggage hold at check-in at the baggage carousel. So, until you arrive at this collection point, you will have to walk around the airport with your baby on your arm. In many cases, if you dropped the buggy off at the gate, you will get it back after landing. If you are in doubt whether this is indeed the case, ask the staff present so you know what to expect. Would you like to have your hands free, even if you do not yet have your pushchair? Then make sure that, besides having a pushchair on the plane, you also keep a baby carrier handy for convenience.

Rachel van Dijk