American Airlines updated its stroller and wagon policy for families with children a couple of weeks ago. There is no longer any weight restriction on strollers – whether or not it can be brought on board is now entirely dependent on whether or not it is collapsable.
Collapsible Strollers and Wagons
- Permitted at Gate: Collapsible strollers and wagons with built-in safety straps can be gate-checked.
- Carry-On Allowed: If collapsible and fitting carry-on dimensions, these items can be taken onboard and stored in the overhead bin or closet (subject to available space).
- Free of Charge: These items are free when traveling with children and do not count towards the carry-on allowance.
Non-Collapsible or Non-Compliant Items:
- Items including playpens, cribs, wagons without safety straps, beach wagons without safety straps, and pack-and-plays must be checked at the ticket counter.
Interestingly, you cannot check a stroller free of charge unless the child that it’s for is actually present – unless you are traveling with the item enroute to adopt a child.
I’m going to carry a copy of this policy with me. When my daughter was two years old, a notoriously bad American Airlines gate agent in San Diego forced us to gate check our collapsable stroller because he was mad at being wrong that it wouldn’t fit in the bag sizer. He was rude, mean-spirited, and purely retributive.
Faced with that kind of employee, though, proof of a policy might not even be helpful. He told us he knew the policy best, and that if we didn’t comply we wouldn’t fly. So naturally we were as friendly and solicitous as policy as we followed his instructions.
Traveling with kids can be especially tough when there’s confusion over what’s permitted. A flight attendant assaulted a passenger and had them removed from an American Airlines flight over a baby stroller.
An American gate agent forced a baby out of a car seat. Another insisted that children had to carry their own bags on board and parents could not help, or else the bags wouldn’t be permitted in the cabin. Go figure.
As an AA ramp agent/supervisor I approve this. The more bags in the overhead bin the better.
Hope this works well for families who need it. That said, how well do y’all think VFTW will actually hold up when an agent pulls the equivalent of the ‘SOURCE??’ meme… like, I sincerely hope it helps, but I’m not holding my breath.
Parents with any of those items will now be the first to hear “I’m sorry the overhead bins are full” before anyone boards.
I am handicapped and need to bring a walker that folds in half. While I will board in a wheelchair, I need the walker once I am at baggage claim. Will airlines allow this while flying from CHO through Atlanta to LAS?
@Christine Gay Persson — Nice name. On a serious note, you’ll want to ask whichever airline you are traveling with, ideally, in-advance.
I thought we got rid of all this DEI stuff?
@Greg — ‘wOkE iS dEaD’
My god, how did we ever travel with a two and three year old without dragging along a stroller?
I’ll tell you our secret. Our kids walked. We checked one bag that held everyone’s clothes, they had little backpacks (so adorable), we had the diaper bag with a change of clothes for them (no diapers because they were potty trained), along with snacks. Hubby and I would toss in our respective books and we were good to go.
I will never understand why people have to haul so much crap along for their kids. Yes, we occasionally had to each pick one up and run, but that was rare. We made sure we had decent layover time whenever possible.
Barring a disability, there’s absolutely no reason to need all that stuff.
The old guy in front of me yesterday had a collapsible scooter in the overhead. Couldn’t quite figure out what it was until I saw him zipping through the terminal. Very cool.
And to the self entitled pig who was changing her baby on a counter at the CLT admirals club, eewwww!! There are changing stations in the restrooms for lords sake! Breast feed all you want in public, but AYFKM!