Travelling with a baby stroller & car seat as hand luggage!

Hi,

I thought I would tell you about my experiences of travelling with a baby stroller and a car seat for kids, as hand luggage on an aeroplane.

As you might now I have a passion for compact living and baby strollers. I also like to travel and therefore it's probably not a surprise when I tell you I love compact baby strollers which you can travel with as a hand luggage when flying.

There are a couple of different strollers to choose from on the market. Do keep in mind that some strollers are advertised to be accepted as hand luggage but in fact, exceed the permitted dimensions most airlines have.

Babyzen Yoyo exceeds the permitted dimensions a few centimetres of some airlines but I have had the stroller as hand luggage on several trips and it has never been a problem.

The check-in staff at the airport often want to put a luggage tag on the stroller, they think I will leave it at the gate. I take no discussion, just let them do it. Before boarding, I always fold down the stroller and put it in the bag that comes with it. You can´t tell there is a stroller inside.

On the aeroplane I put the Yoyo on the luggage rack, except on one flight as we sat in the aisle and the luggage rack were full. I then had to store it at my feet which also went well.

The advantages of having a stroller as hand luggage are many. You don´t risk to get your stroller damaged at the luggage trail, or not getting the stroller when arriving at your destination (happened to me and it took a week before I got back the stroller that apparently wanted to extend the holiday on Aruba), you always have the stroller on hand for a tired child or for a child who wants to run away from you. If the child doesn´t need to use the stroller it's perfect to put your other hand luggage in it.

As soon as we go off the plane I fold up the stroller and I have got some surprised looks when I throw it up with just one hand.

The stroller that will always be permitted is called GB Pockit.

This stroller is new for me (I have just sold my Yoyo) and I travelled with it for the first time on this trip to Gran Canaria. It´s so tiny! Can you even see it? ;-)

The comfort and canopy are of course not the same as in the Yoyo but you can´t expect that either when being this small. I had a Sunblock travelling canopy at home and tried it on the pockit. Great sun protector! I also put some homemade hooks on the handles and I could even fold the stroller with hooks and canopy on.

Flying with car seat as hand luggage

I have done this on 2 occasions, both times flying with Norwegian. The first time, was to Tenerife when Kevin was 8 months. Since children under 2 years are not entitled to their own seat on the plane (when you do not pay for them), I chose to pay for a seat for him. Thus, he could also sit in his infant car seat on the aircraft which made the journey a lot easier. Again, you don´t risk getting the car seat damaged in the luggage handling. 

The second time, we chose to bring a car seat for an older child. After some research, I bought a Britax Two Way. An inexpensive, lightweight and easy chair. The reason I wanted to take it with me to Gran Canaria was because I have not found a rear-facing car seat to buy in Gran Canaria. In Spain, children go forwards after the infant seat. In Sweden, children are recommended to go backwards to the age of 5 and I wish to continue that way in Spain too. It went quite smoothly to bring the car seat and Kevin was sitting like a king in the plane. It looked very comfortable to sleep in as well.

This car seat is attached to the aircraft seat belt through the two holes in the back of the seat. The belt is pulled through there and the child then is fastened in the car seat belt. For safety reasons, the chair must be at a window seat.

Solutions and smart accessories to facilitate travelling with children are constantly evolving which is good. I hope that my experiences can be helpful to anyone. ☺️

If you have the opportunity, travel! It's a bit more to consider when travelling with kids but it's so worth it. 😎

Bye for now!

Monica Bergkvist, Digital Marketer