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That’s what Jessica White wants to know. She’s planning to travel soon with her two toddlers and wrote to Overhead Bin for advice.
“When I called Frontier Airlines,” said White, “they couldn't answer my questions about bringing aboard car seats and checking our large double stroller at the gate.”
We didn’t find anything to address gate-checking strollers under the Traveling with children section of the Frontier Airlines website, so we called the airline directly.
A cheery agent offered to make a note in a reservation record and assured us that White would be able to gate-check her stroller for free. “She could also check the stroller at the counter,” the agent told us, “but I suggest the mom take it to the gate so she doesn’t have to worry about chasing toddlers through the airport.”
The agent also took some time to run through the options for taking and using car seats on board the airplane. “Usually putting a car seat in the middle or aisle seat is not permitted,” she said. “But in this case, if both children have tickets for their own seats, the mom could put the seats side-by-side, in the window and middle seat, and take the aisle seat herself.”
Each airline has its own rules for gate-checking strollers, so it’s a good idea to call ahead or look on an airline’s website before traveling. And don’t assume that the rules you encountered last holiday season are still in force. This past June, for example, American Airlines announced it was changing its rules and only gate-checking collapsible or umbrella-style strollers under 20 pounds.
White also had a question about taking along drinks and snacks for her children.
“One child has severe food allergies and I want to bring aboard soy milk in sippy cups and snacks from home that are milk, peanut, tree nut & egg free. Will security let me through with these items?”
The TSA does not restrict non-liquid snacks taken through the checkpoint. Guidelines about baby formula, breast milk, juice and other liquids are posted in the Traveling with Kids page of the TSA's website.
“Parents traveling with children may pass through a security checkpoint with a reasonable amount of milk or baby formula in containers larger than 3.4 ounces after it is screened,” said TSA spokesperson Greg Soule. “We encourage parents carrying larger amounts of liquids for their children to declare the items to one of our officers in front of the checkpoint, so it can be screened properly.”
Do you have a travel-related question? Send it to Overhead Bin.
More on Overhead Bin
- When your child flies alone
- TSA's new kid-friendly checkpoints
- DHS to unveil new airport security policy for kids
Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
leave them at home
You sir, are a jerk.
I recently traveled with a baby and toddler. Our toddler has a severe dairy allergy so we had to bring soy formula and soy milk for our trip (12 hours door to door). TSA was very accommodating but plan to be in security a while. Also they agents are very familiar with both my body and my husbands - in order to travel with liquid (even a reasonable amount for children) you have to be searched and everything swiped and tested. However, the agents were polite and all the employees of US Air were very helpful as well. And somehow my babies were perfect little travelers - I'm sure some prayers of the other travelers were answered :)
mommommommommompeepeemommommommymommommommommydaddydaddydaddymommommom (now multiply by your 4+hour drive)
I have a trip coming up and if I prayed, I would...for there to be a lack of inconsiderate parents and rude, screaming, kicking children on my plane. I can think of few reasons a child that young would HAVE to fly. Make family come to you and think about your poor kids and fellow flyers.
Ahh yes, the story about how to comfortably fly with ones pets is full of support and encouragement for the pet owners but those who dare to take their children to a foreign country to meet family or expect other adults to be understanding of children traveling to say goodbye to a deceased family member are the @!$%#s. If you cannot handle being among the public and dealing with there being people of all ages, races, physical and mental capacities perhaps you should be the one considerate enough to stay off the flight.
I feel ya, Heather! I have 8 nieces and nephews, all of whom are still very young (*under 10), and when they were babies/toddlers sometimes during air travel the cabin pressure made for excruciating pain in their ears and there was nothing anyone could do to comfort them; add that to factors such as jet lag, suddenly coming down with a cold, and the discomfort of sitting for long periods of time and you'll understand that the parents are just as frustrated as anyone! My brothers and sisters have always been good about bringing enough toys, snacks, books, etc. as well as teaching their kids about public etiquette, but there are going to be times that nothing is going to work. People would do well to be patient and to remember that we were all babies and children once!
Okay, wait. So, me not wanting to hear screaming and feel little feet kicking into my back translates to me not being able to deal with people of other races and handicaps? Wow...that's a jump from A to Q, isn't it?
I can play that game too. You must be one of those moms who sits there and lets her child scream on the plane because you're too busy texting your baby's daddy that you're still waiting on child support. How does that grab you? Here's a thought. If you didn't fall into the category of inconsiderate parents with screaming, kicking children, you probably wouldn't be offended.
PHHHT...HAHAHAHAHA
Even great parents with perfectly behaved kids can get offended at people's complaints about children flying. We all get the same treatment from other passengers. We get eye rolls, sighs, even complaints when we have to sit next to other passengers with our kids. Not all children are monsters. There are good parents out there who don't let kids kick seats and do everything in our power to keep our kids calm and settled. I have never once flown with screaming kids and mine certainly know how to behave. Your rudeness makes you more inconsiderate than a parent who has to fly with their kids.
As for flying with pets...usually they're in the cargo hold, not in the passenger area. And when they are, if they scream nonstop, run up and down the aisles, vomit, and defecate, all while their humans remain oblivous and/or think it's adorable...then people will hate flying with them, too.
I feel for the good parents, I really do, but unless you absolutely have to, why put them and yourselves through it?
The thought of flying anywhere with my 3 children is so horribly scary that I don't think I will EVER do it! And to buy plane tickets for all 5 of us would be ridiculous...so....I guess we will be visiting lovely midwest towns for a very long time! :)
I was on a flight not too long ago where there was a child who was being kind of disruptive. However, my problem was with the middle-aged adult sitting behind me. The family with the child was Pakistani or Indian. The person behind me went from, "Why can't they control their kid?" to "Why do they even let those people fly?"
In my personal experience, it is the stereotypical fat, bigoted American who is more unpleasant in an airplane. For the record, I am a 46 year old white male with two young kids. Therefore, I am ashamed to say it is people like me who are the rude travelers - not the two to four year olds who have a difficult time sitting still in a metal tube for hours when there are much better things to do like playing in the dirt, building forts, or just about any other kid thing.
I traveled with my daughter, son in law, and 3 one yr. olds and 3 six yr. olds on Southwest. Bag after bag after bag were checked free, enormous triplet stroller free, nice attendants free, and bargain prices. The children were excellent. Each adult held one baby and the six yr. olds had books, toys, and games to entertain themselves. Having the attendant bring them their choice of drink and a snack was a treat in itself.There was no crying, screaming. Now Disney World was another story entirely.
There are 4 choices:
- Either CONTROL YOUR SPAWN
- Leave them at home with a family member
- DON'T TAKE THE TRIP
or, best choice of all
- DON'T HAVE CHILDREN
There are 7 billion people in this world. Stop thinking you are somehow "entitled" to creating more.
It's your choice to not to have kids. I don't pass judgement on that choice. Try not to assume that all parents feel that they are "entitled' to have children. If your parents never made that decision, you wouldn't be here.