American Airlines and the Lost Stroller
#46
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,945
Life is great with a cares harness and an umbrella stroller! You need the weight advantage to chase your kid when she sprints away from you. Like yesterday when mine tried to duck security.
#47
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Austin TX
Programs: Mr Swise: AAdvantage LifetimePlt/3MM, HH Dmnd, SPG Plt
Posts: 1,451
So far we've done all our traveling with an uppababy vista. It's huge, but we bought the case for it, and the whole thing packs into the case. We generally pack the main seat into the bag for going through the airport, leaving the carseat on the stroller. The bag with seat fits on the bottom of the stroller for going through the airport, along with diaper bag, etc. It's large but makes life very easy once we are at our destination as we can fit diaper bag, food, bottles, etc in the underpart of the stroller.
I imagine getting through the airport with umbrella stroller is a much bigger PITA - have to carry the carseat separately, as well as diaper bag, etc. Am I crazy?
I imagine getting through the airport with umbrella stroller is a much bigger PITA - have to carry the carseat separately, as well as diaper bag, etc. Am I crazy?
If I had to, I could single-hand with this arrangement. Never have, though. (phew.) The husband will usually carry his laptop and gear in his backpack, and we may bring along a rollaboard for coats, food or whatever, depending on the trip and our needs. Sceneras will also nest one in the other, so we have occasionally nested them and strapped them to a rollaboard. We even keep those special straps in an outside pocket that let you cinch your car seat to a rollaboard and turn it into a car seat stroller setup if we are so inclined. It has worked okay when we've tried it, but it's a bit of a hassle to set up and break down.
We are all enrolled in the Trusted Traveler/Precheck deal, so no shoe carnival, freedom bag/laptop removal, etc. I do have to get my hands swabbed, because I wear the toddler in the carrier through the metal scanner thing. Highly recommend precheck for families.
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,569
^^^ Strongly agree - we already have to collapse our stroller when clearing, and not having to take shoes off or laptops/liquids out makes the process much easier.
#49
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,945
I absolutely agree. I'll add one tip, though - even if you are enrolled in PreCheck by some means, prepare for the airport as though you aren't. Especially at some smaller stations, but even at some larger, pre-check is sometimes inexplicably closed (usually a staffing issue at PWM). They may offer expedited, which means PreCheck for the person but not the bags, or nothing at all. Plus, the simple act of having all of my freedom baggies in the front pocket of a bag seems to guarantee that PreCheck will be open
#50
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 133
Ah yes that will be nice...though my daughter is a little one so I don't think that will be an option until she's at least two!
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,569
#52
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,945
#53
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: France
Programs: United Plus
Posts: 1,761
Mine were fine in the car seat well past two years, but I did choose it, the Radian, with air travel in mind.
CARES is a good option if you aren't taking a car seat with you, either have one waiting or don't need one. Never check a car seat as luggage.
CARES is a good option if you aren't taking a car seat with you, either have one waiting or don't need one. Never check a car seat as luggage.