Sorry for those who are reading this twice, but I originally posted this in the FRA connections thread and received no reply so I am re-posting it here. My question is this: I am flying IAD-FRA on a 747 with a small army of family members, including some who require car seats and strollers. We are weighing checking our stroller and car seat all the way through to baggage claim, versus gate checking them. If we gate check, my questions are:

1. Will these be delivered to the jetway on a 747? If so, which jetway (I assume they still use two) and at what point along the jetway?

2. How long does it typically take them to get these items up out of the hold?

3. What happens if we do not arrive at a gate, but instead are directed to a pad to be picked up by a bus? Do we stand on the tarmac at the end of the stairs or are these items delivered elsewhere?

Thanks for any details. I've frequently gate checked items on other airlines, but never on an aircraft as large as a 747 that boards by multiple jetways (or when flying to an airport that sometimes deplanes to buses). I don't want to spend 20 minutes standing in the wrong place, or find that I've left too soon because it takes longer to deliver than I'd have expected.