Not allowed to gate check a stroller?
 

I had a new one yesterday with Delta which brought up two questions.

The gate agent, and only gate agent working "forgot his key" in his locker so he could not gate check my baby stroller.
Is this even a thing?


We had a 3 hour ground delay where we stayed attached to the jet bridge the whole time to fix an oxygen mask in the cockpit.
I sat in the bulkhead so was close to the action. Guy in safety vest came on and asked if I wanted my stroller back so I could deplane and go back to the lounge for a bit. Awesome! But since it was "checked all the way through" and not "gate checked to be available on the jet bridge after the flight" he said never mind and could not retrieve it. How would that work?

I would have asked to retrieve a tag from a neighboring gate if available (though sounds like you were at an outstation with no other gates or agents).

Gate check aka valet check requires a pink tag. Yes it is required. If tagged with normal white bag tag it can only go to bag claim. They can't give back as they have no way of knowing if it is an allowable item airside at point it is taken and loaded. At this point it is no different from any bag checked at front desk.

To clarify, they can't be sure that it was cleared for airside possession at that point. It obviously was cleared when handed over. However as not pink tagged they have no clue it was checked at gate or at front desk at a later point. Someone could hide say a knife in a part of pusher. It would be good to go as checked baggage. However it wouldn't (well shouldn't) get through TSA to airside though.

That makes sense, thanks!
I will chalk it up to just unlucky

DFW
Agent was working alone so probably a little flustered.