Strollers in the Airport

I liked the "sit 'n' stroll" which is a combination car seat, stroller and FAA approved airline seat.

I see that you already have a lot of responses, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents. First of all, the Go-Go Babyz attachement for the strollers is unweildy, time consuming, and does NOT fit through the x-ray machines when attached to our Brittax car seat. I assume it would be the same for other brands of seats. Also, the couple of times I used mine, my son was miserable being at ground level going through the airport. The last time I tried it, I ended up carrying my boy, pushing the Go-Go AND carrying my diaperbag and purse. UGH!!! Besides, they are WAY too expensive. That said, I'm with the folks who suggest a couple of cheap umbrella strollers. Most car seats will pop right into the seat and be secure enough to get through the airport. It is easy to get the seat out and fold down the stroller for security x-ray. That way, both children have a place to sit (and be contained!) through the airport. I do this with my son, and he is happy as a clam. Hope you have a swell vacation! Good luck. Oh, BTW, be sure to take advantage of the "Family" lines through security at Denver. It makes it SO much easier, because the folks in that line are all in the same boat!

I have a 2 year old and a 10 month old and airports are a HUGE struggle. Here is what we have found that helps us:
1. Have someone take you to the airport and drop you off right in front - no parking, shuttles etc.
2. Immediately get one of those carts to put luggage on.
3. Use a double stroller.
4. Check bags and car seats outside with the bag check people, if possible.

Definitely use a stroller. If you can buy a cheap double umbrella stroller, all the better. Try Craigslist. Good luck!

We used to carry our twins in backpacks, put the car seats in 2, single, umbrella strollers with diaper bags on top of the car seats. We traveled this way until they were 3 1/2. Ugh..it's a hassle, I feel your pain.

We are attempting this same thing later this summer with our soon to be 3 yr old and 9 month old. Here is what we decided to do. We are going to curb check (or counter check which ever is easiest) any luggage we are bringing plus the 2 car seats. Then we are putting a backpack/leash on the almost 3 yr old and using an umbrella stroller for the 9 month old. I love my umbrella stroller because it folds up fast and easy and it's compact for maneuvering the airport and folding for storage in the car. The umbrella stroller will be gate checked. The almost 3 yr old will have his own little wheeled backpack (available at Walmart) to carry with his toys for the airplane. Mom (me) will be responsible for the kids and possibly one carry-on (depends on how much we can fit in the 1 checked bag). Dad will be responsible for up to 2 carry-on's. This is the only way this will work for us. It's annoying but having traveled before they will make you fold up any stroller and place it through security x-ray (just a warning). Which is another reason I use an umbrella stroller and only use one stroller. We plan on having plenty of time to wander through the airport with our almost 3 yr old on his feet. Hope that helps have a fun Vaca!

M.,
I've never traveled with two children. However I have traveled by myself with my daughter when she was younger. When she was a baby I used a front carrier and held her on my lap on the plane. Can you check the baby's carseat and have him/her in your lap? Once my daughter got older I was not sure how I was going to get the two of us, a car seat and carry-on through the airport. I read in a parenting magazine that one mom had used bungee cords to strap the carseat to a luggage carrier and use it as a stroller. I tried it and it was fabulous. Yes, it's a bit bulky, but sure makes it easier to carry a carseat and then I didn't have to worry about a stroller. Maybe you could do this and combine it with your first option - a stroller for the infant carrier.
Whatever you decide, good luck and have a great trip!

You can use the stroller with the car seat for your younger child and buy a cheap ($15-$20) umbrella stroller for the older child & put the car seat on the back of it using the straps. We use the umbrella strollers with our 2 year old twins. This way you will have a stroller for both kids at your destination. Go-Go kidz is great, but expensive ($90). Also, you will have to take it off the car seat to go through security & once you are on the airplane. We have done this when we don't need strollers at our destination and our kids think they are so fun!

We traveled to PA a few months back and we were able to check the carseats at the bagage check for no extra charge. This is if you don't want the carseats on the airplane. This made it really nice not having to carry them through the airport. If you have a stroller that you can attach the infant seat to, I would take that one, it would be more useable once you got to where you are going.

Hi M.,
My husband and I have done quite a bit of traveling with our 2 little ones who are only 20 months apart. We have flown with both beginning when the 2nd was 4 months old. Any way you slice it...it is a lot to handle, but here is what worked awesome for us. We took the baby in their infant carrier with a snap n go. You can fit the base and some other items in the basket below. We then put our older child in an umbrella stroller and got an Eddie Bauer carseat bag for her carseat. It goes over your shoulder to carry through the airport. This worked really well. The other option is to carry both carseats in bags and use a double umbrella stroller...Jeep makes a great one. A lot of these items you can find on craigslist. I hope this helps.

I'm with Tammy P. just buckle the oldest into his car seat and strap it to the roll around carry on bag. Then use the umbrella stroller for the little one and wear a backpack. When in an airport think as small as possible. This isn't the time to take the kitchen sink LOL. Think of it this way, would you rather be able to catch the shuttle or have to run from one end to the other through crowds with a big jogger when your flight get in late and your next gate is at the other end? They don't let big strollers on the shuttle and it would be too time consuming to fold it all up. Those things are jump on and go.

When we travel with our 2 young children, we take 2 umbrella strollers and check them at the gate and then you have them when you need them. Works great and I think you would regret not taking a stroller and trying to carry kids around at the airport.

They make really neat things that turn the carseats into a stroller. Sort of like a dolly or a luggage carrier. If you can afford it, that is what I would go with. Otherwise, they also make straps that you can use to carry the carseat on your back, which are also very nice.

When I traveled with my DD, I figured out that if I hooked the chest strap together with the straps all the way out, I could get the seat to nest over my wheeled carry on. That made it quite a bit easier to do. With two kids, I would suggest putting the little one in a sling or other carrier, and the older in the stroller.

Good luck! Traveling with kids is really a pain!

I highly recommend a sling for the little one - if it has no buckles, you can go through security with her in it (though you do have to take off her shoes!). Don't know what to say about slogging the 2 car seats. I think I agree that you don't ever see the bike trailer strollers. We travel with our jogging stroller and have them do a hand check and then gate check it. Good luck!

I'm not sure which airline you're flying on, but you should be able to check the car seats at no charge. At least the one for your 7 month old, because I am assuming you did not purchase a ticket for her and are just using the "lap" option. So that should eliminate at least one car seat. As far as which stroller to use....I would call the airline and ask them about the bike trailer. I would think it wouldn't be a problem....as long as it folds down easy for gate checking. If you're not able to use that one, then I would put the little one in a pack and the 2 year old in a stroller, pack as lightly as possible and try to put everything into hands free back packs. Be really prepared and know where you will have to walk to (I always try to print out a map of each airport online ahead of time) and maybe ask the airline if it's possible to have a baggage cart available for you at each stop. Some airlines are much more helpful than others....you never know what kind of help you'll end up with. Good Luck!

I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to read the rest of the responses.

I would suggest carrying the youngest in a front/back pack that way you don' thave to take her out at security. There are wheels made for the bigger car seats, and the kids can even sit in them through the airport. If you are having the youngest as a lap baby, you can check (doesn't count for baggage) the carseat. If you need a stroller, you can also check that (doesn't count). If you need to have the infant car seat for the plane, they make bags with wheels and that can be pulled behind you. Hopefully you only then have the diaper bag (doesn't count for carry-on) and some small carry-ons for parents and entertainment. Good luck, and let me know if you would like "directions" to any of the products I mentioned. Most are at bru, or onestepahead.

GoGo Kidz Travelmate. You will have to see if your carseats will attach. This will put wheels on your carseat and I would use it as a stroller through the airport. Check the double stroller and baggage and carry with you necessities. This attachment is time consuming to get on and off for security and on the plane but its easier to deal with that than to carry the carseats through the airport.
I also want to add that by putting your kids in the carseat they will travel much better on the plane. I had overheard a stewardess tell a Dad that was travelling with his daughter, who was getting really upset over sitting and buckeling in, that if he brought the carseat that she would not fuss so much. I had brought my sons carseat and he traveled perfectly and I was really happy that I brought it. Hope that helps.
A.

As a frequent traveler, more than 15 times in 1 yr , with connections, I can talk to you from my heart. Whatever stroller you decide to take, remember to ask for or take a big plastic bag or a stroller cover. Some airline in SLC airport will charge you for it like Delta, some will say they are out of it, some are smaller. Put the stroller in the bag when checking it at the gate. The reason why I stress this, I am afraid to say, is that airlines DESTROY strollers. Of course I am sure yours will hold, mine do, but you will notice how deteriorated it comes back, worse if you check them in as bags. Remember this thing go through machines, belts, pulleys and you have no control over any of it. And of course they WILL NOT respond for any damage.

I travelled with my 2 children at similar ages last summer, and we used our graco stroller (single) that the infant carrier locks into, which also has a decent sized basket etc. For the older one we attached his convertible car seat to a roller carry-on sized bag, he rode in the car seat while it was attached and thought it was so much fun, if you are on the tall side, it can be a little back aching to push/pull because the handle is not quite long enough. I have seen the "T" straps sold on the internet, but I made my own in the interest of time. I bought 3 D-rings (heavy duty) and some nylon webbing/strapping sewed them in a T shape which looks like an upside down T when you use it you simply attach the LATCH straps to the long ends of the T and the top anchor over the top of the bag to the short end. If you search the internet you will probably find an example, this worked great for us, you can essentially have all hands free when needed, both kids strapped in so they can't get away and nothing to carry. The only negative is it can be a little more work to take it apart and put it together at the security check point, but was worth it to us.

Hi M.,
I will just say that I would go ahead and take the bike trailer if I was you. The airlines make you "gate check" ANY size stroller anyways. I traveled alone with my 18mo old son back in Feb and I took a big stroller that made it easier for me with all my stuff and my son. I would do what is going to be easiest for you and your husband. Why make the experience difficult. Carrying a baby everywhere you go with everything else you have would not be fun. Hope it all works out for you.

One thing I have seen some parents on a traveling with children group I lurk on occasionally do is strap the carseat to a luggage carrier using bungie cords. Place child in carseat-be sure to fasten. Both children will be facing out away from the handle of the carrier.
Use a backpack for both you and dh for your carry ons, put a small pocketbook in a beltpack on your front-place tickets and boarding passes in there along with certified copies of your children's birth certificates and your id.
your two year old might be able to hold a small childs backpack in his lap if not you will have to strap both his carry on as well as your daughters if she is traveling as a ticket passenger to the luggage rack at the top of the carseat.
Be sure and read your carseat manual to see if it can be installed without a base-there are some models of infant carseats that must be installed with a base. You will also want to consider the weight and bulk of your son's convertable carseat-if they are bigger heavier seats and you are going to be traveling in a smaller car you might want to look into getting a couple of costco scenera seats for your trip. Later they make a great secondary carseat that is light enough to move from one vehicle to another if someone else ever needs to give you and your children a ride-such as car needs repairs and friend is going to give you a ride home or for passing to the grandparents for use in their car.
I had a friend come visit me bringing a britax carseat and it would not fit in my neon so we had to use my olds to get around.
Another option is using the single stroller with the infant seat and storing what you can than getting a ring sling and hip carrying your son (I recommend a non padded rail non padded shoulder open tail sling-they fold up nicely and fit in a diaper bag). By using a sling you can keep your hands free to push the stroller or carry other items. Whichever parent is not wearing your son I would recommend wearing a small backpack for carry on.
HTH.
T.

I travel monthly, so I have a suggestion for you. If you do not mind spending a little money, you can go to Babies R Us and purchase a stroller base...I have seen one that is a sit and stand base, basically you can attach the infant car seat and your older child can sit also (easy for the airport and for running around town!)and folds pretty compact, it also has a basket undeneath. I use the single stoller base..I love it so much that not only do I use it traveling, it goes in my car for everyday use too! I also have a travel case for the big car seat that I used for my older son, that you can carry on your back (bought at Right Start.) Hope this helps :-)

Check this out, it might be what you need:

http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/from-the-arc...

You could try putting the little one in a small backpack or sling if you have one or can borrow one. I have a neighbor who carried her son in some sort of sling until he was about 2. It was cloth and you just kind of tied it around you and they fold up small so it wouldn't take up much room. YOu could then put the 2 year old in a small umbrella stroller or single stroller.

If you are taking the carseats onto the plane and not just checking them then you might want the stroller that the car seat snaps onto. Then put your 2 year old on a leash like someone else suggested.

Good Luck

I just flew alone with my 5 month old and 4 year old. Here is what I did. I came to visit family, so I am using car seats!I didn't have to pack them and worry about checking or hauling them. It is so nice. I am borrowing them from my sister and sister in law, so I cam comfortable using them. They were loaded in the car, so I just put the kids in and i'm done.
I took my bigger stroller, the one my car seat fits in and put my baby in it. bags underneath. When my 4 year old was tired walking, I put her on top of the stroller! Maybe not the best option, but I did what I did. I sat her on the part near the handle where the drinks go. She is old enough to hold on and her legs stradled the stroller.
Good luck! Remember, you have the security to get through too. At least you will have 2 adults.

Hi M.,

Sounds like you will have your hands full! We only have one child, but did end up taking the car seat and stroller when we travelled with her and gate checking them. I have seen two "carriers" for car seats that might help you out, last I saw both were available through www.onestepahead.com or probably also at Babies r Us or someplace similar. One is a strap that goes around the car seat to make it a backpack to leave your hands free, the other is a base with wheels and a pull bar (kind of similar to a luggage cart?) that you attach the car seat to and basically turn it into a stroller to pull through the airport. I'm not sure if either of those items will work for you or not. As far as the jogging stroller you were talking about, as long as you can get it through security, I don't know what the issue would be. Especially if it folds almost flat, I don't know why you wouldn't be able to gate check it. Maybe call the airline to find out if they have any certain guidelines on that? Good luck with your trip!

I travel a lot, and I understand that there are tight spaces once you get to where you are going. My best advice? Go to Walmart and get a couple of cheap umbrella strollers. They will do the job and fold down really small. The second thing I wanted to mention is that you need to make sure your car seats are FAA approved (turn them over it will say somewhere underneath) or they wont let you take them on the aircraft, even if you have purchased seats for the kids. I learned that lesson the hard way. Oh, and I just made a trip last week, and many airlines are charging for each item you check, even the first one. Check with your airline and see what the policy is. I had to fork out $$ to check a bag last week that I wasnt expecting to pay.

If you're travelling with your husband, too, you'll have it made! I took my daughters at 4 and 10 months to Seattle solo and here's what we did: 10 month old in the ergo carrier on Mama's belly, backpack crammed with on plane essentials on Mama's back. Four-year old with small backpack on her back. One carseat strapped onto huge rolling suitcase, the other's straps looped over my arm so that I could still hold hand of 4-year old. It was quite a scene! I've never been so glad to check bags in my life! The hardest part was figuring out what to do with the baby once we arrived at our rental car, and I had to install car seats. My 4 year old solved it with this suggestion: strap little one into booster seat, install her carseat, then transfer her. Frankly, a stroller would have just complicated matters considerably for us! My only regret is that we didn't get a picture of the three of us navigating our way through the airport!
Good luck.
P.S. Great tip for keeping little ears from popping on the plane: lollipops for the big kid, breastfeeding for the little one.
By the way, I had never felt so empowered as I did travelling with my kids in this manner! Fast-forward 3 years, we just went on an "All-Girl Road Trip" 1200 miles and four days. We had a blast!

We fly with our 2 kids quite often. Here's what we do. Take the single stroller, but CARRY your baby. Put as much luggage as you can possible fit on it until you check your bags. After that you should be able to fit most of your carry ons underneath and be able to put the baby in the stroller. If you have any small bags with wheels, your 2 year old might like to pull it for you. I think my daughter was almost 3 before we did that, but it would be worth a try. I've never seen a bike trailer at the airport, and this is probably why: when you are trying to board the plane with 2 kids, and carryons, and there are people waiting behind you to board, you want something that fold down easily, and those trailers just aren't as quick and easy as a stroller.

When I fly a stroller is a must. I only have traveled by myself with my two children 2 and 8 months and will take the double stroller. Since your husband is coming that will be helpful. I would at least take the stroller that goes with your daughters car seat. It will carry your daughter, her car seat, and some of the luggage. Then you only will have to worry about carrying your son and his car seat. My two year old didn't want to be in a stroller, he wanted to walk. So I used his seat for the carry-ons that I was planning on carrying in the airport. Good luck in finding what will work best for you and your family.

I I have traveled with a lot of small children. I think a stroller is a must, because then you are not trying to hurry a two year old, and you have something to help hold everything. I would borrow, if you don't have, a snuggli, or a backpack for your daughter and use a small stroller for your son.

Hi M.,

We used the GO GO KIDZ when we traveled to Europe. We did get some strange looks walking through Paris, but this worked like a charm and it's 2 in 1.
http://2sweetsisters.com/item_85/Go-Go-Kidz-Travelmate.htm
Absolutely bring some sort of stroller. Strollers provide a sense of securty in the airport and keeps kids safe and from running around while waiting in lines etc.
Now that my son is a bit older we travel with and umbrella stroller. He knows he can only get out when we get to the gate. It just gives me peace of mind that I know where he is at all times especially if it's busy at the airport.

I hope that helps