BOB Double Stroller at Airport

You can request any stroller be wanded down by hand (and you'll have to in this case b/c a double stroller won't fit through the machine) and then gate check it at the end of the gate just before you get on the plane & they'll bring it back up right there when you get off the plane (just don't forget to get a tag for it from the gate person & wait for it when you get off the plane). I've done it with lots of single strollers & her carseat on wheels (another great option if you are travelling a lot & going to need a carseat when you arrive), so i can't see why a double stroller would be any different. Just account for the extra few minutes to be wanded down by security.

It is hard to get ANY stroller through security. I usually check mine.

You will want to check with your airline to make sure they still will gate check ANYTHING. I had a good friend that just flew from Colorado to Ohio and the airline she was flying with would not allow her to gate check her stroller - it HAD to go under the plane so she could be charged for it. I had never heard this before, because when we flew with our daughter we gate checked her stroller, but that was years ago before all the airlines went crazy charging for every single piece of luggage you want to bring. I would just be on the safe side and call the airline first anyway. Good luck with your trip!

For smaller strollers that can fit into the X-ray machine, you have to fold them and put the on the conveyer belt. Larger strollers, like my single BOB get hand wanded. Depending on the individual, Security can be either be very friendly and courteous or really annoyed about manually checking your stroller, but they will do it.

I've flown on United, American, and Southwest in the last year, and have never been charged for gate checking my stroller or baggage checking my car seat (they don't count it as a piece of baggage). In about two dozen trips in the last three years, I've never had a stroller damaged when I gate checked it. (Not that it can't happen, of course.)

Unfortunately, you absolutely cannot leave the children in the stroller. Security, no matter how nice they may be, cannot even consider the request. (I've also had to take my cat out of his carrier.)

You must remove the child AND all extraneous items from the stroller. You can't have cups, packs of wipes, or any kiddie clutter in the stroller when they wand it, so make sure that all of your stuff is in bags or carriers that can be easily removed and put on the conveyor belt.

Also, they consider diaper cream a "liquid" and it will be confiscated (although I didn't know this, and didn't have my diaper cream confiscated until something like my 15th trip through airport security -- a fact I hope terrorists have not noted ;-)

That said, I always use my BOB at the airport now. I'm a single parent, so it's usually just my son and me when we travel. Initially, I thought smaller was better, and tried smaller umbrella strollers, but couldn't steer them one-handed and still pull luggage. And I can dump a lot of coats, carry-on, other stuff on the BOB. If it's you and your spouse, or another adult, and you don't have a ton of carry-ons, you should be fine with little umbrella strollers.

When my son was younger and prone to wander, I used his "teddy bear" harness to keep him near me when I was occupied with security or other business. (This was especially nerve-wracking in the Denver airport where there is an escalator directly behind security.) He was usually OK with that, since I used it sparingly, and let him hold the teddy bear's "tail" the rest of the time.

Good luck!

I was just traveling this weekend, and there was a family with 2 young kids. They not only brought their double stroller to the gate and had it tagged just before boarding, but they also brought two converitble seats.

The key will be to allow yourself extra time for security check.
M.

Hi K. - the security checkpoint will make you take them out of the stroller, and there is no way around it! They will also make you fold up the stroller and send it through X-ray, (along with their tiny shoes!) But that is for smaller strollers, they would have to wand the double stroller. But IMHO, it's still worth having the stroller to get to the gate (if it's a large airport). Just remember to request a gate check ticket at the gate. It is then stored below and brought back out to the same spot once you've landed. Good luck!

I travel a ton and also happen to own a double BOB. Don't take it.

BOBs are hugely expensive and even though it might be gate checked it could be damaged and the compensation will be nowhere near the value. Even a used double BOB is $250. They may be careful when they take it from you as you depart, but if things get mixed up after landing and you have to retrieve it from baggage it could get mauled, and they are so unusual that the baggage staff may not know how to fold it should it pop open and the BOB may suffer.

And, the security may be awkward, it won't fit on the xray conveyor so you will be a special case for sure when it comes time to scan you. Count on that taking more than the usual time.

I would get a couple of super cheap umbrella strollers and take them instead, if there are 2 adults going. You can score them used for $10. Added advantage: you can split up if need be to take turns standing on line and going to the bathroom etc.

I have one of them, and I dearly love it, but I don't think I would fool with taking it to an airport. They're just too huge! It's not security that would worry me, but I think you may be charged extra to check it or gate check it. We make our oldest walk and take a Maclaren Volo umbrella stroller for the youngest. The oldest is now 4 and has been walking in airports since he just turned 3.

When I took my 2 kids on a flight we just took 2 umbrella strollers and even if my kids were asleep at every security gate we had to take them out of it and send the stroller through security on its own. -We even had to rip my sons beloved teddy bear away from him to send through the security cameras. It was sad, but at the same time I'm glad they now check EVERYTHING in this day in age!
Good luck!