Navigating the airport & the airplane with a Car Seat & Stroller
How to Travel with a Car Seat & Stroller on the Plane (and Through the Airport)
Traveling with a baby or toddler? You’re not just packing a suitcase—you’re packing half your nursery, a snack bar, and your entire parenting toolkit.
Two of the bulkiest—and most essential—items to bring along:
✔️ The car seat
✔️ The stroller
When flying, there are multiple ways to manage your gear and it all depends on what works best for YOUR family. In this post, we’re breaking down your options: whether you check your items as luggage, bring them onboard the plane, or gate check them as you board the plane. Depending on which option(s) you choose, we’ll help you travel easier with these bulky items and make sure they’re protected with the right solutions from J.L. Childress.
🧳 Car Seat Option 1: Luggage Check Your Car Seat
Don’t need your car seat during the flight? Lucky you! You can check it right at the airline ticket counter, along with your other luggage. Airlines typically allow you to check your car seat for free. This is a popular option as car seats are very bulky and can be heavy, so it’s nice to check them as luggage and not have to deal with them in the airport.
What To Do:
-
Tell the check-in agent you'd like to check your car seat.
-
Pack it in a J.L. Childress car seat travel bag intended for luggage check. Add an AirTag if your bag comes with an attached AirTag holder.
-
Attach a printed luggage tag and drop it off with checked luggage.
-
Your car seat will travel underneath the plane and meet you at baggage claim. Sometimes car seats arrive at oversize baggage claim, so keep that in mind.
Protect Your Gear:
Use a durable, J.L. Childress car seat travel bag to protect your car seat from damage. We strongly recommend a bag with full padding as airline personnel can be rough with checked luggage. The last thing you want is to find the harness twisted, seat scratched or dirty from traveling on conveyor belts and underneath the plane.
J.L. Childress padded car seat travel bags are built to withstand the rigors of travel with thick padding, water-resistant and durable materials and craftsmanship. We recommend…
✔️ Ultimate Padded Backpack Car Seat Travel Bag The original padded backpack car seat travel bag, trusted for over 20 years!
✔️ Deluxe Padded Backpack Car Seat Travel Bag Our newest, upgraded backpack bag now with even THICKER padding, attached AirTag holder and backpack straps that tuck into a hidden pocket during transport to avoid damage.
✔️ Deluxe Spinner Wheelie Car Seat Travel Bag A deluxe combination of thick padding plus four 360-degree spinner wheels make traveling with a car seat (almost) luxurious.
✔️ Premier Padded Infant Car Seat Travel Bag Specifically designed for infant car seats, this bag is fully padded, includes an AirTag holder and has detachable, padded backpack straps.
✔️ Premier Padded Infant Car Seat Travel Bag with WHEELS Full padding and easy-to-roll wheels make this a no-brainer for parents traveling with an infant car seat.
✔️ Elite Travel Bag with Padding Designed for the Doona, this bag has more unique features for these car seat & stroller combos than any other option and is made with J.L. Childress quality materials & craftsmanship traveling parents have trusted for decades.
✈️ Car Seat Option 2: Use Your Car Seat On the Plane
If you’ve booked a seat for your baby or toddler—or you’re hoping to snag one if it’s not a full flight—bring your FAA-approved car seat onboard and install it for in-flight use.
Not sure if there’s a seat? Ask!
If you didn’t purchase a seat, ask the gate agent if the flight has an extra one available. Many airlines will let you use your car seat at no charge if space allows. Make sure to pack a Gate Check Bag for Car Seats just in case a seat isn’t available as you’ll still want your car seat protected from dirt, wet weather and unwanted tampering.
How to Get Your Car Seat Through the Airport:
-
Strap it to your rolling, carry-on suitcase with our Universal Car Seat Travel Belt.
-
If you have an infant car seat, use it as part of a travel system with your stroller.
-
Pack it in our Wheelie Car Seat Travel Bag and wheel all the way to the gate. The Wheelie folds compactly to fit in the overhead compartment once on the plane.
Once onboard, install the car seat (window seats work best), buckle up, and enjoy a safer, more comfortable flight for everyone.
🚪 Car Seat Option 3: Gate Check Your Car Seat
Want to keep your car seat with you but not use it onboard? Gate checking is your best bet. By gate checking your car seat, you also minimize the chance for damage as it should be hand-carried on and off the plane by airline personnel.
Here’s How it Works:
-
Infant Car Seat: Carry it through the airport or attach to your stroller/travel system. Convertible Car Seat/High-Back Booster Seat: Roll your car seat through the airport using our Universal Car Seat Travel Belt, secured to your rolling, carry-on suitcase.
-
Ask the gate agent for a gate check tag at the desk.
-
Pack your car seat in a J.L. Childress Gate Check Bag before boarding to protect against dirt and damage. Make sure your name is on the big, white ID box on the bag. Attach the gate check tag from the gate agent as well. If you have a Doona, we recommend our Elite Travel Bag, either the padded or unpadded option. *If your bag has an attached AirTag holder, add in your AirTag for extra peace of mind!
-
Drop it at the bottom of the jetway just before you board.
-
Pick it up right outside the aircraft door when you land. Remove your car seat from the Gate Check Bag and stuff it back into its attached pouch.
👶 What About Your Stroller? Here Are Your Options:
Strollers are the unsung heroes of family travel. Whether you're navigating a packed airport, a long layover, or a toddler meltdown, a stroller can be your saving grace.
🧳 Stroller Option 1: Luggage Check Your Stroller
If you won’t need your stroller at the airport, check it at the ticket counter along with your luggage.
Why Parents Love This Option:
-
Frees up your hands at check-in
-
Reduces what you’re pushing through the airport
-
Ideal for full-size or double strollers, and especially for parents traveling with infants if you’re planning to wear them in a baby carrier for the flight
Protect your Gear:
✔️ Our Standard & Dual Stroller Travel Bag is the perfect option for checking your stroller as luggage. It fits most single strollers and some double, tandem strollers (not side-by-side strollers).
✔️ Our new Compact Stroller Travel Bag is perfect for compact-folding, travel strollers that have become incredibly popular. It’s available either fully padded or unpadded, comes with an attached AirTag holder and padded, detachable backpack straps for comfortable carrying.
✔️ J.L. Childress also offers custom-made Stroller Travel Bags to fit the exact size of your folded stroller. These custom bags can be unpadded or fully padded for ultimate protection.
**Keep an eye out…in late-summer 2025, J.L. Childress is launching a new, Universal Stroller Travel Bag that comes in 4 sizes (S, M, L and XL) and all sizes are available in padded or unpadded styles, made to fit everything from stroller frames to full-size and double strollers.
✈️ Stroller Option 2: Bring It Through the Airport and Gate Check It
This is a popular and very practical option for families as it’s nice to keep your stroller with you as long as possible, giving your baby/toddler a place of their own as you navigate large and crowded airports.
Why Gate Check Your Stroller?
✔️ Use it to haul kids, carry-ons, and snacks through the airport
✔️ Gives your child a secure place to rest during airport waits
✔️ Minimizes the potential for damage by having your stroller hand-carried on and off the plane
✔️ You keep it until the very last moment—and get it back immediately after landing
How To Gate Check Your Stroller:
-
Use your stroller through the terminal and security
-
Ask the gate agent for a gate check tag at the desk
-
Fold and pack your stroller in one of our J.L. Childress Gate Check Bags for Strollers or even our Compact Stroller Travel Bag (we recommend the unpadded option for gate checking). If you have a Doona, we recommend our Elite Travel Bag, either the padded or unpadded option.
-
Make sure your name is on the big, white ID box or ID tag on the bag.
-
Attach the gate check tag from the gate agent as well.
-
If your bag has an attached AirTag holder, add in your AirTag for extra peace of mind!
-
Leave your bag at the jetway just before you board
-
Retrieve it at the aircraft door when you land. Remove your stroller from the Gate Check Bag and stuff it back into its attached pouch.
🪑 A Note About Travel Strollers
Yes, some compact strollers fit in overhead bins—but that also means:
✅ You’re carrying it down a narrow aisle
✅ You have to lift it overhead while holding your child
✅ Your airline might consider it one of your allowed carry-on items, meaning another bag cannot be carried onto the plane
✅ You may still be asked to gate check it last minute
For the above reasons, most parents still prefer to gate check even their compact-fold travel strollers—and J.L. Childress has just made it possible to properly protect your travel stroller when gate checking it OR checking it as luggage.
Our Compact Stroller Travel Bag is specifically designed for modern, lightweight travel strollers that fold into a compact ‘square shape’. The Compact Stroller Travel Bag is…
-
Available in padded or unpadded options
-
A backpack-style bag for easy, hands-free carrying with padded backpack straps
-
Built from durable, water-resistant materials
-
Designed to fit most compact stroller models with a unique expanding feature
It also includes an attached AirTag holder, ID holder with ID card, multiple lifting handles and a reinforced bottom for extra protection from scuffs, tears and more. If you’re traveling with a compact-fold stroller, this bag is a game-changer.
👏 Final Thoughts: Pick What Works for You
Whether you check it, carry it on, or gate check it, having a plan for your car seat and stroller will make your travel day smoother and way less stressful. Pair that with thoughtfully designed gear, and you’re not just surviving the airport—you’re crushing it.
At J.L. Childress, we’ve been helping families travel smarter for 40 years—because parenting on the go is an adventure all its own.
Still have questions? Need help with car seat or stroller compatibility? Our U.S.-based Customer Service Team would LOVE to help. You can call us at 1-800-720-5031 Monday-Thursday 9am-3pm PST, or email us anytime at service@jlchildress.com.
