Wallace highlighted the challenges of family travel in a recent tweet. Photo / Supplied
Few things are easy to do with three toddlers in tow and according to radio broadcaster and TV presenter Sam Wallace, navigating a busy airport without strollers is certainly not one of them.
The Coast Breakfast co-host took to Twitter last week to vent about such an experience and invited Air New Zealand’s CEO to try and do the same.
“I challenge Greg Foran to try taking 3 kids under 4 through Auckland airport after having to drop the pram off [at] check in!,” he wrote.
“It just doesn’t work! We even had to cue [sic] for an hour for oversized baggage to drop off the pram!”
Hey @FlyAirNZ I challenge Greg Foran to try taking 3 kids under 4 through Auckland airport after having to drop the pram off check in! It just doesn’t work! We even had to cue for an hour for oversized baggage to drop off the pram! 🥴🤬 pic.twitter.com/7Iow4CeWRU
— Sam Wallace (@BreakfastSam) January 4, 2023
Wallace isn’t the only one to find the airport challenging sans-stroller.
“Same thing happens to us a week ago on our way home to Vancouver,” commented Twitter user Mike Snodgrass, who said he was able to gate check his stroller at every airport in the US during summer travels.
“Had to do it with 2 year old twins, was a nightmare,” wrote another, who said their children (now seven years old), hadn’t been on another flight since.
Talking to Herald Travel, Wallace said he was “very aware this is a first-world problem” but said a better system for families would benefit everyone at the airport.
“For the sake of all the other people sharing the terminal with us.... it would make everyone’s time more pleasant,” he said.
While Air New Zealand’s new bag check area was good, Wallace said on his family’s visit the queue for oversized baggage was almost an hour long; which is hard enough to endure when you’re travelling solo.
“It’s bloody hard carrying three young kids through the whole process while holding passports and trying to look like you have it somewhat together as parents,” he said.
Wallace said taking a stroller through the airport and checking it at the gate would be a huge help.
“Hawaiian Airlines have a gate-to-gate policy and it would make things so much easier with kids,” he said. “You can take it all the way to the plane and it’s given back when you get off.”
Murray Tennent-Brown had a similarly challenging experience flying into Auckland from Perth with his wife and children, aged one and three years. Despite bringing a collapsible stroller, staff at Perth Airport told Tennent-Brown to check it at the gate, and that it would be made available upon arrival in Auckland.
However, when they landed, staff appeared totally unaware of where the stroller was.
“We asked the Air New Zealand ground staff but none of them seemed to know where the stroller was,” Tennent-Brown explained. “It wasn’t just us, there were 3-4 other parents/families in the same situation from our flight,” he added, describing the communication between passenger and staff as ‘a bit of a joke’. After waiting 15 minutes, they walked to the baggage carousel where, eventually, the stroller appeared, still sporting a ‘for collection at gate’ tag.
It wasn’t just the airline staff either, Tennent-Brown said. When departing the airport a week later, he said both his family and others were pulled into separate, slower queues for check in and treated to additional bag searches.
“Kids were crying and parents were doing their best to keep things in check but it was hopeless,” he said. “Compare that to Perth where parents with little kids are pretty much pulled to one side and ushered through separately – it was chalk and cheese.”
What is Air New Zealand’s stroller policy?
Technically, Air New Zealand passengers can take their strollers through the airport and onto the aircraft, but there are caveats.
The stroller must be completely collapsible and fit into the overhead locker, and you must be flying internationally or domestic on a 777-300, 787-9 and A320 aircraft.
Whether you check a stroller in or carry it on board, it won’t count towards baggage allowance or involve an additional fee.
Unfortunately for Wallace, large strollers (like the kind you carry twin daughters in) are treated as fragile items that require special handling. Therefore, they must be checked in at oversized luggage.
According to an Air New Zealand spokesperson, it’s a question of airport infrastructure and crew safety.
“Checking these in from the gate can present a safety risk for our staff as often the infrastructure of the airport requires them to lift these down stairs to be loaded into the aircraft,” they said.
Air New Zealand
Passengers can take a stroller on board if it is completely collapsible and can fit into the overhead locker. Only available for international flights, or domestic flights on 777-300, 787-9 and A320 aircrafts.
Qantas
Collapsible strollers can be taken on board, but they must meet carry-on allowance baggage dimensions and weight when packed down, and fit into the overhead compartment. The stroller will be counted as a piece of the accompanying adult’s carry-on baggage allowance.
According to Qantas, most mainline Australian airports have strollers available to use if you must check in your stroller. These will be collected at the gate before boarding.
Hawaiian Airlines
Strollers can be taken through the airport and checked in at the gate before boarding, without counting towards baggage allowance. However, if they meet carry-on baggage dimensions and weight restrictions, they can also be taken on board and stowed in the overhead compartment.
Jetstar
Strollers can be taken on board if they collapse to Jetstar’s carry-on baggage dimensions (56cm x 23cm x 36cm) and the main part of the stroller is securely packed within a protective cover/bag.
Fiji Airways
Strollers cannot be taken on board a Fiji Airways plane, so they must be checked in. Gate check may be available, according to the airline’s website, which recommends passengers check ahead of the flight.
All strollers must fit within certain dimensions (100cm x 25cm x 23cm), and if you are travelling with a child under two years old, on an adult’s lap, it will not count towards baggage allowance.
Singapore Airlines
Customers can gate-check their stroller when flying with Singapore Airlines. After handing it to ground staff at the boarding gate, it will be tagged accordingly and unloaded at the aerobridge at your destination.
Customers can also carry a compactable stroller on board if it weighs less than 7kg, fits in an overhead compartment and its length, width and height don’t add up to more than 115cm. It must also be packed into a carrier bag prior to boarding and will be counted towards a customer’s baggage allowance.
Strollers that are checked in (because they don’t meet the above requirements or there is no cabin space) will not be counted towards checked baggage allowance.
Airline policies regarding strollers, prams and other travel items for children can sometimes differ depending on the type of plane and route. We recommend checking the specific rules for your journey with your airline provider before travelling.
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