Strollers on board: airline rules

What the main airlines allow for free

Ryanair carries free one fully collapsible stroller (even double) plus a second item of choice between bassinet, car seat, or travel crib: two free items total. easyJet grants two pieces of child equipment, stroller included, and explicitly allows even the baby carrier backpack among permitted items. ITA Airways carries the stroller free with any fare, registering it at check-in as hold baggage; but watch out for the Light fare for infants up to 23 months in arms, which doesn't include additional hold baggage beyond the stroller and one small bag.

When the stroller enters the cabin

With easyJet the stroller can stay in the cabin only if it doesn't exceed 56x45x25 cm and you've bought the large carry-on. Air France and KLM allow collapsible umbrella models within 15x30x100 cm in the cabin, while larger ones go in hold. With ITA Airways the stroller backpack can stay with you if within 118 cm overall (55x40x23), replacing your carry-on. In any case, if the flight is full and overhead bins are saturated, ground staff can still decide to put it in hold, regardless of dimensions.

Gate return

Many airlines let you keep the stroller until the aircraft door: you close it at the gate, hand it to ground staff, and request the tag that guarantees planeside or gate return, instead of at the oversized baggage belt. Before handing it over, remove unfastened accessories like bags, cup holders, or hanging toys, which can get lost during loading. To organize the entire procedure step by step, see also stroller on plane: how to organize the procedure.

Always check the baggage page of your airline before booking: a few centimeters more in size can mean the difference between keeping your stroller with you or seeing it disappear into hold.