We all know with a baby comes more stuff to travel with.  I like to make my life as easy as possible and check my luggage and car seat.  The car seat is free and depending on what airline you’re on the luggage may be too!  If it’s not, I would say your sanity is worth every penny to check that suitcase.  You can also throw extra stuff in your car seat carrier.  We have a nice big bag we throw our car seat into along with diapers and such.  If you don’t have a bag, most airlines have large plastic bags to protect the seat from wear and tear.  Some airlines charge $5 for it but I’ve only had to do that once.

When Mack could still fit in a carrier seat, I took it through security with me and gate checked it.  Now that he’s in a big boy car seat we always check it with the baggage.  I understand there are many different views on this.  My thought is that if the car seat doesn’t make it (which has happened before), you have several options; request a cab with a car seat, rent one through a rental car company, or ask your airline baggage representative for a loaner until yours arrives (this is what we have done).

I always take my stroller with me when we have a layover.  I can’t tell you how many times this has saved us when we’ve had delayed and cancelled flights.  Strollers are great diaper bag haulers!  Once I get to my gate I ask for a tag to gate check the stroller.  If you gate check your stroller, you’ll leave it in a designated spot and it will brought up to you once you land.  If for some reason I have a short layover, I often ask the gate agent to check my stroller to my final destination once I’m boarding my flight.  Sometimes the strollers are the last things to come off of the plane and that time could make or break my connection.