Noordi Journal · 28 September 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer: Most European airlines carry a pushchair free of charge for a baby or small child, and many let you use it right up to the boarding gate or the aircraft. It then travels in the hold and comes back either at the aircraft door or at the baggage belt, depending on the airline and the airport. Only very small strollers fit cabin-bag limits, so a light stroller in a protective bag, checked at the gate, is often the calmest way to fly.
How do airlines handle strollers?
On most flights in Europe, a stroller works in one of two ways. Either you hand it over at the check-in desk with the suitcases, or you keep it through security and hand it over at the gate or at the aircraft steps. After landing it is returned at the aircraft door, or it arrives with the other luggage, or at an oversized baggage desk.
What changes from airline to airline is the detail: how many baby items are free, whether it must be packed, and where you get it back. At the time of writing, this is how five airlines describe it on their own pages.
| Airline | Free allowance | How the stroller travels |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | Two baby items, such as a pushchair and a car seat | Tagged at check-in or at the gate; you can use it up to the aircraft steps. Returned at the steps or in the baggage hall. |
| easyJet | Up to two essential items per infant or child, including pushchairs and car seats | Travels in the hold; you can keep the pushchair with you up to the aircraft door. |
| Lufthansa | Stroller carried free | Hand it over at bag drop or at the gate. Returned at the aircraft door after landing, except at airports on Lufthansa’s list. |
| British Airways | Pushchair and car seat as free essential items for infants | Loaded in the hold. At some destinations, slimline pushchairs within 117 × 38 × 38 cm come back at the aircraft door; others go to the carousel. |
| Smartwings | Pushchair and car seat carried free | Use it to the boarding gate; it must be folded and packed in a cover or wrap. Returned at the aircraft, the belt or the oversized desk, depending on the airport. |
Can a stroller go into the cabin?
Sometimes, but only the smallest ones. Cabin bags on European airlines are typically limited to around 55 × 40 × 20–23 cm. Smartwings, for example, allows a folded stroller in the cabin only if it fits 55 × 40 × 23 cm and 8 kg, and then it counts instead of your standard cabin bag.
It is worth being honest here: our own Sia folds to 62.5 × 48.5 × 27 cm, so on most airlines it is checked at the gate rather than carried on board. That is a deliberate trade-off. Strollers that fold small enough for the cabin often give up recline, wheel size or seat space. Sia keeps a backrest that reclines to 150° or more, an 80 cm lying length and front and rear suspension, and comes with a transport bag for the hold.
What should you do before the flight?
- Add your baby to the booking early. Babies under two usually travel on a parent’s lap and are booked as an infant, which is also when baby items are added.
- Read your airline’s baby page. Note how many items are free, whether the stroller must be packed, and where it will be returned.
- Check travel documents. Even a newborn usually needs their own passport or ID card for international travel. Check what your country requires.
- Pack the stroller. A transport bag keeps it clean and protects it in the hold. Some airlines, such as Smartwings, require a cover.
- Label and photograph it. Your name and phone number on the bag, and a quick photo before you hand it over.
- Bring a sling or carrier. It fills the gap between the gate and the seat, and at arrival if the stroller comes back on the belt.
The journey begins long before take-off, usually at the front door, with one bag too many.
What happens at the airport and on board?
Give yourself time. British Airways, for example, asks families to be at the gate at least 45 minutes before departure so pushchairs can be loaded. Keep the stroller for as long as the airline allows: it doubles as a place to nap, a bag carrier and a calm corner while you wait.
If you want your baby in a car seat on board, most airlines require you to book a separate seat and use an approved child seat. Ryanair, for instance, accepts only forward-facing seats up to 43 cm wide. On Lufthansa long-haul flights, bassinets can be reserved for babies up to 8 months, 11 kg and 67 cm.
At your destination, remember that car seats are for travelling rather than sleeping. The Lullaby Trust advises taking your baby out once you arrive and letting them sleep on a firm, flat surface.
Where Noordi fits
Noordi Sia
Sia was made for the in-between moments of travel. At 5.9 kg with a carbon frame, it folds with one hand into a package that stands on its own, and its transport bag is included for the hold. It is used from birth with the backrest fully reclined, suits children up to 4 years or 22 kg, and its 7.5″ puncture-free wheels with front and rear suspension keep things calm on cobbled old towns at the other end.
Sia does not take a car seat, so if you are flying with a newborn and hiring a car, plan the car seat separately. For everyday life at home, a 2-in-1 pram may still be the better main pram; we look at that choice in pram and travel stroller: do you need both?, and you can compare every model on the Noordi comparison page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to take a stroller on a plane?
On most European airlines, yes, for a baby or small child, often as one of two free baby items. Check your airline’s current rules, as allowances differ.
Can I take Sia into the cabin?
Usually not. Sia folds to 62.5 × 48.5 × 27 cm, which is larger than typical cabin-bag limits, so it is normally checked at the gate in its transport bag. Your airline has the final say.
Can I use my stroller right up to the plane?
Many airlines, including Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa and Smartwings, let you keep it until the gate or the aircraft. Where you get it back depends on the airline and the airport.
What if my stroller is damaged on the flight?
Check it before you leave the baggage area. If something is damaged, report it at the airline’s baggage desk straight away and keep your tag and booking details.
Do I need a car seat on the plane?
Not usually. Babies under two can travel on a parent’s lap. If you want to use a car seat on board, you normally need to book a separate seat, and the seat must be approved for aircraft use.
Travel with a baby is never quite light. But with the stroller folded, the bag on your shoulder and a small hand in yours, the first steps somewhere new feel very close to home.
Sources: Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa, British Airways, British Airways: at the airport, Smartwings, The Lullaby Trust. Checked September 2026.
Made for the way you wander.
Three strollers, one calm way of getting outside. Find the one that fits your family’s days.
More from the Journal
Pram and Travel Stroller: Do You Need Both?
One pram is often enough. Here is when a lighter travel stroller really earns its place, and when it is worth waiting.
Can You Take a Pram to the Beach? Sand, Wind and Sun
Sand, wind and sun: how to take a pram to the beach calmly, and why the shade matters more than the wheels.
2-in-1 vs 3-in-1 Prams (Travel Systems) Explained
What a 2-in-1 pram and a 3-in-1 travel system really include, who benefits from the car seat on the chassis, and why the carrycot is still best for longer walks.