best double stroller for airport?

On Apr 14, 7:43*am, cjra wrote:
On Apr 13, 10:51 am, don_tspamme wrote:

We're going to be flying overseas soon, and after previous experiences
with traveling with 2 kids (3 yo and 1 yo) with two umbrella strollers
(which was really difficult with myself and DH pushing each kid and
trying to carry luggage too), we're feeling the only way we are going
to do this this time is with a side by side double umbrella stroller.
We tried a friend's maclaren double, but it seemed to narrow for my 3
yo. Anyone have any recommendations of what we should go look at?

I know you nixed the backpack, but have you tried a sling?

I never take a trip without it. DD is 21 months and it's still easier
to carry her through the airport in a sling than a stroller. She's
much more likely to sleep in it as well (we've done 3 transatlantic/
16+hour trips with her so far, and a number of domestic trips).

I have a sling (moby wrap), but she's pretty heavy and I wanted to
have a double for when we get where we're going as well...I also have
back problems, so the side carry isn't as comfortable as the front
carry was for me.

On Apr 13, 9:36*pm, agsf_57 wrote:
On Apr 13, 9:21 pm, don_tspamme wrote:



Well, first I do welcome all responses (this is newsgroups after
all!), but I am going to point out that I asked for recommendations
for the best double stroller as I have already considered all the
other options, and considering we are taking an extremely long night
flight it is very likely my 3 year old will be sleeping at some point
if not the whole time in the airport. So asking him to push the
stroller would probably end up with having my DH carry the sleepy/
sleeping 3 yo, while trying to haul the heavier luggage, so lets just
say if I want an extremely PO'd hubby then one single umbrella
stroller would be the way to go.

We considered other options as well, younger child in a backpack, go
go baby with the carseats etc., and the truth is even if the 3 yo
wanted to walk, we could use the other side of the stroller to haul
one of the carseats. My DH doesn't want to deal with a backpack as it
would be uncomfortable for him and for a sleeping DD and go go baby
with carseats would give us no stroller at our destination.

So we ended up picking up a used Inglesina Twin Swift. We paid little
enough for it so if it gets trashed or if we don't get a ton of use
out of it, we won't mind. After we bought it we tried it out at the
mall and it handles very well even with only one child in it (when 3
yo wanted to walk) and it fits through doorways.

I do agree with toypup, it is also much faster to put the 3 yo in the
stroller to move through the airport than having him walk, and it
somewhat keeps him contained, I won't be afraid of him wandering off
into the crowd if I'm distracted for a moment.

We travel a lot on international flights and we never use a car seat.
We also never have an issue with luggage as other people carry it for
us. The umbrella stroller does come in handy for walking around the
different countries and sight seeing. I would think if you need more
than one, you just buy something there and dispose of it before coming
back home.

Regards...

I do understand this, but my MIL says we need carseats in the country
we're going to. She has one, but we have to bring the other one with
us. I have never been able to get anyone else to carry my luggage, not
for lack of trying however . The reason I know 2 umbrella strollers
don't work well for us is we went to Las Vegas for a family event with
2 strollers and we needed help from my BIL who just happened to be
flying at the same time. It would have been impossible with just us.

On Apr 14, 10:24*pm, don_tspamme wrote:
On Apr 13, 9:36*pm, agsf_57 wrote:





On Apr 13, 9:21 pm, don_tspamme wrote:

Well, first I do welcome all responses (this is newsgroups after
all!), but I am going to point out that I asked for recommendations
for the best double stroller as I have already considered all the
other options, and considering we are taking an extremely long night
flight it is very likely my 3 year old will be sleeping at some point
if not the whole time in the airport. So asking him to push the
stroller would probably end up with having my DH carry the sleepy/
sleeping 3 yo, while trying to haul the heavier luggage, so lets just
say if I want an extremely PO'd hubby then one single umbrella
stroller would be the way to go.

We considered other options as well, younger child in a backpack, go
go baby with the carseats etc., and the truth is even if the 3 yo
wanted to walk, we could use the other side of the stroller to haul
one of the carseats. My DH doesn't want to deal with a backpack as it
would be uncomfortable for him and for a sleeping DD and go go baby
with carseats would give us no stroller at our destination.

So we ended up picking up a used Inglesina Twin Swift. We paid little
enough for it so if it gets trashed or if we don't get a ton of use
out of it, we won't mind. After we bought it we tried it out at the
mall and it handles very well even with only one child in it (when 3
yo wanted to walk) and it fits through doorways.

I do agree with toypup, it is also much faster to put the 3 yo in the
stroller to move through the airport than having him walk, and it
somewhat keeps him contained, I won't be afraid of him wandering off
into the crowd if I'm distracted for a moment.

We travel a lot on international flights and we never use a car seat.
We also never have an issue with luggage as other people carry it for
us. The umbrella stroller does come in handy for walking around the
different countries and sight seeing. I would think if you need more
than one, you just buy something there and dispose of it before coming
back home.

Regards...

I do understand this, but my MIL says we need carseats in the country
we're going to. She has one, but we have to bring the other one with
us. I have never been able to get anyone else to carry my luggage, not
for lack of trying however .

When we arrive overseas, we use the trolleys for our luggage - we
usually have 4 large bags and a small carryon each (we're always
carrying at least 2 suitcases full of gifts, and returning with at
least 2 full of hand me down clothes and toys...). Thank god for the
trolleys!

I have a sling (moby wrap), but she's pretty heavy and I wanted to
have a double for when we get where we're going as well...I also have
back problems, so the side carry isn't as comfortable as the front
carry was for me.- Hide quoted text -

DH preferred a lightly structured back carrier, not a rucksack type
baby back carrier, but some stucture that basically holds the baby/
toddler in a piggy back. We made it from Seattle to Los Angeles with a
1.5 and 3.5 year old that way, taking 2 car seats and a carry cot. We
checked both the car seats that time. It's pretty difficult to balance
2 car seats with or without additional luggage on most airport
trolleys. So much depends on the airport layout, how you are getting
there etc etc.

We haven't actually flown with our current car seats, but potential
for flying was a part of our decision making in purchasing them, one
is a very lightweight one as it's basically a booster seat with extra
bits to turn it into something with a 5 point harness and a head rest,
it came with a travel bag. It can't be used on a plane, but DS was
beyond that point anyway - their legs get too long at some point! For
DD we got a rigid folding car seat, yes, such a thing does exist, it
folds flat, but when it's unfolded you'd not know it was any different
from a regular convertible car seat, it is heavier than some, but I
think it's one of those things where shape wins over weight. We did
have to pay extra for a travel bag, 20 dollars I think, so it handles
like a heavy suitcase, rather than a balancing act on a trolley, or it
can be worn as a rucksack, though I wouldn't like to do it, but I
guess it's helpful for even the short bits.

I would gather as many details as possible about every airport you
will be passing through, it may influence what you do with car seats,
at 1 and 3, if they both have seats, it would be great to have them
both on the plane, but it's never worked out for us. Work out what
bags you can fit under the stroller, will you need to balance any on
top. Check out the details as to where you hand in the stroller and
where you collect it, I've never had a problem dropping it at the last
minute, but collecting it has ranged from it being ready and waiting
at the aircraft door to stropping at baggage handlers on the tarmac
that given I can see it there is no reason why they need to take it
with the rest of the luggage, even if that is what everyone else does.
You imply your destination is another country and it's surprising how
different things can be.

Cheers
Anne

Banty writes:
And I'd never count on any scheme that depended on having skycaps, etc.,
available on hire to hlep. It could be a long wait for them at a busy time,
they may be on strike, one may land 6 hours late at 3 am and one's fellow
passengers already swamp the few available. (BTDT)

Or it could be they just don't exist where you're going. (The OP
mentioned an international flight, but not to which country.) No such
job exists around here, I can tell you. It would be something of a
problem to find yourself standing at baggage claim, tired from a long
flight with two unhappy little ones, and find that your destination
airport doesn't actually HAVE the skycaps you were counting on
using....

I don't have any practical experience with double strollers and
travelling (our kids are 6 years apart so they were never in strollers
at the same time), but I would urge any parents on a long trip to be
as self-propelled as possible!

- Cindy Kandolf, mamma to Kenneth (14) and Robert (8)
****** Bærum, Norway
Bilingual Families Web Page:
http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/biling-fam.html

(Dang. I just realized I haven't updated that signature in a
while. These are their correct ages; disregard previous .sig!)