Pushchair arrangements depend on the airline, the equipment and the airport. This guide compares easyJet’s and Ryanair’s published information on baby equipment, handover and collection. Check the rules for your booking before travelling, including whether the pushchair can reach the boarding gate and where it will be returned.
What "gate-checking" actually means
Gate-checking allows a pushchair to be used right up until boarding, rather than being checked in at the airport check-in desk hours before the flight. easyJet’s own help page confirms that for every infant or child, the airline will "carry two additional items for your child in the hold for free," and lists a travel cot, pushchair, car seat, collapsible or non-collapsible pram, booster seat and baby back carrier as eligible items. In practice, this means a parent can use the pushchair throughout the airport and hand it over before boarding, when easyJet says it is collected and placed in the aircraft hold rather than the cabin.
What easyJet and Ryanair each allow
easyJet’s page lists the pushchair among the items carried free in the hold for each infant or child. Ryanair says it allows two free carry-on baby equipment items, such as a pushchair or car seat, which must be tagged at check-in or at the boarding gate. Ryanair says a pushchair can be used as far as the aircraft steps. On arrival, it may be returned at the aircraft steps or in the baggage hall, depending on the airport; ask ground staff where to collect it. This differs from easyJet’s published baggage-reclaim instruction, so do not assume the collection arrangements are identical.
For infants, Ryanair’s help centre says babies aged up to 7 days cannot be accepted for travel. Infants aged 8 days to 23 months must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over and sit on an adult’s lap. They do not qualify for a separate bag allowance, but a baby bag of up to 5kg (45 x 35 x 20cm) is allowed for babies travelling on an adult’s lap. Its baby equipment page adds that an infant under 2 who is to sit in a car seat for the flight needs an extra seat booked, and that only forward-facing car seats up to 17 inches (43 cm) wide, approved for air and motor vehicle use, are permitted. The two Ryanair pages describe infant seating differently, so confirm with Ryanair how an infant will travel. Ryanair also provides baby-changing facilities at the rear of the aircraft.
Where the free allowance stops
easyJet’s Flying with children page says that for every infant or child up to two items can go into the hold free of charge, in addition to the cabin bag allowance. It lists a travel cot, pushchair, double pushchair, buggy, car seat, collapsible or non-collapsible pram, booster seat and baby back carrier. The page says these can be checked in at Bag Drop before security or, if needed to get to the boarding gate, collected before boarding and put in the aircraft hold. Other airlines set their own rules, so check the policy of the booked airline before departure.
What happens to the pushchair on arrival
Return arrangements vary by airline and airport. easyJet says items collected before boarding are available at baggage reclaim on arrival. Confirm the collection point before handing over your pushchair.
Protecting the pushchair in the hold
It is sensible to photograph the pushchair before handing it over. easyJet’s damaged-bags page asks passengers to take a photo of any damage before leaving the airport, and to complete a damage report and register a claim within 7 days of the flight. Ask the airline how to register damage to a pushchair accepted into the hold.
What to check before you fly, regardless of airline
Beyond the free allowance itself, it is worth checking four things with the booked airline before travelling: whether the pushchair is carried free in the hold, whether it can be taken to the boarding gate, whether taking it into the cabin needs a paid cabin bag (easyJet says these items must be bought as a ‘large cabin bag’ and stowed in the overhead locker), and where gate-checked items are collected on arrival. Confirming these in advance avoids working it out for the first time at the departure gate with a tired toddler in tow.
Frequently asked questions
Is a car seat treated the same way as a pushchair? Under easyJet’s policy, a car seat is listed alongside a pushchair as one of the free items carried for a child, subject to the same per-child allowance.
What is the minimum age to fly on easyJet? easyJet’s own age categories define an infant as 14 days to 2 years old, noting that "babies under 14 days old are unable to travel."
What is the minimum age to fly on Ryanair? Ryanair’s help centre states infants aged up to 7 days cannot be accepted for travel on any Ryanair flight.
The bottom line
Check the booked airline’s baby-equipment allowance, handover arrangements, cabin-carriage conditions and arrival collection point. easyJet and Ryanair publish different collection instructions, and Ryanair says arrangements can also depend on the arrival airport.
Sources
- easyJet, "Flying with children and infants" (easyjet.com)
- Ryanair Help Centre, "What are the rules for travelling with infants (0-2)?" (help.ryanair.com)
- Ryanair Help Centre, "What baby equipment can I bring on board? Is there a cost?" (help.ryanair.com)
- easyJet, "Damaged or delayed bags and lost property" (easyjet.com)