Gate checking refers to the practice that allows passengers to check in their bags directly at the

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

. Gate checking is mostly used on small planes when there isn't enough space to take on board the cabin bags of all passengers. Some companies offer different incentives for passengers who volunteer to check their bags at the gate instead of taking them on board.

Virgin America Virgin America Inc. was a low-cost U.S. airline that operated from 2007 until 2018, when it was acquired by Alaska Airlines. The airline primarily focused on operating low-fare service between cities on the West Coast and other major metropol ...

offered free early boarding to its passengers who offer to gate check their carry-ons.

Regulation

Airline policies do not allow strollers on board. Passengers travelling with young

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

can check in their strollers at the gate, free of charge. For each child, airlines allow passengers to check in a stroller and a car seat. Most companies recommend small umbrella-type strollers that fold and many of them have size and weight limits. Almost all airlines return the strollers to the

jet bridge A jet bridge (also termed jetway, jetwalk, airgate, gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, skybridge, finger, airtube, expedited suspended passenger entry system (E-SPES), or its official industry name passenger boarding bridge (PBB)) is an enclosed, ...

upon arriving at destination. Some companies, such as

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

JetBlue JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York C ...

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...

, assume no liability for any damage produced to gate-checked strollers. For this reason, it is recommended that passengers use

Gate Check Bags Gate check bags are travel bags specially designed for the transportation and storage of car seats and strollers or pushchairs. Generally used for airline travel, they also provide protection from dust when in storage for the occasional user. Wh ...

for strollers and car seats.

References

External links

Can You Take Aerosols On A Plane?
{{Commercial air travel Luggage Airport infrastructure Aircraft ground handling