American Airlines' New Stroller Rule Is a Buzz-Kill for Parents
Air travel is already a challenging prospect for most parents of young children. Airplanes are complex and stressful places for solo adults to navigate, let alone families. Babies and toddlers are also sensitive to air pressure changes, leading to a lot of tear-filled flights.
Even with all this, families flying with American Airlines now face an additional hurdle. Traveling mom @ashdonielle took to TikTok to warn her fellow parents of American Airlines' inconveniencing new rule involving strollers.
This is a huge issue for lots of families who fly. When you're hauling around kids and carry-on luggage, you need all the help you can get, and forcing families to gatecheck their strollers before they have to navigate the entire airport is kneecapping them. Flying with young kids is already an ordeal, and for many families, this American Airlines rule is a real kick in the pants.
Angry parents further picked apart this rule in the comments. "Not getting my business pshhhh. Single parents? Strollers are NECESSARY. Um??? TWINS? TRIPLETS??" @nessa_renzo fumed. "Good to know! As a single mom who flies frequently w/ my toddler, I 1000% rely on the stroller to get us to the gate," @_its_cathy_ appreciated the warning.
"My flight got cancelled during my layover and I spent 12 hours in the Las Vegas airport. I can’t imagine not having my bassinet stroller for my little," shared @iamboredddd23. These are valid concerns for flying parents to have, especially after the massive airline delays many fliers experienced over the past rocky month.
Because the rule only applies to strollers over 20 pounds, some commenters suggested viable lightweight alternatives. "Get an umbrella stroller- cheap and folds up easily," @ihatepickinganame13 recommended. "The ZOE Twin+ stroller is only 19lbs just fyi," added @carra_brown.
These lighter strollers could come in the clutch for many desperate parents. However, as some commenters pointed out, these solutions won't work for all families. "I challenge all the people saying get an umbrella stroller to find one with a car seat attachment or a double or triple version for ppl w multiples," @kanececi pointed out.
American Airlines' stroller rule will have consequences for many parents of young children. For some families, the answer may simply be investing in a lighter stroller. For larger families or those with other mitigating factors, though, they may need to decide whether or not flying with American is viable for them.
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