We just came back from a wonderful 3-night getaway to Disney and Universal, where we met up with some other family members. A few months ago, we snagged some cheap EWR-MCO fares on United, and we used Southwest points for the return.
When we touched down in Orlando, we exited the aircraft and waited on the gate bridge to retrieve our stroller. From behind me, Â I heard an employee quietly mumble “oh sh!t” Â to another employee. I then realized they were referring to my stroller. The belly bar snack tray had snapped off.
I didn’t want something like this to put a damper on our trip, so I snapped pics of the damage and went on my merry way. After all, I was confident that I would be able to file and claim later on for a resolution with United. I took off the broken piece and tossed it.
I then sent a tweet to United asking them where I could file a claim for a damaged gate-check stroller. They send me an irrelevant tweet back with a link to file a claim for a delayed bag.
I sent another tweet asking for some relevant info, and this is what they sent back:
Wow. OK. What kind of policy is that? I don’t know any parents who gate-check a stroller in a box. And let me get this straight – this policy also screams loudly about how they treat forced gate-check bags. Think about it.
Experience after experience, I keep shaking my head at United. And all I can say is that I am one disappointed 1K member. Granted I can (and will) replace the broken piece on my stroller, it’s just the principle here.
Little guy even sported a festive United onesie for his first United flight. I think it’s time to take my family travel elsewhere.
Have any other parents dealt with a broken gate-checked stroller on United? Any other airlines? What are my options here? SOL?
Angelina: We are passed the phase of using strollers with our kids but when we did I bought a huge duffel bag that could fit the stroller inside. I usually had the duffel bag appropriately tagged with name, address, phone number, etc.. and carried it folded under the car seat. By the time we got the to plane’s gate I would fold the stroller and place it inside the duffel bag and put a TSA lock on it. The gate tag would go on the duffel bag. It saved us from having issues like you did and more important saved the stroller to get dirt. I’ve seen many gate checked strollers coming out from the plane with hydraulic grease from the plane on it or just plain dirt since they are tossed on a plane’s compartment without any care. Thus, I would suggest you buy a duffel bag to keep it clean and reduce the chances it will get broken. Also, what really drove me nuts in gate checking a stroller was that when mainly flying in first class we would be the first to deplane but would be the last ones waiting by the door since the stroller took forever to show up. You have a tired baby on your arms and the stroller never comes. If you are in an international flight it means you will be at the end of the immigration line. :(
UA will most likely file this under “damage to extending handle” category, which they are not liable for. Unfortunately, there’s not much recourse directly from United, other than filing a complaint with customer care and maybe get some vouchers.
Check your credit card used to purchase the flight and see if it offers baggage damage coverage. Also, just in case if it’s purchased within the last 90 days, check to see if the CC has product damage insurance.
Lastly, any luggage damage claim needs to be filed with UA within 24 hours, and they need inspect the damage. Your best bet would have been checking with the luggage office at MCO after deplaning.
No real options here. None of the airlines cover damage in this situation, but United would certainly be smart to throw a bone to a 1K (but United isn’t smart though, as we all know). I have never had a stroller broken but I always gate check only cheap strollers & car seats because the damage that can be done is pretty bad. Umbrella strollers are less likely to sustain damage because they fold up the most compact and have few pieces hanging off. I always put gate checked car seats (and usually strollers too) in a vinyl bag for a little bit of protection too. The bags we have used over the years are now covered in grease. That shows just what would have ended up on our stroller/car seat if we hadn’t put it in a protective bag.
@Leslie H: Agree. The duffel bag we used for the stroller had many holes on it and grease and oil all over it. It was so nasty we had to replace it couple times. All that stuff would be in the stroller if not for the bag.
My stroller came off a Delta flight in FRA missing the clip that allows you to clip the car seat into the stroller. We went to a little office and did some paperwork. Filed a claim when we got back home and delta gave us the full $400 replacement cost of the set because the clip wasn’t sold separately. After several times being mistreated by Delta, it was nice to be treated better than I deserved!
First, so glad you had a good trip! Second, while this policy does seem to be pretty consistent across the airlines, United handled in poor fashion. Their response to you couldn’t have been colder and a little compassion goes a long way…especially for their top elite flyers!
As I mentioned on Twitter, I would still write a letter to 1K voice expressing your frustration over the experience. Even an “I’m so sorry” would be better than a “take this stroller and shove it” type response.
Beyond that, for future trips to Disney I would rent a stroller there or from one of the local companies. For other trips, I agree with suggestions about using a cheapy or getting a bag for your stroller. It obviously won’t prevent damage, but it can help.
So sorry!
Taking your family travel elsewhere will probably not help since I believe most airlines have the same policy about special handed items (limited liability). I always used a cheap umbrella stroller and travel bag to keep it clean. While I don’t think United’s response was “take this stroller and shove it” as suggested above, I do think they could have been a bit more responsive to your concerns. Actually, I would like to think they would respond to elite and non-elite flyers in an empathetic way.
Pretty consistent unfortunately…. Southwest even has you sign a form acknowledging that they aren’t liable… United could improve from a pr perspective though
If travellers continue to say “oh well” then the airlines will continue to walk all over us. What is there incentive to make it right?
Angelina…continue to scream and complain. It takes one person to start a movement. Maybe someday the policy may change.
Keep up the good fight.
Report it to the Department of Transportation ! If They get enough complaints they will force them to change their policy. They are big on airlines mistreating passengers. I do about u, but I felt mistreated when I paid my flights, was forced to gate check my infant’s stroller, only for them to severely mishandle it
This just happened to me. Also United, also Newark (I’m seeing a pattern here). I have the Britax B-ready stroller and was travelling with an infant who was in the infant seat and had the stroller frame–which I’ve not exactly been gentle with. I folded up my stroller frame nicely and gate-checked it before boarding, When I reached my destination they brought me my stroller in pieces–the frame, a wheel and the handle bar. The wheel popped back in, but the handle was broken off. I was able to strap it in place to use it to wheel my baby to the baggage claim area, but what in the world did they do to it? I filed the claim and hope they give me something for it.
I am glad that your stroller damage was minor. Unfortunately my husband and I are currently on vacation in California but our stroller was completely damaged by Southwest Airlines. We have the Nuna Mixx2 and it is broken in Half in TWO places! The frame is metal and somehow is completely shattered. We are currently trying to file a claim with them, any advice!
What credit card did you use to book your tickets?
First trip with a brand new stroller and it arrived broken -_-
Ironically, we checked it wrapped in a bag and plastic wrap for security and they broke the bag and rewrapped it harder in another set of plastic, so we couldn’t see the damage until we got home as we couldn’t open it at the airport. Now I’m told to wait 4 weeks for them to review my claim :/