Flying with MBUS: gate or lugguage check? deflate tires?

[ged]

Please help, we are on our way to Germany and I decided to take my MBUS. I have only ever traveled through airports and on planes with an umbrella stroller, and always gate checked it(no bag). Is that still what I should do with the MBUS? So, I push the MBUS through the airport/security/etc and then disassemble it a the gate/take tires off/put into bag? I bought a stroller (well, it's actually a bicycle) bag for it.

Or, can I put it in the bag and check it in with my luggage? Will that count towards my luggage quota, or is it free , b/c it's a child's item?

Also, do you deflate the tires since they are air filled? That is what the guy at the bike store told me to do.

Thanks for any tips! As an aside, the last time I traveled I saw lots of Bobs at the airport...while were were waiting for the luggage to arrive, so I guess that means they gate checked it? But, I did not notice if the tires were deflated prior to the flight and then re-inflated so they could use it after the flight landed.

Thanks!

[bubbaray]

You don't need to completely deflate the tires, just let some of the air out (hold down the pin in the middle of the valve).

I would buy the MBUS bag, its padded IIRC, but a padded bike bag should also work. I would gate check it. Remove the wheels from the axels too.

[arivecchi]

I agree with bubbaray. I would get the MB Urban bag, remove the tires and gate check it.

[salsah]

You don't need to completely deflate the tires, just let some of the air out (hold down the pin in the middle of the valve).

I would buy the MBUS bag, its padded IIRC, but a padded bike bag should also work. I would gate check it. Remove the wheels from the axels too.

:yeahthat:

check with your airline to see if they will charge you. we had one experience when the stroller was a free additional baby item and another when it counted towards our allowable luggage. both international flights, different airlines, different age kids. on air france, because the children we were traveling with were not under 2 (dd2 was 2), we were not allowed additional baby items. i was glad that i checked before hand because on that trip, i was planning to bring our max allowed bags. but it was worth bringing one less bag so that i could bring the stroller. i just wish that i had checked before i bought the tickets -- i would have checked other airlines' policies. ime, airfrance was not stroller friendly. when i gate checked the stroller, i confirmed that i would receive my stroller at the plane at my destination. but they said, no, they don't do that and that i would have to get it at baggage claim. i was not happy.