Flying with a stroller/pram

I just had to take my son out of the ergo at heathrow on Sunday to go through security. I know in the US as well the TSA is not allowing any carriers through security at all, and they are supposedly now enforcing it more strictly.

They are definitely allowing carriers through in the US - I just did it two times last week.  I think it just depends on the airport.

They are definitely allowing carriers through in the US - I just did it two times last week.  I think it just depends on the airport.

This may be, but the TSA has actually become stricter with their guidelines in the past 2 weeks, so it is possible that not everyone is following the protocol yet. I was also in the US last week and told this by 2 different agents at 2 different airports.

And herein lies the problem. There is no consistency at all.

Didn't bring a carrier, so I can't comment on that. But I can say the TSA were absolute jerks when I was flying back. Made me take my sleeping baby out of the car seat (was expecting that, so ok), but they were super rude that I was "holding up the line", and once I had the baby in my arms they asked me to put my pram and car seat on the x-ray belt, which I could see was not going to fit. Different agents kept telling me to do different, conflicting things to do in a span of about two minutes. I was so confused and I was trying to hurry that I accidentally sliced my finger and it was bleeding everywhere while trying to wrangle the baby, the stroller, car seat, carry-on stuff, shoes, coat, etc. It was a real hoot.

As compared to Heathrow, they let me push my kid in the car seat and stroller through the x-ray machine and then just patted it down and ran down it with the wand. They also actually helped me move my stuff along. It was like a night and day difference. The US bugs me sometimes.

Didn't bring a carrier, so I can't comment on that. But I can say the TSA were absolute jerks when I was flying back. Made me take my sleeping baby out of the car seat (was expecting that, so ok), but they were super rude that I was "holding up the line", and once I had the baby in my arms they asked me to put my pram and car seat on the x-ray belt, which I could see was not going to fit. Different agents kept telling me to do different, conflicting things to do in a span of about two minutes. I was so confused and I was trying to hurry that I accidentally sliced my finger and it was bleeding everywhere while trying to wrangle the baby, the stroller, car seat, carry-on stuff, shoes, coat, etc. It was a real hoot.

As compared to Heathrow, they let me push my kid in the car seat and stroller through the x-ray machine and then just patted it down and ran down it with the wand. They also actually helped me move my stuff along. It was like a night and day difference. The US bugs me sometimes.

I wonder if there is a place you can complain via a web site or something? I had the opposite experience with the Manchester security being a nightmare and Wash DC a joy.

At our closest airport (Hartford), we actually have lines designated for families.  It's such a relief to not have to worry about holding people up and annoying frequent travelers.  I wish every airport had them!

As compared to Heathrow, they let me push my kid in the car seat and stroller through the x-ray machine and then just patted it down and ran down it with the wand. They also actually helped me move my stuff along. It was like a night and day difference. The US bugs me sometimes.

I am so surprised they let you do that at Heathrow, we have always had to fold up our stroller and put it through the machine. Same in the US, but we do usually go through the family line and I have no apologies for anyone around us, especially non-families who get in a line behind us, seeing we have a toddler and a stroller and 175 bags!

Yes, I was surprised too. I mean they checked it pretty thoroughly, regardless. But it was nice that they weren't super disruptive doing it, like they were in the US. Might just depend on the crew and the day.

When I got to my gate at Heathrow, I was "selected by the government for additional security." They took me downstairs to a room near the gate and took EVERY single thing out of my bags, looked over every toy, opened my wallet, patted me down, etc. This kind of annoyed me as I totally missed the pre-boarding for families. By the time this was done, the plane was super crowded, the overhead bins full, etc.