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Pushchairs on planes: check these airline restrictions
What you need to be aware of – plus our latest reviews of pushchairs for travelling or taking abroad
Principal researcher/writer at Which? delivering award-winning health, baby and safety investigations, including our annual sunscreen tests.
If you're planning on taking your pushchair on a plane for the holidays, check your airline's pushchair policy before you fly. Ignore it and you could be hit with extra stress – and extra charges – when you arrive at the airport.
Airlines generally let you check-in a fully collapsible pushchair for free. However, different restrictions apply regarding the size and weight of the pushchair, and where it needs to be stored on the plane.
Before you jet off, check our table below to see whether you'll need to buy a smaller stroller before you fly. Or read on for four of the latest buggies we've tested that might fit the bill.
Looking for a more compact pushchair to travel with? See all our pushchair reviews – we list the weight and dimensions within the tech specs
Airline pushchair policies
| Air Malta | Yes | No specific allowance | Note: Replaced by KM Malta Airlines in 2024. Allows 1 free collapsible buggy in the hold. |
| American Airlines | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Hold: Strollers over 9kg (20 lbs) cannot be gate-checked and must go to the ticket counter. |
| British Airways | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Gate-check: Max 117 x 38 x 38 cm. Cabin models (e.g., YoYo) permitted if they fit standard hand luggage limits. |
| Cathay Pacific | Yes | Yes (space permitting) | Cabin: Max 7kg and 56 x 36 x 23 cm. Subject to overhead bin space on the day. |
| Delta | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Permitted in place of your standard carry-on if it fits dimensions. |
| EasyJet | Yes (2 items per child) | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Allowed only if you have purchased the standard cabin bag allowance. |
| Emirates | Yes | Yes (space permitting) | Hold: 1 free collapsible stroller. Cabin: Ask at check-in; permitted if overhead space allows. |
| Etihad Airways | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: 1 free pushchair. Complimentary orange strollers are available to borrow in the Abu Dhabi terminal. |
| Eurowings | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Must be a 'pocket buggy' meeting standard carry-on sizing. |
| Jet2 | Yes | No | Hold: Max weight 10kg. Prams are strictly not allowed inside the cabin, regardless of size. |
| KLM | Yes | Yes | Cabin: Small umbrella strollers (max 15 x 30 x 100 cm) are allowed. |
| Lufthansa | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Permitted if it is a 'pocket buggy' meeting carry-on limits (55 x 40 x 23 cm). |
| Malaysia Airlines | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: Max weight 10kg. |
| Norwegian | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: 1 pushchair plus 1 car seat allowed for free. |
| Qatar Airways | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: 1 collapsible stroller allowed free of charge. |
| Ryanair | Yes (2 items per child) | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Must strictly fit 55 x 40 x 20 cm (max 10kg) and replace your purchased cabin bag. |
| Scandinavian (SAS) | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: Max weight 23kg. |
| Singapore Airlines | Yes | Yes | Cabin: Max 7kg. The sum of length, width, and height must not exceed 115cm. |
| Swiss | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Must be a 'pocket buggy' fitting carry-on size. |
| TAP Air Portugal | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: Allowed free of charge; no specific size restrictions flagged. |
| TUI | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Must fit standard carry-on dimensions. |
| United Airlines | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Must not exceed 9 x 14 x 22 inches. |
| Virgin Atlantic | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Specific compact models (Babyzen YoYo, Silver Cross Jet, etc.) permitted if they fit limits. |
| Vueling | Yes | Yes (as carry-on) | Cabin: Max 55 x 40 x 20 cm and max 10kg. |
| Wizz Air | Yes | No specific allowance | Hold: 1 free pushchair/pram per infant. |
Table information last checked: 25 March 2026.
Compact and lightweight strollers for travel: see which we recommend and our advice for choosing the best one for your needs
Stowing your stroller: cabin or hold?
Most airlines require your pushchair to be transported in the hold, although if a stroller is small enough (sometimes referred to as a 'pocket buggy') it can be transported as cabin luggage. This is providing it fits within the airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage, of course.
Typically, you can choose between leaving your stroller at the check-in desk to be put in the hold free of charge. Or, you can keep it until you board the aircraft as long as you've had it tagged at the check-in desk to ensure it can go through security.
In either instance, you'll need to make sure it's a foldable pushchair that ideally weighs less than 10kg (simply because any more than that is getting pretty heavy). Some airlines specify that strollers need to be 7kg or less to be taken in the cabin.
Due to safety requirements and restrictions at some airports, it's not always possible to collect strollers at the aircraft door, in which case you'll collect yours from the baggage reclaim instead.
In most cases you won't lose any luggage allowance by taking a pushchair. But, though the majority of airlines let you take a stroller for free, if no child or infant is travelling with these items, standard hold luggage charges can apply.
Three buggies for your holidays
Our tests have found that the claimed dimensions of a stroller don't always match up with what we measure in our lab.
So we'd recommend checking our pushchair reviews before buying a new pushchair if you want it to be a specific size for taking on-board an aircraft. See below for some of the strollers we've tested if you're thinking of buying a stroller to take on holiday this summer:
iCandy Pip
- Weight: 7.6kg
- Folded dimensions: H37 x W43 x D57cm
The manufacturer iCandy is a fan of all things fruit, so it makes sense that their compact model is called the Pip.
This model is cabin-luggage approved because the compact fold and dimensions meet International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines according to iCandy.
The seat can be reclined to a nearly-flat position, making it suitable from birth, but it's also travel system-compatible as you can click on a range of iCandy, Maxi Cosi and Cybex car seats.
Read the iCandy Pip review.
Joie Tourist
- Weight: 6.7kg
- Folded dimensions: H77 x W48 x D27cm
As the name suggests, this stroller travel system is angling itself as the next best thing for families going abroad who need a pushchair.
It's suitable from birth until your baby reaches 15kg, which is around three years old. And, while the seat isn't reversible, you can attach a car seat and/or carrycot to turn it into a travel system or pram.
Find out if this pushchair impressed our panel of experts and parents on everything from the fold and quality of ride to the comfort of the seat and the size of the basket.
Read the Joie Tourist review.
Hauck Travel N Care
- Weight: 6.6kg
- Folded dimensions: H28 x W50 x D73cm
This lightweight pushchair is a budget option with pretty simple features – but it could be a good holiday option.
You can use it until your baby is 22kg, which is around four or five years old and the seat reclines to a nearly flat angle, which makes it suitable from birth. It has a 3kg-capacity shopping basket and the lockable swivel wheels at the front also have suspension.
Our lab experts check how much space a folded pushchair takes up in the boot of a typical family car. The most highly rated models score top marks and are usually a good option for taking on holiday with you too.
Read the Hauck Travel N Care review to find out if this one scores well and whether it could be your next holiday buggy.
Can I also take my child's car seat on our flight?
As well as a pushchair, many airlines also allow you to bring a car seat on a plane. This can give your child a more comfortable in-flight experience and come in handy if you're hiring a car at your destination.
Find out more about airlines' car seat policies and what car seats we'd recommend for flights in our guide to taking car seats on a plane.
