COMING AND GOING
Stroller Derby

Sunday, July 8, 2007

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Stroller Derby

Parents beware: Your child's stroller may seem sturdy to you, but your airline might consider it a fragile item for which it has no liability. For Lisa Conner of Washington, that attitude meant the loss of a new $300 stroller.

Conner, loaded down with a toddler and a baby at the Des Moines airport, had pushed the children to the gate in their stroller and checked it on her American Airlines flight to Washington. On arrival at Dulles, she retrieved the stroller -- minus a wheel and with a frame twisted beyond repair. She attempted to make a claim but was told the airline has no responsibility for "fragile" items.

Turns out that American Airlines' contract of carriage, available at its Web site, specifically includes strollers and car seats in its long list of items for which it takes no responsibility.

A check of various airlines' contracts of carriage found that most do not specifically mention strollers. However, the items for which the airlines claim no liability include not only electronic items, eyewear, medicine, jewelry and artwork, but also anything "fragile." The airlines, of course, get to define the word.

CoGo's advice: Buy the cheapest stroller you can find to get your kids to the airport, and leave the good stroller at home. Further, if you're considering checking anything besides clothing, read your airline's contract of carriage about baggage liability before you hand it over.

RULES AND REGS
Muddy Guidelines

Although worried that honesty would bring long delays and meticulous searches for specks of manure, CoGo answered "yes" when asked recently on the customs form: "Have you visited a farm, ranch, pasture outside the United States?"

The customs official at Washington Dulles initially seemed surprised that anyone even answered yes. Then, hearing about our hiking trip through Britain, he turned earnest, asking if we knew that we risked bringing mad cow disease into the United States. Actually, we replied, we thought foot and mouth disease was the issue.

Whatever. The official marked our form with a bold yellow A and said that an "agricultural specialist" would have to inspect and disinfect our boots. In fact, the specialist merely asked if we'd tried to clean our boots. When we said yes, he waved us through.

Customs spokesman Eric D. Blum later told CoGo that searches and disinfecting procedures are dependent on current outbreaks, the season and the traveler's testimony.

"Individuals who value fruit, vegetables, farming, the U.S. economy and their family's health. . . have reasons to provide honest, complete answers when questioned about their activities" abroad, Blum said. CoGo did -- and it didn't hurt a bit.

TRENDS
Seeing It by Segway

A lot of travelers apparently agree that tours on Segways-- those self-balancing "personal transporter" contraptions -- are a good way to explore a destination. There are now at least 170 Segway tour operators around the globe -- an increase of 53 percent in just the past year, according to Gina Sisco, a spokeswoman for Segway.

The company recently unveiled a Web site with links to info about a select number of tours as close as downtown Washington, Annapolis and First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, and as far away as Australia and Israel. Details: http://www.segway.com/tours.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
To Oz

With Qantas's Aussie AirPass, fly to Australia round trip from the States and make three domestic stopovers for less than $1,500. The pass from D.C. is $1,459 and includes airfare to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, plus three cities in Zone 1, such as Canberra and Adelaide. (Other zones cost more.) For lowest fares, travel Aug. 1-31; book by Sept. 30. If you can find cheap air to the West Coast, save $360 and depart from L.A. Up to $144 in taxes additional. Air to Australia typically starts at $1,100. Info: 800-227-4603, www.qantas.com.au.

Reporting: Cindy Loose, Caroline Mayer

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to cogo@washpost.com. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.