does checking bags reduce your chances of being left behind?
Apr 2, 2007 | 10:09 am
#1
Original Poster
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,385
does checking bags reduce your chances of being left behind?
Several months ago, I almost missed a PDX-SEA flight that was the first segment in an international itin because I misjudged the security line (it was short, but turned out to be painfully slow because of all the liquid nonsense). At the 11 minute mark, I made an apologetic move to the front and was processed accordingly. Then, I sprinted to the UX gate area and was initially told that I was too late. I made the flight in the end, but only by a hair. My question: if I had checked bags, would my plight have been different (e.g. airline employees find me at security)?
Apr 2, 2007 | 2:36 pm
#2
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,020
Last December AA denied me boarding on the first leg of an LAX CDG trip via JFK because I did not get to the checkin counter until 44 minutes and 50 seconds before departure time (yes, really). This violated the new, check your luggage 45 minutes before departure rule, evidently instituted rather recently.
My bag was too big to carry on, so, I got left at the counter. Ended up having to go to JFK, spend the night there, pay for a hotel, lose one night in Paris on a prepaid reservation.
So, checking bags can create its own problems.
My bag was too big to carry on, so, I got left at the counter. Ended up having to go to JFK, spend the night there, pay for a hotel, lose one night in Paris on a prepaid reservation.
So, checking bags can create its own problems.
Apr 2, 2007 | 3:01 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Starwood/Marriott Plat, Others of little note
Posts: 1,148
Last December AA denied me boarding on the first leg of an LAX CDG trip via JFK because I did not get to the checkin counter until 44 minutes and 50 seconds before departure time (yes, really). This violated the new, check your luggage 45 minutes before departure rule, evidently instituted rather recently.
My bag was too big to carry on, so, I got left at the counter. Ended up having to go to JFK, spend the night there, pay for a hotel, lose one night in Paris on a prepaid reservation.
So, checking bags can create its own problems.
My bag was too big to carry on, so, I got left at the counter. Ended up having to go to JFK, spend the night there, pay for a hotel, lose one night in Paris on a prepaid reservation.
So, checking bags can create its own problems.
Apr 3, 2007 | 5:11 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: back to my roots in Scotland!
Programs: Tamsin - what else is there to say?
Posts: 47,843
In Europe it does, as your bags cannot travel unless you are on the flight, and they would generally prefer to find you than find your bag on the plane. In the USA, unless they've brought in total baggage reconciliation it may not as your aircraft can depart with your bag on board.
Apr 3, 2007 | 8:31 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,077
If your bags are already on the plane and the airline and/or government generally requires bags to accompany passenger, then a passenger whose bags are already loaded but gets to the gates a few minute late has improved chances of making their flight, especially if there are a lot of bags to look through in order to get your bag off.
Apr 3, 2007 | 11:28 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Programs: various
Posts: 4,240
Last December AA denied me boarding on the first leg of an LAX CDG trip via JFK because I did not get to the checkin counter until 44 minutes and 50 seconds before departure time (yes, really). This violated the new, check your luggage 45 minutes before departure rule, evidently instituted rather recently.
Apr 3, 2007 | 11:29 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: OKC/DFW
Programs: AA EXP/2 MM
Posts: 9,999
Although that was the case for quite soem time after 9/11, that hasn't been my experience recently. Several times (flying standby, missed connection, etc) my bags have arrived at the destination ahead of me. At lest as far as AA is concerned, pax traveling separately from their luggage no longert seems to be a big concern.
Apr 3, 2007 | 5:48 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2,429
On a recent flight on AA my daughter did not make her connection in Chicago due to her flight being delayed out of Tucson. They had just closed the doors. When she arrived to collect her luggage after flying on a different flight, her luggage was the only luggage on the carousel. It went out on the fliight she was denied boarding on and no one botthered to pull it off the carousel. She was fortunate it was not stolen.
Apr 3, 2007 | 8:37 pm
#10
Original Poster
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,385
yeah, it always amazes how poorly separated bags are guarded at some airports. one of my bags beat me to baltimore recently. when i got there, i found it hanging out with a bunch of other bags outside the airline's baggage office, where the agent on duty was fast asleep. (not all airports are bad though; the same thing happened to me in shanghai last month and the airline held my bag for me at the counter.) i guess this is yet another reason not to purchase high end luggage.
Apr 3, 2007 | 10:59 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: TK*G, UA*S, PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Life Platinum
Posts: 4,717
Although that was the case for quite soem time after 9/11, that hasn't been my experience recently. Several times (flying standby, missed connection, etc) my bags have arrived at the destination ahead of me. At lest as far as AA is concerned, pax traveling separately from their luggage no longert seems to be a big concern.
HTB.
Apr 3, 2007 | 11:40 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 254
Checking bags does seem to make last minute changes much more difficult. For example, your inbound flight is early, and you'd like to take a connection that leaves earlier than your original connection- much harder with checked bags involved.
Apr 4, 2007 | 5:49 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA LT Gold; BA Silver; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,103
My husband and I had a 2-hour layover in LHR last year that, thanks to their %$#@!! "Security" nearly wasn't enough. We arrived gasping at the gate about 5 minutes before our flight back to the US and were told that if we'd been more than 10 minutes late they would have offloaded our bags- but it appears we did have a little leeway left because we'd checked bags.
And, on a domestic flight last year, I tried to get on an earlier-than-scheduled connection and, even with 1/2 hour to spare- because they said it wasn't enough time to transfer my checked bag. So there must be some sort of bag-matching there, too.
And, on a domestic flight last year, I tried to get on an earlier-than-scheduled connection and, even with 1/2 hour to spare- because they said it wasn't enough time to transfer my checked bag. So there must be some sort of bag-matching there, too.