Major snowstorm- advice needed on checked luggage

Regal Princess 11 nt sailing, departs FLL Sunday at 4pm.

Moved our flight up to Saturday morning (couldn't get our kids home from college in time for a Friday departure) ORD-FLL nonstop, party of four.

Thinking we should pack carryon suitcases and be ready to standby for other flights to Florida, where we can rent a car or take the Tri-Rail from MIA.

 

Question as to the advisability of checking a large bag to FLL, assuming we are able to check in for that flight. If is is subsequently cancelled, the bag may make later flights that day or the next, where the plan would be to retrieve it before we board on Sunday. If it doesn't make it, do you think it will be in safe keeping at AA in FLL for that many days?

 

We would surely love to have our formal wear!

Go with carry on only. It will give you maximum flexibility. You may need it.

 

We almost got stuck in DC a few years ago. Saving grace was that we had carry on luggage, ie nothing in the airplane hold, and our fare code was mid level...not a consolidator ticket. Instead of getting stuck and overnighting there we were able to grab the last two seats on a plane and made it to our destination 3 hours late. Our friends were one day late.

 

We only travel with carry on now. This is just one of the reasons why.

Edited December 16, 2016 by iancal

I experienced a delayed bag on an American Airlines flight to Raleigh- I was continuing on and could not wait - I called their luggage people and they held it for a week before shipping it and delivering it to my home in CT. Airlines are not great at making sure luggage always shows up on time, but they seem to do a good job picking up the pieces after a foul up.

Are your kids flying home? If so, could they meet you in FLL?

I experienced a delayed bag on an American Airlines flight to Raleigh- I was continuing on and could not wait - I called their luggage people and they held it for a week before shipping it and delivering it to my home in CT. Airlines are not great at making sure luggage always shows up on time, but they seem to do a good job picking up the pieces after a foul up.

Did you communicate with them and request delivery to your home? I woudn't want it to come back here while we are away.

 

Are your kids flying home? If so, could they meet you in FLL?

They are travelling via bus, and car/train. I did consider flights from the cities close to them but they would have to connect in Chicago, so that won't help and might possibly make things worse. Good suggestion though!

Did your airline issue a weather waiver yet? This will allow you to rebook for another flight if yours is affected - that way you don't have to standby and wait to see if you can get on any flight...

For the luggage: I have guests come to my hotel without luggage due to airline mishaps. They will tell me the airline told them it would be at the hotel within a few hours; somehow those "few hours" always end up to be midnight, regardless of when the flight landed. The delivery services will pool all the luggage and go out at one time, not on demand. So, the luggage may arrive at 9am, but won't be delivered until 10-11pm possibly.

 

good luck. And, take carry on - it's the most flexible way to travel!!

Edited December 16, 2016 by slidergirl

Regal Princess 11 nt sailing, departs FLL Sunday at 4pm.

Moved our flight up to Saturday morning (couldn't get our kids home from college in time for a Friday departure) ORD-FLL nonstop, party of four.

Thinking we should pack carryon suitcases and be ready to standby for other flights to Florida, where we can rent a car or take the Tri-Rail from MIA.

 

Question as to the advisability of checking a large bag to FLL, assuming we are able to check in for that flight. If is is subsequently cancelled, the bag may make later flights that day or the next, where the plan would be to retrieve it before we board on Sunday. If it doesn't make it, do you think it will be in safe keeping at AA in FLL for that many days?

 

We would surely love to have our formal wear!

 

There is a law: your luggage travels with you. This means, if you are on a standby, you better have all your luggage with you, or they may not put you on another flight. You can gate-check if you don't want to keep the carry-ons with you.

Did your airline issue a weather waiver yet? This will allow you to rebook for another flight if yours is affected - that way you don't have to standby and wait to see if you can get on any flight...

I have already taken advantage of the free rebooking but am concerned that the new flight as well may be cancelled.

 

There is a law: your luggage travels with you. This means, if you are on a standby, you better have all your luggage with you, or they may not put you on another flight. You can gate-check if you don't want to keep the carry-ons with you.

Are you saying that if I have already checked a bag to FLL and my flight is cancelled prior to departure, they won't let me fly standby on another flight? This contradicts what happened last year during a similar storm. The airline gave us confirmed seats on a flight several days after our original flight. We instead showed up at the airport before the first flight the next day and told them we wanted to standby for the next available flight. We checked our bags to ORD in the morning without knowing what flight we would be on. After a few hours we were successful.

 

My question here has to do with the luggage that might come so much later that we are unable to collect it in time for the sailing.

There have been at least three times in the past few years where we have been delayed and required a re-route. First question the airlines asked is do you have any checked bags.

 

On all occasions, as soon as we said we only have carry on we were taken care of immediately. Not certain why.

 

After travelling extensively for four/five years we have become convinced that carry is is the only way for us to travel-especially by air. Not for everyone.

 

When we have had connection challenges they appeared to have been much easier to resolve in a satisfactory manner because we did not have checked bags.

Always use your business address in or on your luggage....never, ever give your home address....

There have been at least three times in the past few years where we have been delayed and required a re-route. First question the airlines asked is do you have any checked bags.

 

On all occasions, as soon as we said we only have carry on we were taken care of immediately. Not certain why.

 

After travelling extensively for four/five years we have become convinced that carry is is the only way for us to travel-especially by air. Not for everyone.

 

When we have had connection challenges they appeared to have been much easier to resolve in a satisfactory manner because we did not have checked bags.

 

I'm not certain, but I suspect if you have checked your bags you must travel on that flight...unless of course the airline screwed up and not you. I think that is a Homeland Security thing. If you volunteer on an overbooked flight then they may let that one slide.

Did you communicate with them and request delivery to your home? I woudn't want it to come back here while we are away.

 

...

 

 

Yes - as soon as it was apparent that the bag had missed my flight, I let them know that I did not want to have to return to Raleigh - and as I was going to be on the road, there was no good address for delivery until I got home a week later. They were very understanding and responsive.

Regal Princess 11 nt sailing, departs FLL Sunday at 4pm.

Moved our flight up to Saturday morning (couldn't get our kids home from college in time for a Friday departure) ORD-FLL nonstop, party of four.

Thinking we should pack carryon suitcases and be ready to standby for other flights to Florida, where we can rent a car or take the Tri-Rail from MIA.

 

Question as to the advisability of checking a large bag to FLL, assuming we are able to check in for that flight. If is is subsequently cancelled, the bag may make later flights that day or the next, where the plan would be to retrieve it before we board on Sunday. If it doesn't make it, do you think it will be in safe keeping at AA in FLL for that many days?

 

We would surely love to have our formal wear!

 

Princess rents formalwear for men - you just need to let them know ahead of time about your husband's sizes (and your sons, if you have one or more traveling) and hopefully your dress doesn't take up much room or alternatively, buy a dress in Florida and an extra bag which you can check when you fly home. But I would go carryon going down simply for the ability to do whatever you have to do to make your flight including, if all flights are cancelled, taking a train or bus south and west to the nearest city with an open airport (I've done that very successfully a time or two during blizzard situations when traveling for business.) Do look at possible alternative routes you can take should the airport not work out at all and have a couple of alternative plans.

 

Wishing you all the best in your travels for a safe and successful trip!

Regal Princess 11 nt sailing, departs FLL Sunday at 4pm.

 

Moved our flight up to Saturday morning (couldn't get our kids home from college in time for a Friday departure) ORD-FLL nonstop, party of four.

 

Thinking we should pack carryon suitcases and be ready to standby for other flights to Florida, where we can rent a car or take the Tri-Rail from MIA.

 

 

 

Question as to the advisability of checking a large bag to FLL, assuming we are able to check in for that flight. If is is subsequently cancelled, the bag may make later flights that day or the next, where the plan would be to retrieve it before we board on Sunday. If it doesn't make it, do you think it will be in safe keeping at AA in FLL for that many days?

 

 

 

We would surely love to have our formal wear!

 

 

 

Good luck. As an FYI, most major car rental places don't charge a drop fee between anywhere in Florida. :)

 

As to formalwear, as previously mentioned, you can rent (in advance) for men, and a long black poly skirt with a couple blinged out tops will always work in a pinch for women. I have an off the shoulder black lace top that is great for this. It is stretchy and won't wrinkle regardless of how crunched it gets. Both pieced together take about as much space as a one piece bathing suit. Something to consider.

 

I hope it all clears up and you make it to FLL without problems.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We arrived at LAX to depart for a land-based tour of Eastern Europe. A look at the monitor showed our NYC flight delayed so that we would miss our flight to Rome. Another search of monitor showed another flight (same airline) final-boarding directly adjacent to where we stood. We rushed over and begged for seats on that plane. Horror visited the person's face when she said, "Do you have checked baggage?" followed by amazed relief when we said, NO, carryon only. We got the last two seats, not together but that didn't matter in the long run!

 

I believe they HAVE to find your checked luggage and make it travel with you. Of course that doesn't apply to bags they lose on their own!

 

The ship has laundry and dry-cleaning (for anything that can't tolerate hot wash and dry), and rates equal to or not much more than city DC-ers.

A break in the storm allowed us to get out of ORD on time. We packed our large suitcases the night before as we saw the flight was not cancelled. Thanks for all of the support. A trying thing, this wintertime travel!

Regal Princess 11 nt sailing, departs FLL Sunday at 4pm.

Moved our flight up to Saturday morning (couldn't get our kids home from college in time for a Friday departure) ORD-FLL nonstop, party of four.

Thinking we should pack carryon suitcases and be ready to standby for other flights to Florida, where we can rent a car or take the Tri-Rail from MIA.

 

Question as to the advisability of checking a large bag to FLL, assuming we are able to check in for that flight. If is is subsequently cancelled, the bag may make later flights that day or the next, where the plan would be to retrieve it before we board on Sunday. If it doesn't make it, do you think it will be in safe keeping at AA in FLL for that many days?

 

We would surely love to have our formal wear!

 

We pack formal wear in our carryon's all the time, with a few other items... you might try that.

I'm glad it worked out for you, but for future reference, you could also have shipped a suitcase ahead of time. I know FedEx will hold a package for pickup and you could also have called the hotel if you were staying the night before and ask if you could have a suitcase shipped there. Personally, I'm in awe of anyone who can manage to live out of a carryon for a whole cruise. I can barely fit laptop, peripherals, meds, and an emergency change of clothes in the laptop bag I use as a carryon (which just barely fits in the size limitations). I had to take a checked bag for a weekend in Dallas!

Always use your business address in or on your luggage....never, ever give your home address....

 

...never ever give your home address, really?. What if you are retired (as is the case with many cruisers), work from home (as many people do nowadays) or do not work at all for any number of reasons , then what ??? :rolleyes:

Always use your business address in or on your luggage....never, ever give your home address....

 

Pointless suggestion for those who have no business address.

 

Yes, there is a chance that someone seeing your name and address on a piece of checked luggage might telephone an accomplice who lives in your area, on the assumption that no one would be at home, to alert him to the break-in opportunity.

 

There is a much greater likelihood that having your home address on your luggage might help you get it back in the event of a foul-up.

...never ever give your home address, really?. What if you are retired (as is the case with many cruisers), work from home (as many people do nowadays) or do not work at all for any number of reasons , then what ??? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Your local UPS Store is a good option. Let them know ahead of time, and if for some reason they need to receive your bags, they will charge you $5-10 each to hold until you pick them up. Unless you have a box with them, you do need to let them know in advance.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

...never ever give your home address, really?. What if you are retired (as is the case with many cruisers), work from home (as many people do nowadays) or do not work at all for any number of reasons , then what ??? :rolleyes:

 

There are these wonderful things called "business cards" or "personal cards." I've got some that I made up from Vistaprint. You do not need to have an actual business to make some up. I started doing these when I was a contractor/consultant and worked out of my house. I carry some in my purse at all times, at home or on vacation. They are handy for luggage ID, handing out to people you meet on cruises/vacations, giving to a hotel for contact info if you've lost something, etc. You can make up a business name if you want or not; retired - maybe you are a "Retirement Specialist" or "Cruise Specialist" ;-) I've got the front and back of my cards done with 2 of my favorite vacation photos.

Edited December 29, 2016 by slidergirl

Pointless suggestion for those who have no business address.

 

Yes, there is a chance that someone seeing your name and address on a piece of checked luggage might telephone an accomplice who lives in your area, on the assumption that no one would be at home, to alert him to the break-in opportunity.

 

There is a much greater likelihood that having your home address on your luggage might help you get it back in the event of a foul-up.

 

If you live within an hour or so of the cruise port, that might not be such accurate advice.

 

I've had luggage misdirected a couple of times, and they have always called me before delivery. I put my last name and cell # on the tags. That way they will be able to call me even if I'm on vacation, rather than having it go to my voicemail which I can't retrieve unless I'm at my home or office.