Continental first class question

[Fattony]

HAHAHAHAH good point! I cant go by my friends who had gr8 flight attendants who happily stored their dress in the closets. I should plan for the worst. I will fold and squish if need be...I called the Halekulani Hotel, and they said they could have the dress pressed/steamed when I get there. I will take my chance and carry on..if they wont hang, I will lay it in the overhead

 

I'm glad I won't be sitting near you, taking up an entire overhead bin because you are bound and determined not to check your dress. What if there are a lot of other people who wants things stores in the closets or overhead bins? I'm sure you feel you should get some special consideration, but others may not agree. But, all in all, it seems you've made your decision, no matter what others say, so best of luck and have a great wedding.

[greatam]

He said the flight are NOT full, and that worse case, they can gate check it if the closet is full or it wont get into the overhead bin. I will be double garment bagging it and cross my fingers. We are on a 5:30am flight, and plan to get to the gate at 3am which is 2 1/2 hours early for a non international flight....the 1st leg is ewr to houston....

 

NOW you tell us you have a connecting flight.

 

GET A BOX or some kind of container (or a larger, 22" carryon). IF they agree to hang it, take it out of the box/container and hang it up on the long haul flight. If not, at least there is some protection for the overhead or gate check. Gate check in a garment bag???? BAD, BAD, BAD idea. As one pilot announced while we were still at the gate-"Don't worry about those guys jumping up and down on your luggage to make them the size of pizza boxes-just too much stuff, people. It all has to fit".

 

You also have the additional problem of a connecting flight-can BOTH flights accommodate you? Maybe, maybe not. Getting to the airport very early for the first flight has absolutely NO bearing on the second flight. Each plane is operated separately by FA and gate agents. You generally won't have time between flights to deal much with the gate agents. They are very busy people with generally long lines trying to re-accommodate seats, flights, etc.

 

I fly over 100,000 miles per year worldwide. I wouldn't gate check a dress in a garment bag (even a double bagged dress) unless it was forcibly ripped from my hands on the jetway. Good luck!!!

[6rugrats]

So it turns out my dress will NOT fit in the carry on........I called continental and got a very nice guy who told me to get to the gate EARLY...and talk to the gate agents who SHOULD be able to accomodate me. He said the flight are NOT full, and that worse case, they can gate check it if the closet is full or it wont get into the overhead bin. I will be double garment bagging it and cross my fingers. We are on a 5:30am flight, and plan to get to the gate at 3am which is 2 1/2 hours early for a non international flight....the 1st leg is ewr to houston....

 

You are wasting your time to get to the gate 2.5 hours early. The GA usually does not arrive until an hour or less before the flight. A GA's job is to get the flight out on time, not worry about your dress.

[PennyAgain]

With such an early arrival, will the baggage check be open and will the TSA be open?

 

Your connecting flight changes everything. With people doing everything in the world to avoid checked baggage fees those overhead bins are fought over. Actually fought over.

[fbgd]

With such an early arrival, will the baggage check be open and will the TSA be open?

 

That's what I was thinking. There aren't that many airports in the US that run a full 24hrs schedule when it comes to arriving and departing commercial flights.

 

I've not used EWR enough to know whether or not they'd even be open at sparrow's fart like that but I doubt it.

[FlyerTalker]

My thoughts on the dress:

 

1) Put the dress in checked baggage and be done with it.

 

2) Put the dress in a regular rolling carry-on if you don't want it checked.

 

3) FedEx the dress to Hawaii

 

4) If you INSIST on carrying on your dress in a soft "garment bag" (which I assume will be just a shroud over the item, NOT some kind of structured luggage), have a contingency plan for buy something in Hawaii to wear. Either it will get crushed in the overheads on the EWR-IAH flight, crushed on the IAH-HNL flight or both. If it goes into checked baggage in a "soft garment bag", say goodbye.

 

5) Why did you wait until a week before traveling to be concerned about how the dress would get to HNL? Did this consideration ever come up when you decided to get married there? Was it a part of what must have been extensive planning and prep?

 

Thoughts on the upgrades:

 

1) EWR-IAH is a route where CO elites get complimentary upgrades. On a hub-to-hub flight, there may be top-tier elites in the back with you. Your chance of an upgrade, on a 0 to 10 scale is some medium-sized negative number.

 

2) IAH-HNL is a very desirous upgrade, and many people will use miles & cash to sit up front. Your chances here zoom up to zero, especially if you hope to do it as a wedding bonus.

 

3) Exit rows and bulkheads are reserved for elites. They are prized on long-hauls, so your chances of getting one are higher than zero but less than one.

 

Thoughts on the flights/checkin:

 

1) You cannot hold items in your lap for takeoff and landing. So any dress will get shoved into an overhead.

 

2) You will not get to have the dress nicely laid out in a set of bins. You will have it folded and compressed to take up the least amount of space.

 

3) Do not expect any room in a "closet". First off, they are small. Secondly, they are not full length, but more like 4 feet high, and the bottoms are full of equipment and/or crew bags. Even in a "closet", your dress will be jammed and crushed.

 

4) Gate agents generally arrive 1 hour before departure. Perhaps for HNL they may get there a bit sooner. As mentioned, their first priority is the on-time departure of the flight, then accommodation of passengers with flight disruptions, then accommodation of those with handicaps (wheelchair boardings and the like), then accommodation of families with small children. All the while, they have to cater to the needs of CO elite flyers - of which you will have many out of EWR.

 

 

Sorry to be the Grinch, but reality really can be a downer.

[PennyAgain]

Thanks FlyerTalker. I've been waiting for you to land and get over to this discussion.

 

I telephoned the bride shop used by many women in my family. The person who answered told me that they sell many gowns made especially for destination weddings for all of the above reasons that you listed.

 

The destination gowns are light in weight (by comparison to the standanrd dresses) and easily fit into a 22" carry on bag that does not have a bunch of built in gear. The destination gowns are made to look good for non-traditional settings such as the ever popular barefoot beach weddings.

[Hdog76]

ouch.....one minute i listen to everyone, then i talk to continental yesterday and he told me not to worry they can accomodate it. That with my 3 friends who flew with their dresses had it hung no problem. Like I said, I cannot fit it in a standard carry on roller. I can try a box, but im assuming the box is /has to be same size as the rolling carry on. I have no problem cramming it since i will be having it pressed when i get there. Unf it is not a light flowy destination dress, but has some volume to it. I waited this long cause i was stupid and listened to people who did what i did and never had a problem. I also went on the knot.com and MANY people had some of the same good experiences. I had so much going on these past few weeks with closing on our first home today..packing to move, packing to go on vaca, planning a party for october and planning a destination wedding. I appreciate the critics, but understand i just "didnt think"

[Hdog76]

I found a different carry on and removed some of the cardboard packing in the dress....It fits into the carry on, a rolling one. I will bring it in my carry on and hotel will steam the dress when I get there. Thanks everyone

[ariawoman]

I'm glad you found a carryon that can accomodate it, even if it ends up being too large for the aircraft it could at least be gate checked without too much worry.

[FlyerTalker]

ouch.....one minute i listen to everyone, then i talk to continental yesterday and he told me not to worry they can accomodate it.

Remember....the agent you talk to on the phone will never have contact with you again. He won't be at the gate....he won't be on the aircraft. And if you have a problem, he's just an anonymous voice on the phone whose job it was to book tickets and move on to the next call.

 

If I had a dollar for every time a phone agent (not elite line agent) gave me incorrect information, I'd have more than just a few greenbacks.

 

Glad you found a carry-on suitcase that will hold the dress. You should be ok now.

[Hdog76]

WOW.....so I set my alarm for 5am to check in online hoping for extra legroom seats on the long flight from houston to honolulu....well we had the option to upgrade to first class for only 350 dollars! UNREAL!

[PennyAgain]

So did you buy the upgrade? Is it on both your flights or just one?

 

Glad you found a suitcase that works for the dress.

 

Bon voyage!

[Hdog76]

we have elite boarding privelages on both...the ewr to houston flight we have the row behind first class...the extra legroom row..then the houston to honolulu we have first class

[wrp96]

we have elite boarding privelages on both...the ewr to houston flight we have the row behind first class...the extra legroom row..then the houston to honolulu we have first class

 

 

That Houston to Honolulu leg you will really appreciate the Business First seats.

 

Glad you found a carryon that will work.

 

Hope your wedding is everything you want it to be and may your marriage be blessed.

[klfrodo]

WOW.....so I set my alarm for 5am to check in online hoping for extra legroom seats on the long flight from houston to honolulu....well we had the option to upgrade to first class for only 350 dollars! UNREAL!

 

:D Congratulations and I am glad I was wrong to say you're chances were nill to zero % of being offered to purchase a first class upgrade.

[Hdog76]

The ewr to iah flight....i had elite boarding but a regular extra legroom seat and didnt put my dress in carry on....i had it in garment bag and held it. I boarded, and did not plan on asking for closet, was going to put in overhead with my fiances carry on and cross fingers....the flight attendant asked ME if i wanted to put in closet....flight one....dress in 1 piece. It also went thru scanner FINE,.....they were extra careful, let me just lay it down and he slowly inched the scanner belt. 2nd flight i knew would be ok as we were 1st class. Dress went right in closet and was worth EVERY penny. Slept almost entire flight..all 8 + hours. Now i'm spoiled and hate that our return flight are via LAX with standard first class seats, no lie flats or even leg rests

[kenexx]

Glad to hear it all worked out ok. All the best for your wedding :)

[6rugrats]

Yes, once you ride up front, you never want to sit in the back of the bus.

 

Glad this worked out for you!

[klfrodo]

:D

The most expensive mistake I ever made was ( to make a trip special) use miles to upgrade my wife to first class.

I've been paying for that mistake ever sense. :eek:

[Globaliser]

The most expensive mistake I ever made was ( to make a trip special) use miles to upgrade my wife to first class.

I've been paying for that mistake ever sense.

My sympathy. I know exactly what you mean.