Originally Posted by
kochleffel
I checked a bag during a layover in PHL while traveling on American a few years ago. I had been delayed by a traffic problem on the way to my departure airport and arrived at the counter just too late to check a bag, and the agent was inclined not to bend any rules. (In truth, there was a slight chance that a bag checked then wouldn't be loaded.) The bag happened to be small enough to carry on and so I did, then went outside security to check it at PHL since I thought that overhead space might be short on the next leg. The first leg was on a Dash-8 so I didn't have actually to carry it on for that flight.
You didn’t have to exit security and do all of that if the bag was small enough to take to the gate.
You could have just asked either the first or the second flight’s gate agent to simply check the bag for you to the final destination. They can print the white baggage tags at all gates.
I’ve done this frequently with DL when my bag fit through security but I was too late to check, and didn’t want to check. No problems whatsoever and the agents are happy to accommodate at the gate and free up overhead bin space.
I’ve also advised senior citizens who may already have hit their business class checked bag allowance on DL at check in - but have carry ons that they don’t want to/can’t lift to the height of the bins - to not pay the extra checked bag fee for a carry on sized item, but rather take it to the gate, where the agent will be happy to check it for you without a fee.