Missed Check-In Luggage Deadline
Apr 1, 2019, 4:26 pm
#61
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IMHO, although it may come across as harsh, the advice people are giving to "not be late" is sound; typically the best way to deal with a problem is to avoid it in the first place.
If you are going to be 1 minute late for the baggage drop deadline, you should be prepared to treat it the same way you would if you arrived at the airport after your flight departed. Know what your options are for alternate flights, and any SDC charges, etc. and be prepared accordingly. You can always play dumb/plead your case to an agent who may be willing to bend the rules, but if you absolutely need to check a bag, be prepared to take a different flight.
If you are going to be 1 minute late for the baggage drop deadline, you should be prepared to treat it the same way you would if you arrived at the airport after your flight departed. Know what your options are for alternate flights, and any SDC charges, etc. and be prepared accordingly. You can always play dumb/plead your case to an agent who may be willing to bend the rules, but if you absolutely need to check a bag, be prepared to take a different flight.
However, it's MUCH more helpful to people reading this thread to offer the practical advice that has been given:
1. Always OLCI in advance
2. Don't be late (i.e. if you need to check a bag, and the cutoff is T-60, don't aim for T-62)
3. Don't check a bag (that shifts the only cutoff from T-60 to T-15)
4. Bring your massive suitcase through security (I didn't even know this was an option, but it's a good one)
I don't know what else you can expect from a thread like this, but all four of those points are useful advice to future travelers.
Apr 1, 2019, 4:35 pm
#62
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That's my thought. No one is going to be reading FT between T-59 and departure, so the question of "what to do if I miss check-in cutoff" is mostly irrelevant, beyond the answer of "talk to an agent".
However, it's MUCH more helpful to people reading this thread to offer the practical advice that has been given:
1. Always OLCI in advance
2. Don't be late (i.e. if you need to check a bag, and the cutoff is T-60, don't aim for T-62)
3. Don't check a bag (that shifts the only cutoff from T-60 to T-15)
4. Bring your massive suitcase through security (I didn't even know this was an option, but it's a good one)
I don't know what else you can expect from a thread like this, but all four of those points are useful advice to future travelers.
However, it's MUCH more helpful to people reading this thread to offer the practical advice that has been given:
1. Always OLCI in advance
2. Don't be late (i.e. if you need to check a bag, and the cutoff is T-60, don't aim for T-62)
3. Don't check a bag (that shifts the only cutoff from T-60 to T-15)
4. Bring your massive suitcase through security (I didn't even know this was an option, but it's a good one)
I don't know what else you can expect from a thread like this, but all four of those points are useful advice to future travelers.
Apr 1, 2019, 5:49 pm
#64
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Apr 1, 2019, 5:55 pm
#65
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As a general response (not directed at you specifically), I think the OP understands that missing the published cut-off time is missing it... but was more curious about if there were leeways that had been afforded others in the past, or if there was something s/he could have done differently leading up to and during his check-in experience. I didn't read it as asking for a way to "game the system", so to speak.
Apr 1, 2019, 6:07 pm
#66
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I did this too. My AC flight had UA gate agents and they had left as I arrived late due to a accident on a highway. I took my suitcase along with my carryon thru security. Fortunately it fit in the Xray machine. Got to the gate and had the suitcase gate checked. I obviously already had my mobile BP.
Bottle of champagne etc
Not to mention anything sharp or potentially dangerous. Beyond 101ml of liquids.
Apr 1, 2019, 6:18 pm
#67
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My whole reason to check my bag is the liquids and manicure implements that I think Eagle-Badge Man may use as a pretext to give me a hard time. I will often check nothing more than a half-empty carry-on size bag. But nice to know one could squeeze a larger bag through and check at the gate if one's circumstances allowed.
Apr 1, 2019, 6:37 pm
#68
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I've been late for a flight three times in my life: once 10 mins late on a West Jet domestic (Y) with bags, once 2 minutes late on an Air Canada domestic (J) with bags, and once 12 minutes late on a JAL international (J) with bags. West Jet was more than accommodating, checked me in and then dropped my bag for me in order to save time. JAL agent called supervisor and arranged a running escort all the way to the farthest gate in NRT (letting me use staff security line)... On the other hand, AC said sorry, I can't check you in, go over there to ticketing to see what to do. I was already OLCI'd in for the AC flight, but alas my bag was not tagged in time.
What airport and what time of day for AC? If the ticket agent is shutting down for the night, with no other outbounds, then not only might they want to get home, they know your bag might not make it if they put it on the conveyor. Leaving you, the one who cares most about the bag, to decide what to do could be considered best here.
For WS, the agent might not GAF and be perfectly happy to just check one more bag with 5 hours of their shift to go, and not warn you that you might be sitting around the the destinations baggage hall for the next inbound because your bag did not make it.
International flights might simply have very long windows for the obscure and unlikely security concerns; best case is exactly the same time from the check-in counter to the gate.
Apr 1, 2019, 7:59 pm
#70
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More detail needed to build any case.
What airport and what time of day for AC? If the ticket agent is shutting down for the night, with no other outbounds, then not only might they want to get home, they know your bag might not make it if they put it on the conveyor. Leaving you, the one who cares most about the bag, to decide what to do could be considered best here.
For WS, the agent might not GAF and be perfectly happy to just check one more bag with 5 hours of their shift to go, and not warn you that you might be sitting around the the destinations baggage hall for the next inbound because your bag did not make it.
International flights might simply have very long windows for the obscure and unlikely security concerns; best case is exactly the same time from the check-in counter to the gate.
What airport and what time of day for AC? If the ticket agent is shutting down for the night, with no other outbounds, then not only might they want to get home, they know your bag might not make it if they put it on the conveyor. Leaving you, the one who cares most about the bag, to decide what to do could be considered best here.
For WS, the agent might not GAF and be perfectly happy to just check one more bag with 5 hours of their shift to go, and not warn you that you might be sitting around the the destinations baggage hall for the next inbound because your bag did not make it.
International flights might simply have very long windows for the obscure and unlikely security concerns; best case is exactly the same time from the check-in counter to the gate.
Apr 1, 2019, 8:17 pm
#71
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So I go landside and see the check in agent. They phoned the gate to see if boarding had started and it hadn't. They looked at the empty security line and asked "Can you run?". I said yes, and they said to go to the gate and they would take care of my bag. Both bag and I made the flight, but there was no way I could have made the check-in cutoff any earlier.
Apr 1, 2019, 8:25 pm
#72
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Not always possible and can be entirely out of the passengers control. As an example, I flew LHR-YVR-YYC. Somewhere between check in and the gate at LHR a family had lost their passports, so their baggage had to be offloaded. We lost our takeoff slot and there was quite a delay leaving. Had headwinds to YVR so the flight took longer than normal. Landing at YVR, I have to clear customs and bags are reclaimed in the customs hall and have to be rechecked for the domestic flight. With all the delays, the normal check-in window for the bag drop for my domestic had passed, so they told me I had to go landside and see the agents there.
So I go landside and see the check in agent. They phoned the gate to see if boarding had started and it hadn't. They looked at the empty security line and asked "Can you run?". I said yes, and they said to go to the gate and they would take care of my bag. Both bag and I made the flight, but there was no way I could have made the check-in cutoff any earlier.
So I go landside and see the check in agent. They phoned the gate to see if boarding had started and it hadn't. They looked at the empty security line and asked "Can you run?". I said yes, and they said to go to the gate and they would take care of my bag. Both bag and I made the flight, but there was no way I could have made the check-in cutoff any earlier.
Apr 1, 2019, 8:55 pm
#74
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Indeed the security theater around PAX and bags travelling together may play a role. It's not critical (airlines are "allowed" to screw up), but where is that line?
What TA wants to have that conversation? " But buddy was huffing and puffing and in a panic; I assumed he was just 1 minute late so I checked his bag" / "do you routinely check terrorists bags when they breath heavy? Or was this trrrorite special? You say he was a regular... So you have a relationship with this terrorist? "
What TA wants to have that conversation? " But buddy was huffing and puffing and in a panic; I assumed he was just 1 minute late so I checked his bag" / "do you routinely check terrorists bags when they breath heavy? Or was this trrrorite special? You say he was a regular... So you have a relationship with this terrorist? "