randych

I'm planning a SEA-LIH-SEA trip next May, using FF miles.

We're actually going to be in LA right before this trip, and it dawned on me that instead of flying home from LA, I could book BUR-LIH-SEA and save the cost of the airfare from BUR-SEA. (Right? It looks like I can do that.) The only downside was that packing for two trips at once was going to be a bit of a hassle.

Well... I discovered that all BUR-LIH flights connect through Seattle anyway, and in looking at the schedules I realized that by booking a late flight out of BUR, we would be forced to overnight in SEA while waiting for the afternoon flight to LIH the next day. This could be good for us, but I'm not sure how the luggage would work. Would I be able to check the luggage through to SEA, pick it up, go home, repack and head to LIH the next day?

Can we specifically request this when we check in at Burbank?

baliktad

Welcome to FlyerTalk and to the AS forum randych!

A quick search on the word "overnight" returned several results, including this thread which may be of help to you:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...ight-stop.html

randych

Thanks for the link. I did search and had seen that thread, but it didn't seem to answer my question (they were trying to check all the way through -- I'm wondering about the opposite).

I've been searching more, and have found a couple threads that suggest that what I'm trying to do is possible. If anyone has experience to the contrary, let me know. Otherwise I'll assume it's ok.

Thanks again.

jackal

IME, short-checking is rarely a problem. Just make sure to request your bags only be tagged to SEA when checking in.

BLI-Flyer

I don't know what your plans are for overnighting in Seattle, but 3* airport hotels at SEA (Hilton, Doubletree, Marriott, etc.) are going for $40 - $50/night on Priceline. I bid $45 this week and got a very nice room at the Hilton, right across the street from the airport. Check betterbidding.com for bid histories if you're interested.

GoLutes10

I can't find anywhere online to reference for your...but at the airport we are taught that if a passenger has a layover longer than four hours, due to security reasons, we are required to short check the bag.

But even if you weren't, you could always request the BUR agents at the ticket counter check your bag only to SEA, as long as you were willing to pick it up there and recheck it when you fly again...hope that helps. =)

randych

Thanks, all. Sounds like this shouldn't be a problem. "Short checking"... I learned a new term today.

Good advice, BLI-Flyer. But I actually live about 40 minutes from Seatac, which is why this option is so appealing. Fly up from Burbank, sleep at home, then head out the next afternoon.

BLI-Flyer

I'm not sure this is always true because I've had flights where I missed the last flight to EAT from SEA due to my first flight arriving too late, and had a connection from SEA-EAT the next morning. The layover has been at least 8 or 10 hours. I've had no trouble checking my bags all the way through and not having to retrieve them in SEA. I just make sure I have enough stuff in my carry-on for the overnight.

GoLutes10

Yeah, the exception is made when it's already checked, and you miss the flight. But we just don't like to purposely tag it that way. Is that what you mean?

Most stations are pretty consistent about it, and others might not be especially if they're not paying attention to the connection time. So, that might be why it's not posted anywhere online as a rule, haha.

BLI-Flyer

No, I didn't "miss" the flight, it happens when a regularly scheduled flight I'm on arrives in SEA after the last flight for EAT has left for the night. (Say my flight is scheduled to arrive in SEA at 11 p.m., but the last flight for EAT leaves at 10:25 p.m.) My luggage was tagged to EAT and went out with me on the first morning flight at 9:50 a.m. the next morning, no need to pick it up at SEA and recheck it.

GoLutes10

Okay, I think I understand now, thanks. =)

beckoa

Oh and welcome to Flyertalk GoLutes10 - see you've been posting a bit today... beware your life will be forever changed

GoLutes10

Hahah, thanks for the welcome! And the warning!

jackal

I've had it work both ways...on the same trip. On a forced overnight in SEA where we did not want to carry our bags to where we were staying, our bags did indeed come off the carousel, but the fix was simple: we just left them and picked them up from the baggage office the next morning.

Our very next connection was a 12-hour layover in LAX, and the bags were checked through. That was good, because we spent the extra time that we would have had to spend waiting in the baggage check line at LAX at (guess where? ) In-N-Out.

golfingboy

Here is your answer RE if AS will check your luggage all the way to your destination.... So, if your layover is longer than 12 hours, you will need to pick up your bags at the carousel at the layover airport [the one that is 12+ hours]. However, if it is under 12 hours and you want to pick up your bags then you can make the request at BUR.