No Baggage Drop Until 4 Hours Before Departure?
Feb 6, 2023, 5:56 pm
#1
formerly Sleepy_Sentry
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 614
No Baggage Drop Until 4 Hours Before Departure?
I just tried to check a bag at SEA 5 hours before departure to EWR through the F check-in desk and was told no baggage would be accepted until 4 hours before departure. I explained that other airlines will always take baggage if the desk is staffed and was curtly told, Well that’s other airlines.”
Is this standard practice at other US airlines? Why won’t Alaska take my bag, especially if the agents are standing around doing nothing? I have never seen this before and am genuinely baffled.
It’s not like I am trying to check a bag 12 hours before departure at Prudhoe Bay. I’ve never seen this from a OneWorld airline or any other airline.
Is this standard practice at other US airlines? Why won’t Alaska take my bag, especially if the agents are standing around doing nothing? I have never seen this before and am genuinely baffled.
It’s not like I am trying to check a bag 12 hours before departure at Prudhoe Bay. I’ve never seen this from a OneWorld airline or any other airline.
Feb 6, 2023, 7:40 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,124
AA has a four hour maximum at SEA and many other airports too.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...e=arrivaltimes
UA has this to say: For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/airport/process.html#:~:text=For%20flights%20within%20the% 20U.S.%2C%20as%20well%20as%20most%20international, daily%20check%2Din%20counter%20hours.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...e=arrivaltimes
UA has this to say: For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/airport/process.html#:~:text=For%20flights%20within%20the% 20U.S.%2C%20as%20well%20as%20most%20international, daily%20check%2Din%20counter%20hours.
Last edited by Aliquot; Feb 6, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Feb 6, 2023, 7:46 pm
#3
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I just tried to check a bag at SEA 5 hours before departure to EWR through the F check-in desk and was told no baggage would be accepted until 4 hours before departure. I explained that other airlines will always take baggage if the desk is staffed and was curtly told, Well that’s other airlines.”
Is this standard practice at other US airlines? Why won’t Alaska take my bag, especially if the agents are standing around doing nothing? I have never seen this before and am genuinely baffled.
It’s not like I am trying to check a bag 12 hours before departure at Prudhoe Bay. I’ve never seen this from a OneWorld airline or any other airline.
Is this standard practice at other US airlines? Why won’t Alaska take my bag, especially if the agents are standing around doing nothing? I have never seen this before and am genuinely baffled.
It’s not like I am trying to check a bag 12 hours before departure at Prudhoe Bay. I’ve never seen this from a OneWorld airline or any other airline.
https://community.southwest.com/t5/K...ge/ta-p/100144
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...mum-reqd-times
Feb 6, 2023, 7:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2021
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan - MVP Gold
Posts: 183
Yes, definitely standard practice. At an outstation where an airline only has a small number of flights a day the check-in desk is likely not even staffed outside those times.
Anyway, AA already mentioned above, here's united too
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...t/process.html
I can't find a first hand link for Delta, but seatguru also reporting as 4 https://seatguru.com/airlines/Delta_Airlines/checkin.php
JetBlue is six
https://www.jetblue.com/help/checking-bags-at-kiosk
Anyway, AA already mentioned above, here's united too
For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours. United has the right to cancel reservations, deny boarding and refuse the acceptance of checked baggage of any customer who does not meet the applicable check-in time limits, as noted above.
I can't find a first hand link for Delta, but seatguru also reporting as 4 https://seatguru.com/airlines/Delta_Airlines/checkin.php
JetBlue is six
https://www.jetblue.com/help/checking-bags-at-kiosk
Last edited by remyjette; Feb 6, 2023 at 7:54 pm
Feb 6, 2023, 8:19 pm
#5
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a few years ago, traveling SEA-SAN-BWI on a 545pm departure, we tried to drop bags ~noon and were told the same thing
I asked the agent if I could check the bags through if I SDCd to the 3pm flight, and the answer was “Yes” … a few minutes later I called in and asked the phone agent to undo the check-in and SDC me back to the original flight
to this day I’m not sure how the system actually hiccuped, but SAN-BWI credited twice
I asked the agent if I could check the bags through if I SDCd to the 3pm flight, and the answer was “Yes” … a few minutes later I called in and asked the phone agent to undo the check-in and SDC me back to the original flight
to this day I’m not sure how the system actually hiccuped, but SAN-BWI credited twice
Feb 6, 2023, 9:27 pm
#6
formerly Sleepy_Sentry
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 614
AA has a four hour maximum at SEA and many other airports too.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...e=arrivaltimes
UA has this to say: For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ounter%20hours.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...e=arrivaltimes
UA has this to say: For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ounter%20hours.
Presumably they have limited space to store bags for future flights. Four hours isn’t uncommon.
https://community.southwest.com/t5/K...ge/ta-p/100144
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...mum-reqd-times
https://community.southwest.com/t5/K...ge/ta-p/100144
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...mum-reqd-times
Feb 6, 2023, 9:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SEA & LMT
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The four hour rule caught me by surprise last month at SEA. I needed to check my bag with large liquids inside and planned to work for several hours in the Lounge. The F checkin agent said I needed to wait about 10 minutes until I could check my bag… but that worked out to four hours before the boarding time. I stood off to the side and after about 10-15 minutes, the same agent called me over and said it was fine to check my bag. As soon as she scanned my boarding pass, there was a problem. It was still outside the four hour flight time, but she did override it and checked my bag. So it’s definitely possible, but YMMV.
Feb 6, 2023, 10:26 pm
#8
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No, they're not.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
Feb 6, 2023, 11:01 pm
#9
formerly Sleepy_Sentry
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 614
No, they're not.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
Some European airlines will even take a bag overnight before check-in to reduce crowding the next morning.
Feb 6, 2023, 11:03 pm
#10
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I recently had LATAM refuse my bag around noontime for a night flight (arriving from another airline) - SCL Premium counter flying up front.
Feb 6, 2023, 11:05 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ANC
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Posts: 1,401
No, they're not.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. It shouldn't be surprising that airlines are not interested in providing free baggage storage. Not only do stored bags take up valuable space, the longer they hold a bag, the greater the likelihood the bag will get lost or pilfered, resulting in an unhappy passenger and monetary liability.
Feb 7, 2023, 5:14 am
#12
Join Date: May 2022
Location: CA > SEA > Northeast Corridor
Programs: Elite: Alaska, Hilton; Formerly Southwest, United, and Uber (LOL)
Posts: 7
a few years ago, traveling SEA-SAN-BWI on a 545pm departure, we tried to drop bags ~noon and were told the same thing
I asked the agent if I could check the bags through if I SDCd to the 3pm flight, and the answer was “Yes” … a few minutes later I called in and asked the phone agent to undo the check-in and SDC me back to the original flight
to this day I’m not sure how the system actually hiccuped, but SAN-BWI credited twice
I asked the agent if I could check the bags through if I SDCd to the 3pm flight, and the answer was “Yes” … a few minutes later I called in and asked the phone agent to undo the check-in and SDC me back to the original flight
to this day I’m not sure how the system actually hiccuped, but SAN-BWI credited twice
I can confirm this also works with AA. I SDC’d to a later flight at the counter and my bags were still checked. Though it is possible that the agent took the bags first, knowing I’d be just outside four hours, and then changed my flight after accepting them.
Last edited by EastCoastAS; Feb 7, 2023 at 5:56 am
Feb 7, 2023, 5:49 am
#13
Join Date: May 2022
Location: CA > SEA > Northeast Corridor
Programs: Elite: Alaska, Hilton; Formerly Southwest, United, and Uber (LOL)
Posts: 7
The four hour rule caught me by surprise last month at SEA. I needed to check my bag with large liquids inside and planned to work for several hours in the Lounge. The F checkin agent said I needed to wait about 10 minutes until I could check my bag… but that worked out to four hours before the boarding time. I stood off to the side and after about 10-15 minutes, the same agent called me over and said it was fine to check my bag. As soon as she scanned my boarding pass, there was a problem. It was still outside the four hour flight time, but she did override it and checked my bag. So it’s definitely possible, but YMMV.
Feb 7, 2023, 9:56 am
#14
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To repeat, UA, AA, etc. have no exception for international itineraries. Carriers in other countries may have other rules, but we are talking here about an experience with a US carrier. The expectation that they would take your bag at any time the check-in desk is staffed was neither consistent with the published rules nor realistic.
Feb 7, 2023, 11:08 am
#15
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If you want to fly an airline that does everything to your preferred rules, you may have to start one
