Sorry to revive an old thread, but I think the content is still relevant. I will be taking a 2 stopover trip with 2 large soft sided suitcases on AA/BA (check-in on all legs will be with AA). I will leave all of the contents of the bags at the first stopover and will need to recheck them empty for the remainder of the journey.

I am unable to do many of the tricks mentioned in this thread (the bags won't fit inside each other and it's not practical to fill it with TP/Newspaper/etc. at my stopover point). They are nice bags and I am worried that due to the size of the bags they will end up at the bottom of a bunch of heavy luggage.

A previous poster mentioned they thought CO had a system of separating out the empty bags to minimize this risk. Does anyone know if AA has a similar process or if there is any way I can 'mark' my bags as empty?

I sincerely can't even imagine AA has a "system" to mark empty bags as empty and treat them differently. When I do this I often use an old Samsonite "beater" to ferry stuff to my family members and bring it back empty.


By the way, older but still worthy of comment:

The USDA APHIS [/B]will confiscate undeclared biltong brought into the USA and can exact a fine up to $10,000 for not declaring it. And though in some instances up to 50 lbs could be imported, it could not from any country identified as a source of BSE, FMD, rinderpest, etc. <link> to APHIS relevant web page.

(The difference between biltong and jerky is similar to the relationship between Cathay Business and Southwest. ;))

have been traveling for years with the max amount of cases allowed ( ie. 2 per person@ 70 pounds each ) and we always leave with 3 empties and 1 full to return with 4 fully loaded samsonite hardcase rollers . AA never ,ever treated the empties any gentler than the full ones but as they are hard case samsonites on most of the +35K years hardly one suitcase per year got really damaged or squished . One empty suitcases of a different/lesser brand however did not survive its first empty trip from BRU to KOA... but was replaced by a new suitcase on their costs !

I sincerely doubt there is any such process. The number of empty bags is miniscule. Why would the airline go to any effort or cost to deal with empty bags?

FWIW, I flew with an empty softsided bag last year. I just stuffed it full of crumpled newspaper so it wouldn't get totally squished.

That is a good idea! Thanks!

(Use USA Today - the bag will undoubtedly weigh less! :D No, actually crumple them for volume with less weight.)

Instead leaving the bags empty. I put an empty cardboard box in it to give it some support. Have worked for me in the past.