jamiaub

What is the earliest I can check bags for a flight? I'm staying at the Hilton at Boston Logan tomorrow night with the Family. I would prefer to check all of the bags including 3 car seats tomorrow night so I don't have to deal with it in the morning before the flight. Thanks

flyerCO

Generally no more then 4-6 hours before flight. So no night before, unless there's a paid service operating in BOS. They would pick up your bags and check them in the following morning. However I'm not aware of one.

MSPeconomist

I'm not sure about BOS, but some major convention hotels in certain USA cities (IIRC I've seen this in Chicago) have a bag drop and check in desk in the hotel lobby. The bags must be checked early and there's a fee, even if they just print your boarding pass and you don't check bags with them. I've never been interested--it's mostly useful for those who can't get late check outs--so I don't know how expensive this service is.

CarmenOM

According to a TA at MSP, you can now check bags up to 12 hours before a flight; she indicated that this is a recent change. However, it must be on the same day as the flight, so the overnight bag drop would not work.

rrz518

I tried to check in a big bag at JFK - connecting flight, actually, from LHR - JFK - SFO, at about 10pm before the connection.

They refused to assist, insisting I lug the big bag with me to the Airport hotel, then back. (This is the bag that I checked, not a carry on). I had no use for it that night, and it was heavy, thus a big inconvenience.

The staff there were incredibly rude and inflexible. I had a bit of a hissy fit, and after speaking with a supervisor, they begrudgingly accepted it.

I could sort of understand if this were the origin of the flight, but it was not. They were just being jerks.

DiverDave

Delta.com says 6 hours out, though it's not entirely clear if that applies to inside the airport or not:

Within 24 hours of your departure, you can tell us how many bags you will check and pay any fees quickly and easily online. That means one less thing you will have to do at the airport. When you arrive at the airport, you can drop off your checked baggage at the nearest baggage drop, marked with red "Baggage Drop" signage, or curbside check-in station (available within 6 hours of departure time). You may also check your bags at the airport kiosk, ticket counter, or curbside.

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...aggage_Ongoing

David

Mountain Explorer

Even if they let you check bags very early, it's not always a good idea. They likely will not have a baggage cart set up for your flight yet, so when your bags clear security screening they will get aside somewhere to wait. Then perhaps other bags will get set aside in front of yours. Then there will be a shift change. I don't have any stats on this, but I suspect that very-early checked bags have a significantly higher delay rate than other bags.

jamiaub

Thank you. All great advice and knowledge. I guess I will tough it out.

mkenwayx

Haven't ever tried, but I've been told that the skycaps are willing to take bags earlier than airline policy...

flyerCO

Yes, but I've never known them to take them the night/day before your flight. I'm not sure they'll even be able to tag them at that point.

btonkid12345

I will be flying EWR-RDU-ATL-LAS on DL next week.

However, will be flying ATL-EWR for a meeting earlier that morning. Not only DL.

I need checked baggage for the return flights, but not in Newark.

Thoughts on whether - if I showed up in ATL about 12 hours before departure of ATL-LAS (so same day, just arrive in the morning for an evening departure) would they accept a checked bag for ATL-LAS? Save me the lugging and save them from putting it on a few extra flights.

I know ATL should be setup for it given its a hub, but I'm uncertain how they'd handle it given its before I've taken the first flight, and is at a connecting point.

As a backup, I'll leave it at the ATL airport hotel and pick it up/check it in when back in ATL in the evening. Thanks

audidudi

So because of your DM status, you expected/thought that DL would bend/change their rules just for you and you showed no class by having your little hissy fit? No wonder some DMs have the worst reputation within the airline. Rules are rules, but of course there are always a few that want to try and get their own way because of their status and want to pressure agents to make exceptions. What a shame that those agents had to endure your pathetic performance.

btonkid12345

That is a 4 year old post you are chastising.

Bumping my most recent post on the topic for advice folks have about my question about ATL - thank you.

CarmenOM

Billy Mumphrey

The post is stale, but I also don't think there was anything wrong with asking for a supervisor to check the bag in that situation. If the individual was flying LHR-JFK-SFO, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask about giving the bag back to Delta once you clear customs at JFK. After all, the bag was presumably checked through to SFO on one itinerary and already had a tag. If they were flying just JFK-SFO and simply showed up at JFK to check the bag the night before, then of course that's not within the rules.