BamaVol

There are no guarantees where travel is concerned. You may as well start worrying about weather delays, mid-air collisions and pilot and co-pilot having simultaneous heart attacks. You have to give up control somewhere.

I would take issue with your statement that leisure travellers can't manage (baggage) delays and business travellers can. If my suit's not in my hotel room at 7:00 am, I'm not at HQ at 8. (Yes, I work for one of those dinosaurs where we dress up for work) I can't fit a weeks worth of clothes in a carryon that fits in an RJ overhead bin. Given a choice of checked baggage, tiny carry-on or gate-checked bag, I'll take the gate check every time.

Many business trips are multiple hops. We would not be gate-checking bags if we didn't think we would get them back. Your bag does you no good if it's always one airport behind you. It's your trip, but you're worrying about something that almost never happens. Like I said, no guarantees (except a limited supply of wrinkly clothes if you go the mini-carry-on route).

indufan

The pilot and the co-pilot can have simultaneous heart attacks? I think they should have a policy against that.

mersk862

I'd say 90% of my travel is on my own time and dollar (since I'm a college student, I only find myself on paid business trips 2-3 times a year covering an event for the school newspaper) and I've never had a problem gate-checking a bag. At some airports I've been to, they'll hold passengers on the plane until the gate-checked bags are offloaded and parked right next to the door of the plane for passengers to get. I'd highly recommend going the gate-check route for just clothes; takes no more than 3 minutes to get your bag at your destination, and in my way too many to count experiences gate checking bags (since I'd say about 60% of my flights are RJs...), I've never had a problem, nor have I ever seen anybody else have a problem.

clarence5ybr

Many of us do; I was assuming the OP didn't have one already.

msv

There are no guarantees where travel is concerned. You may as well start worrying about weather delays, mid-air collisions and pilot and co-pilot having simultaneous heart attacks. You have to give up control somewhere.

I guess after >500 posts you get a Ph.D. in psychology!! You all know me already! Yep prone to worry and somewhat of a control freak 1st born child. I plan for everything (I have CPR trainning) but the pilots and the heart attacks I'm too old to master those video games where you land planes so I hope they are cute if I have to revive them.

Honestly I worry all the way to the airport about tires going flat, no parking available or the road I'm no being closed. Put in in an airplane and close the door and I'm as happy as can be!! I love to fly!!

msv

BamaVol

My degree in Business Administration did not require any psychology classes. But, you're pretty good at posting your fears for all to see. You'll want to stay away from OMNI after you qualify. They'll eat you alive.

Just a suggestion, but maybe you could get a prescription and a ride to the airport. If you enjoy flying, maybe you could start the enjoyment a little earlier.

BTW, if you post your return date/time in the CRC meeting thread, you might find one of us willing to take you in a for a relaxing cocktail beforehand.

msv

OK you not only have a Ph.D in psychology you can read my mind (please don't tell the others - they will blush). I also have a degree in Business Admin but was too pregnant at the time to get my degree in Biology so my title doesn't exactly reflect my degree. I doubt anyone would be in my airport before I leave outbound (they are hardly open at that time) for the cocktail but I can assure you I can be found at many the airport lounges pre-departure exercising my right arm. I've met many interesting people in my travels there. Oh and I also looked and my milk was expired as 2 out of 3 just recently fledged. As for the prescriptions even though I get them for free I haven't taken any prescription meds for many years.

I will check out the CRC thread though. I've been lucky enough to get some trips to some pretty exciting destinations in the last year. I haven't tried to pick out FT people but I'm pretty sure I can pick out the Sky Marshalls.

msv

zsmith2

Your bag is much safer gate checked then anything else. If it puts your mind to ease most flight crews gate check their bags. If someone "loses" there bag its only b/c they didn't pick up their bag and it was sent back out on that plane. Nothing to worry about, just enjoy the experience of flying....from your friend at ASA!

msv

Well I followed your advice and did the gate check which worked perfectly on my first leg so I was at my hotel super early! I didn't fare so well on the return leg. The gate agent insisted I take the bag on the plane so I figured that the must have a different configuration because my bag clearly wouldn't fit. Needless to say I had to leave with the in the galley and they told me they would gate check it for me but never came back with a claim tag. After a 1 hour departure delay they told us was due to CONFUSION (ATL is an interesting place) I didn't have a bag waiting with the others. At least it did show up with the checked luggage and it did have a gate check tag. The baggage handler told me that the baggage in the gate check area can tumble into the the checked compartment because there isn't a wall between the two. I'd certainly go the Gate Check way again in the future though.

msv

SCEflyer

On two occasions within the last 30 days, I left my carry-on planeside with ASA in ATL. When we arrived in AVL, my bag wasn't on the cart when it was brought forward. Both times it became mixed in with the checked baggage. The bag was quickly delivered to me each time. However, these experiences drove home the point that gate checking can have some blips, and is certainly not totally secure.

SaraC

Sorry to interrupt this thread, but I have a loosely-related follow-up question. I am travelling on Skywest CRJ100's next month for my wedding, and would like to attempt to carry my wedding gown onto the plane (it will be in a garment bag). Does anyone have advice on how best to do this and what to expect? Is there a closet on these planes, and if so, will the flight attendants allow me to use it (assuming I ask very nicely, of course)? Seatguru shows one, but I don't know how accurate that is. The flight looks very full, although my family members take up 20% or so of the plane, not sure if that helps or not. Thanks in advance for any tips.