QuantumMeruit

In retrospect, even with a 2-hour layover fairly late at night, I suspect that even a slight delay will deny me the ability to all the way out to the Hilton bell stand (or my car).

Does anyone think that I have a chance of checking my bag at ORD at dawn that same day? The itinerary in question would be PIT-ORD-MSP; can I show up at ORD 12 hours early and request my bag be checked to MSP? Or is that way too risky?

(Mods, I apologize if this followup question is not kosher following the thread being moved.)

paytonc

I'm the sort who never checks bags, but UA baggage staff at ORD have told me that you can check bags with them pretty much anytime the day of your flight. However, they're not allowed to separate passenger and bag, and having the bag try to follow you around on your segment run (including a re-check at PIT) is really risking it.

Might consider shipping the bag to MSP instead.

BTW, good score on that segment run. Gotta love those zany US routings.

fradoc

Thanks for the tip! The HILTON THING works. Although the bell man refused initially after I admitted that I have no room #, a bri..err..tip of $10 opened the door to the storage immediately! I had schlep-and-hassle-less five hours ad Chicago downtown.

thwnd08

Has anyone tried this recenty?

I need to travel to the Chicagoland area, specifically an hour west of Chicago, for work in September. As the cubbies are playing on the preceeding Sunday afternoon, and since I have never been to Wrigley for a game, I am looking into flights to get out there early enough to catch the 1PM start. The last thing I want to do is lug my stuff around downtown or in Wrigley. So, does the Hilton trick still work? Also, I will most likely be traveling with as many as 4 or 5 of my colleagues, so multiply the amount of baggage. Would the extra bags be an issue?

Since we need to pass ORD after the game to get to our final destination, it'd be real convenient to drop and go for a few hours. Or, does anyone know of any places downtown to drop our stuff for a few hours while we catch the game? I'd imagine another hotel, or is this type of stuff not as common at non-airport hotels?

Thanks!

stimpy

Any improvements in this area? Is there really no storing of baggage? I need to store bags for a few days.

aktchi

I don't think there's anything at ORD or near. Other countries have managed to take care of security concerns in other ways: At LHR and NRT, the luggage is screened, and the cost of such screening is built into the storage charges. At DEL, the luggage storage is at some distance from the main terminal. Etc. Not sure why US airports haven't found a solution.

u2fan

Interesting the airport is calling it 'for security reasons'. The buzz around the airport is that the lockers were removed as part of an effort to remove the homeless - that the homeless were living at the airport and storing what they had in the lockers.

stimpy

Outside of the US, at most every major airport in the world, and train station for that matter, they have staffed baggage storage facilities. It is a service provided to travelers. In high security places where there has been terrorism before (Paris, London, etc.) they have x-ray facilities to scan what is inside your bag before you store it.

But I shouldn't be surprised. In America the concept of service has long gone away.

aktchi

This is the classic bureaucratic instinct. A staffed and screened luggage luggage storage facility would have dealt with both the homeless and security concerns.

Not a surprising response from the system which concluded, after its own policies and implementations failed on 9/1, that what really needed to be done is make millions of people remove their belts and shoes several times - and to prevent families from saying good byes in a coffee shop or food court.

It doesn't help that US public has been educated to think that any real service to taxpayers amounts to "socialism".

So, to make a long story short, sorry, no left luggage facility at ORD.

ssb2045

Last year I stored a bag at PDX for the day (arrived 10am, picked it and our rental car up at 10pm after spending the day exploring downtown Portland.) The facility was in the arrivals area, near the airline baggage desks. Don't know if any other airports offer this.

rustyr

Doesn't DEN have a storage facility in the main hall?

rustyr

No- if the Hilton balks at u wanting to leave bags for a few days the next cheapest option is to priceline the cheapest car available and park it in a off airport long term parking and put bags in the trunk. Still runs into some $ for even few days. If you don't need the bags why not just fed ex them to your final destination?

aktchi

Feels funny to quote myself but I assume that the above statement is still true.

However, I would like to expand the question somewhat: Is there any sort of facility anywhere along the Blue Line where one can store luggage for a few hours?

Though less convenient, it would serve the same purpose, ie, free you up to go around the city and do something for a few hours.