Mileage run question from Newbie-all about checked bags
 

Ok I am new to Mileage runs and preferred status in general. So here's my question.

Us air multi trip ticket

I am leaving Akron in the morning and flying to Seattle. (1st part of trip)
I then bought a 2nd ticket leaving the same day from Seattle going to Miami (2nd part of trip)

Seattle is not officially a connection.... I actually bought the ticket and am going to fly it to get the miles then join my wife in Miami. (shes there on business and flying a diff airline)

I am going to be in Seattle for less than 58 minutes. So i am going to disembark from flight 1 walk down a few gates and get on the 2nd flight going to Miami. I will not leave the Seattle airport and so will not have to re-enter and go thru tsa.

But what If i bring an actual checked bag? Will that get shoved off in Seattle and be sitting there in baggage claim or can i tell the first gate agent in Akron to just make sure it goes all the way to Miami that day?

Any help or insight would be huge

Which airline(s) are you flying? If it's the same carrier, you shouldn't have any problems getting your bags checked through to MIA.

Mileage runs and checked bags don't really go together.

It sounds as if you might have already purchased your tickets. However, the sort of questions you're asking are best asked while you're doing your travel planning and before you purchase your tickets.

Have you thought about what you will do if your flight from Akron to Seattle is delayed by an hour?

Flying us airways...I have thought about potentially being delayed...there's a redeye later that night

Sounds like 1 yes and 1 maybe....

Call US Airways ahead of time and explain you'll be checking a bag. Again, assuming ALL LEGS are USA. If not the case (different airlines), then don't try it.
I would assume they could just do this at the ticket counter as well. Again, explain that you have 2 separate reservations, but that one ends where the other begins, same airline, so please check it all the way through. SHOULD be no problem.
And finally . . . DOUBLE and TRIPLE check the bag tag for the full routing! If it is wrong, you are in bad shape.

Are you planning to check a back by preference or out of necessity? My recommendation is not to check luggage at all for this trip. You should be able to pack for a week in a standard 22" roller bag that will fit in the overhead

Good advice all. I called the preferred desk today and they said it would end up in Miami and they had already noted not to pull it in Seattle. I will of course double check with the gate agent when i check in on the first part of my trip

I have considered not checking a bag at all but I am not the light packer that I should be yet.

Easy- never check bags
 

Easy- never check bags.

Don't check bags if you really are on a MR. That's asking for extra trouble.

Avoid checked baggage! My wife and I recently flew an MR between LGA and SJC. Everything went well until the return flight from SJC. The plane broke and every passenger was asked to deplane, check with the gate agent to get rebook. The rebooking line was long with frustrated passengers. The agent announced that passengers with checked bags cannot be rebook until after their luggage had been picked-up. Fortunately, my wife and I only traveled with our hand-carry luggage, so we were rebooked in minimal time.