Aug 3, 2013, 7:10 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
How early may I check my bags before a UA flight?
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...s/default.aspx says,For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours.
There are reports in this thread of check-in agents allowing bag check in earlier than four hours prior to departure.
May bags be checked in the night before?
If it is more than four hours before scheduled departure, no, and there areno reports some reports for higher elites of a few hour earlier in this thread to the contrary.
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...s/default.aspx says,For flights within the U.S., as well as most international flights, baggage will generally not be accepted for check-in more than four hours before a scheduled flight departure, although this policy varies by airport and daily check-in counter hours.
There are reports in this thread of check-in agents allowing bag check in earlier than four hours prior to departure.
May bags be checked in the night before?
If it is more than four hours before scheduled departure, no, and there are
Consolidated "How Early Can I Check My Luggage Before a UA Flight?" Thread [Merged]
Nov 2, 2020, 10:35 pm
#166
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 54
Quick question. I am flying on UA from EWR to LHR in the evening with checked bags. How early am I allowed to check-in At the airport (doc check and bag-drop)? Is it 4 hours or can I do it same day in the morning?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 2, 2020 at 11:07 pm Reason: Moved to master thread
Nov 2, 2020, 11:10 pm
#167
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,761
There is (atleast pre-COVID) a bag storage provided at EWR, Bag storage at EWR
Mar 13, 2022, 4:40 am
#168
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 908
I'm flying from Australia to LAX and then the next day connecting from LAX via SFO to Tahiti PPT. It's all on one ticket so will I be able to check in at LAX the day before to obtain United boarding passes and complete document checks? I won't have any checked luggage.
Apr 3, 2022, 11:57 pm
#169
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,152
Bump
Will UA accept bags 8-10 hours early at ORD for a simple one segment (eg SMF) mainline domestic flight?
Wanted to train into town and back without bags
And is there risk they would send bags on an earlier flight?
Thanks in advance
Will UA accept bags 8-10 hours early at ORD for a simple one segment (eg SMF) mainline domestic flight?
Wanted to train into town and back without bags
And is there risk they would send bags on an earlier flight?
Thanks in advance
Apr 4, 2022, 12:01 am
#170
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,761
Believe based on an earlier thread, there is no short-term bag storage at ord
yes
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 4, 2022 at 12:22 am Reason: link
May 30, 2022, 10:01 am
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,446
Gate is typically not staffed more than 1h before flight departs.
Ticket counter policy is accept bags no more than 4h in advance of flight. Sometimes agents will make an exception.
May 30, 2022, 10:04 am
#173
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 122
Sorry, I meant check in counter. So, if I show up 3 hours in advance, I should be able to check my bags?
Aug 11, 2022, 8:20 am
#175
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 77
United early bag drop LAX
Hi,
I'm connecting through LAX to get to Cancun - however my flight from AKL lands at 1320 at LAX and my flight to Cancun leaves at 23:59.
Can i drop my bag early for my Cancun flight at a United desk? And does it make a difference which terminal I use, since I understand United use at least a couple of LAX terminals?
I wanted to head to Venice Beach between flights, but it would be so much better knowing my bags were already checked in for my return. Otherwise I guess I'll find storage somewhere.
Thanks!
I'm connecting through LAX to get to Cancun - however my flight from AKL lands at 1320 at LAX and my flight to Cancun leaves at 23:59.
Can i drop my bag early for my Cancun flight at a United desk? And does it make a difference which terminal I use, since I understand United use at least a couple of LAX terminals?
I wanted to head to Venice Beach between flights, but it would be so much better knowing my bags were already checked in for my return. Otherwise I guess I'll find storage somewhere.
Thanks!
Aug 11, 2022, 11:47 am
#176
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,761
If you bag is not check thru, which should be possible if arriving *A flight, UA will not take a bag more than 4 hour prior to departure, If checked thru, you will drop your bags on leaving customs.
If not checked thru, for CUN, if you need to check bags at T7
not aware of on-site airport lockers but googling yields https://laxluggagestorage.com/
If renting a car to get to Venice Beach, just store them in the trunk
If not checked thru, for CUN, if you need to check bags at T7
not aware of on-site airport lockers but googling yields https://laxluggagestorage.com/
If renting a car to get to Venice Beach, just store them in the trunk
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 11, 2022 at 11:54 am Reason: If renting a car
Aug 12, 2022, 12:46 am
#177
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,277
Since the connection is under 12 hours, UA should have no issue accepting it for recheck as long as the inbound flight is either same ticket (with a baggage interline partner) or from a *A partner, even if it wasn't checked all the way thru initially. UA's policies allow for the delivering carrier to check it thru to the UA flight in those situations, so just because the delivering carrier doesn't do it (either by their policy, by error, or because it has to be collected in US anyways for customs), doesn't make the customer ineligible to check the bag for the 12 hour connection. Of course, it's always dependent on the agent you get, but as long as you're doing this immediately after leaving customs at the recheck location it really shouldn't be any issue, ideally if there's any pushback a simple "I just came in on this INTL flight, the carrier was having issues checking thru, but need to recheck" should alleviate it and have them accept the bag.
Aug 13, 2022, 3:37 pm
#178
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,882
If you bag is not check thru, which should be possible if arriving *A flight, UA will not take a bag more than 4 hour prior to departure, If checked thru, you will drop your bags on leaving customs.
If not checked thru, for CUN, if you need to check bags at T7
not aware of on-site airport lockers but googling yields https://laxluggagestorage.com/
If renting a car to get to Venice Beach, just store them in the trunk
If not checked thru, for CUN, if you need to check bags at T7
not aware of on-site airport lockers but googling yields https://laxluggagestorage.com/
If renting a car to get to Venice Beach, just store them in the trunk
Aug 13, 2022, 4:23 pm
#179
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
Would not the OP just drop of the bag(s) after customs in the baggage re-check area? As long as it's checked through, i don't see the issue.
Aug 13, 2022, 4:51 pm
#180
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,277
There would be no issue if it’s checked through. Thats a clear cut case, claim
to clear customs then recheck under the checked through tag.
The ambiguity is if it isn’t checked through for whatever reason. I believe based on my understanding of UA’s policies, as long as it was eligible to be checked through (same ticket or *A partner), but for whatever reason the delivering carrier chose not to check through it, then OP should still be able to recheck it outside the 4 hour window.
