Tight connection luggage worry

[ondeckatsea]

We have a 25 minute time frame between the first segment of our cruise and the last. We are flying to FLL a day early and will be stuffing our carryons to the hilt. If by chance our checked luggage doesn't make it in time what are our chances that it'll make it to the ship (Celebrity Eclipse) the next day? I wish I could change the flight times but we can't. Both segments are Southwest. Will Southwest transfer directly to the ship or should we request them to transfer it to our hotel?

[maryann ns]

You are wise to be arriving a day early.

 

If you arrive and your luggage doesn't you have to file a claim. Give them the hotel address and when you will be there and also the ship's name.

 

I also always put on my luggage tags that our itinerary is in an outside pocket.

[ducklite]

Where is the connection--that will make a lot of difference. If you are flying MHT/BWI/FLL you should be fine--all the gates are right next to each other in A&B and they've got it down to a science there.

[sunlover5]

I could be wrong and not sure where you are flying too...but is that a legal connection time? If not I have had the airlines change flights for sure...not sure about SW. Might want to check. No charge, if the layover is not a legal time.

[Kartgv]

That's cutting it awfully close for any airline. Is there a later SW flight you could change to? SW does not charge for flight changes, so it wouldn't cost you anything.

 

If you do not change flights and your bags do not arrive, then they will come in on the next flight, whenever that might be. Rather than waiting and worrying about your bags catching up with you at either at your hotel or the ship, it might be worthwhile for one of you to go back to the airport and wait for luggage to arrive from that next flight and claim it yourself. You wouldn't have to go through security, so it would minimize the hassle. Good luck!

[chipq]

Of all the airlines, Southwest seems to have the connection luggage transfer down to a science. That's not to suggest that missed connections never occur but they are rare. If by chance your luggage misses the connection, they put the bags on the next flight to your final destination. In some cities the will deliver to misrouted bags. If it does occur make sure you file the lost bag claim right away and stress the point that your time in the FLL area is limited.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[ducklite]

There is a WN flight that runs weekdays MHT/BWI/FLL with a 25 minutes connection. I'm quite certain this is the flight OP is scheduled to take. I'm sure if they were having trouble with the connection, they would change it.

 

It's a five minute walk from the far end of Terminal A to the far end of Terminal B in BWI, obviusly luggage doesn't travel far--there's no reason to think that OP--or her luggage--isn't going to make the flight. Worst case scenario is that it comes in on the next flight a few hours later and they deliver it to her hotel.

[PennyAgain]

If your baggage missed your connecting flight, I would report that at baggage claim and be prepared to wait for the arrival of that next flight.

 

I wouldn't depend on the service the airline uses to deliver baggage to get it to your hotel at a reasonable hour. I've been awakened well past midnight by arriving baggage.

 

Put your absolutely essentials and valuables into your carry on bags. Remember SouthWest has a much larger size carry on allowable than the major airlines.

 

Medicines, cameras, jewelry, key travel papers and computers need to be with you at all times.

[ondeckatsea]

Thank you all for the good advice. We are relieved that we made reservations to give us a day in FLL before the cruise. We are leaving from Manchester, NH, with the quick connection at BWI, and I know there is another flight later which I believe goes to Tampa first. I will be sure to file a lost luggage report if it doesn't get to us with plenty of instructions. You people are always so helpful! I did a practice pack the other day and can get an amazing amount of clothing in my carry-on (just in case) and we always carry the serious and valuable things with us.

[LHT28]

When are you flying ..do they have a Non stop on your date?

It may be worth the few extra $

[ducklite]

When are you flying ..do they have a Non stop on your date?

It may be worth the few extra $

 

There is no non-stop from MHT to FLL.

[sail7seas]

Hope you handle stress well.......

 

that would put me over the edge. :eek:

 

[LHT28]

There is no non-stop from MHT to FLL.

It may depend on the day

Fridays have

12:30 PM 4:00 PM 580

 

 

Nonstop 3h 30m

sat

6:55 AM 10:35 AM 881

 

 

Nonstop 3h 40m

I just picked random days early March I have no idea when the OP is flying out

 

So it appears there are NON STOPS

[Karysa]

If you are running through the airport like we had to before you will not want much of a carry on bag to slow you down. Our teenage daughter ran through the airport with only a backpack on. They were closing the door but she begged them to wait for the rest of us. DH was weighed down with a laptop and camera equipment and if DD hadn't gotten to the door when she did we would have missed the flight. They kept yelling to the lady, close the door, close the door but we kept begging her to wait. Of course we were without luggage for 24 hrs but at least we made it to our destination.

[varoo]

We have a 25 minute time frame between the first segment of our cruise and the last. We are flying to FLL a day early and will be stuffing our carryons to the hilt. If by chance our checked luggage doesn't make it in time what are our chances that it'll make it to the ship (Celebrity Eclipse) the next day? I wish I could change the flight times but we can't. Both segments are Southwest. Will Southwest transfer directly to the ship or should we request them to transfer it to our hotel?

When arriving in FLL a day early, I would not worry about it.

 

25 minutes should be sufficient time if you are making what they call a "legal" connection. They will often hold the departing flight if necessary to get all the luggage on in such situations.

But even if your checked luggage doesn't make the tight connection, it will usually arrive on the next flight.

 

Throughout the years, we have experienced this situation a number of times and it has never really been a problem because we always pack all necessities in our carry-on bags and our checked luggage has always been delivered to us later at our hotel.

 

If your checked suitcase does not show up at baggage claim after you land, just file a report at the airline's baggage claim office with instructions to deliver it to you at your hotel.

(Unless the next flight is scheduled to arrive shortly, in which case you may want to hang around at the airport to wait for it.)

 

When you file a missing luggage report, most major airlines will give you a receipt with a tracking number and contact information, a phone number or email address, or both, where you can track your bag, much like tracking an expected UPS or USPS delivery.

 

Whenever our missing luggage was delivered to our hotel early, they called us and had it delivered to our room.

When it arrived in the middle of the night, the night clerk signed for it, locked it up, and we received it in the morning.

 

There is no way that I would ask the airline to deliver the missing bag directly to the ship when I am staying in the port city overnight.

 

If possible, I want to have my luggage in my possession before I board the ship, not be left to wonder whether or not it was actually sent to the ship, or if I will ever see it again at all.

 

 

However, if I should ever find myself in a situation where my bag had not yet been delivered to me by the time I checked out of the hotel the next day, then at that point I would contact the airline and instruct them to send the bag to the ship, giving them the full cruise itinerary.

[SadieN]

Wondering--

 

Is there a way to check if both flights are on the same plane?

We took a puddlejumper up the coast with a 30 minute layover and we were on the same plane.

 

OP-It's amazing how much can be packed into a carryon. We take carryon and a folding duffle to be checked on the return.

[Zach1213]

That's cutting it awfully close for any airline. Is there a later SW flight you could change to? SW does not charge for flight changes, so it wouldn't cost you anything.

 

That's not quite true. WN does not charge a change fee, but does charge for a fare change. That is - if the fare has gone up $150, you're going to pay $150 more. You just won't have a change fee on top of the fare increase. But to say it wouldn't cost anything to change flights is often untrue.

[ducklite]

It may depend on the day

Fridays have

12:30 PM 4:00 PM 580

 

 

Nonstop 3h 30m

sat

6:55 AM 10:35 AM 881

 

 

Nonstop 3h 40m

I just picked random days early March I have no idea when the OP is flying out

 

So it appears there are NON STOPS

 

I stand corrected.

[ducklite]

Wondering--

 

Is there a way to check if both flights are on the same plane?

We took a puddlejumper up the coast with a 30 minute layover and we were on the same plane.

 

OP-It's amazing how much can be packed into a carryon. We take carryon and a folding duffle to be checked on the return.

 

Sure, pull up the itinerary and it will tell you if it's the same plane or not. A "stopover" or "Layover" is not the same thing as a "connecting flight."

[Zach1213]

Sure, pull up the itinerary and it will tell you if it's the same plane or not. A "stopover" or "Layover" is not the same thing as a "connecting flight."

 

Also, if you look up your flight on flightaware.com, it often (not always) has a "track inbound flight) link. In my experience this is usually accurate

[Harry and Lucille]

I type up and print out a complete schedule of our trip, start to finish, and place in the front pocket of all bags. Where we will be and when. Before we leave home I print, use a strip of clear box packing tape down the center of the tag, fold, punch a hole where is to be stapled and attach it to the bag using a zip tie. Nylon. Not the cheap ones which tend to snap off. Take valuables and necessary stuff (including clothing) in my carry on. Where ever the bags go everyone knows where they should be and when. I identify bags. Ribbons, bows or my favorite, colored duct tape on all hard exterior parts. If one tag should ever come off, the bags will still match and will be paired up. On our many, many trips, never a problem. :cool:

[ondeckatsea]

I just got off the phone with Southwest and explained the situation to the customer service person (really helpful and pleasant) and she assured me we would be fine. She said the connecting flight is a minute or two walk and that they store the luggage in the hold according to the connection (first off, first off) and that they do it all the time so not to worry. All the same I am taking all the precautions you people have told me about and I thank you very much. Those suitcases will have all the addresses, etc of where we will be and cell phone numbers and all that stuff. My carryon is also going to be well packed with enough for a few days. We probably could have made better reservations but this one will have us down there a lot faster, no hanging around airports. We have insurance that covers delayed baggage, so that also is good.

So....Celebrity Eclipse...Here we come. You'd think after 26 cruises I wouldn't be nervous!

[ondeckatsea]

I use those bath scrunchies in purple to identify luggage. They work well. For years I used purple pompoms but apparently others liked the idea too and the baggage claim area became a sea of purple.

[maureencruiser]

Just a thought, is driving to Boston an option? I pulled up a random day in March and you can fly nonstop from BOS to FLL for $103.