Luggage Valet With Southwest/AirTran Mixed Flight

[Agnt86]

Hey fellow cruisers,

 

I'm setting up my flights for an upcoming family trip and had a question about the luggage valet program.

 

It is something I would definitely like to take advantage of, but the best available flight back from the cruise is half Southwest and half AirTran itinerary.

 

Would that be a problem for luggage valet? Both airlines appear to be in the luggage valet program, and apparently AirTran is a part of Southwest now to boot.

[Clarea]

Should be no problem if both airlines participate in luggage valet.

[Agnt86]

Should be no problem if both airlines participate in luggage valet.

Hey Clarea,

 

Thanks for the quick response - WOW!

 

I'm just a little concerned because I found this copy of the luggage valet form online, and it appears to indicate your flights need to be on a single airline.

 

Luggage Valet Form

 

It's the "All of my flights (including connections) are with only one of the following airlines..." that has me worried.

[Clarea]

Hey Clarea,

 

Thanks for the quick response - WOW!

 

I'm just a little concerned because I found this copy of the luggage valet form online, and it appears to indicate your flights need to be on a single airline.

 

Luggage Valet Form

 

It's the "All of my flights (including connections) are with only one of the following airlines..." that has me worried.

I suspect that for the purposes of Luggage Valet, Southwest/Airtran would be considered one airline.

[Agnt86]

I suspect that for the purposes of Luggage Valet, Southwest/Airtran would be considered one airline.

Hey again Clarea,

 

That is my thinking as well, but I'm hoping that perhaps someone in the CruiseCritic family has been in the same boat and can share their experience.

 

I've basically got two flights to pick from. The first Southwest flight is 10:55am - too early for luggage valet, but late enough to disembark in the early group. This mixed Southwest/AirTran itineracy departs at 11:45am, which qualifies for luggage valet.

 

When moving the family around the time delay is worth not having to handle the baggage. But if luggage valet won't work, and I'd have to do a normal disembarkation, I might as well get the earlier flight.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Agnt86

[Clarea]

Hey again Clarea,

 

That is my thinking as well, but I'm hoping that perhaps someone in the CruiseCritic family has been in the same boat and can share their experience.

 

I've basically got two flights to pick from. The first Southwest flight is 10:55am - too early for luggage valet, but late enough to disembark in the early group. This mixed Southwest/AirTran itineracy departs at 11:45am, which qualifies for luggage valet.

 

When moving the family around the time delay is worth not having to handle the baggage. But if luggage valet won't work, and I'd have to do a normal disembarkation, I might as well get the earlier flight.

I may have missed it, but what cruise port and airport are you talking about? If it's Port Everglades/FLL, then the 10:55am flight should be fine. If it's Port Canaveral/MCO, then 10:55am would be too early for my stress level.

Edited March 3, 2014 by clarea

[Agnt86]

I may have missed it, but what cruise port and airport are you talking about? If it's Port Everglades/FLL, then the 10:55am flight should be fine. If it's Port Canaveral/MCO, then 10:55am would be too early for my stress level.

Hey Clarea,

 

I'm looking at Port Everglades/FLL coming back from a western trip on the Allure.

 

The form says flights must be after 11:30am to qualify for luggage valet, so that flight would be a no-go for the program. But, if luggage valet won't work on the mixed flight, it seems like the better option as I could probably make that flight.

 

My preference would be to take the slightly later flight and use luggage valet. It would be a lot less hassle and chaos when moving children and grandparents around. But if the luggage valet is a bust I might as well get home a little sooner.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Agnt86

[crazy 4 cruising]

Hey Clarea,

 

I'm looking at Port Everglades/FLL coming back from a western trip on the Allure.

 

The form says flights must be after 11:30am to qualify for luggage valet, so that flight would be a no-go for the program. But, if luggage valet won't work on the mixed flight, it seems like the better option as I could probably make that flight.

 

My preference would be to take the slightly later flight and use luggage valet. It would be a lot less hassle and chaos when moving children and grandparents around. But if the luggage valet is a bust I might as well get home a little sooner.

 

I was in this exact situation. MAKE sure you make the reservation through SOUTHWEST so your bags are free. Check your bill from the ship very closely tho. We were charged the baggage fees for Air Tran and got the run around from company to company for the refund of the $60 per person we were due. We ended up having to talk ot the valet company directly. The goofy thing was there were 3 of us and they charged only 2 of us????? I even wrote on the valet form that there was NO CHARGE for bags as we had booked through SWA. It was a pain, BUT I LOVE luggage valet. Wish more ports did it. Good luck

Edited March 3, 2014 by crazy 4 cruising

[Agnt86]

I was in this exact situation. MAKE sure you make the reservation through SOUTHWEST so your bags are free. Check your bill from the ship very closely tho. We were charged the baggage fees for Air Tran and got the run around from company to company for the refund of the $60 per person we were due. We ended up having to talk ot the valet company directly. The goofy thing was there were 3 of us and they charged only 2 of us????? I even wrote on the valet form that there was NO CHARGE for bags as we had booked through SWA. It was a pain, BUT I LOVE luggage valet. Wish more ports did it. Good luck

Awesome to find someone in the same boat I'm in! Just a few follow-up questions if I may.

 

1) Just to placate my paranoia, can you confirm that luggage valet does indeed work with a mixed Southwest/AirTran itineracy? :)

 

2) We booked through Southwest, specifically for the reason you mentioned. If it did work, my follow up thought was that I might get dinged for the bag fees.

 

Do you by any chance still have the company names or contact information from when you had to resolve this? It might save me a few steps if I end up needing to do the same.

[senrab]

Awesome to find someone in the same boat I'm in! Just a few follow-up questions if I may.

 

1) Just to placate my paranoia, can you confirm that luggage valet does indeed work with a mixed Southwest/AirTran itineracy? :)

 

2) We booked through Southwest, specifically for the reason you mentioned. If it did work, my follow up thought was that I might get dinged for the bag fees.

 

Do you by any chance still have the company names or contact information from when you had to resolve this? It might save me a few steps if I end up needing to do the same.

 

In my experience, NO. We had several (seven people) in our family on the last cruise who attempted to use luggage valet with Southwest/Airtran itineraries out of Orlando (Port Canaveral, Freedom OTS) and all were unable to do so. They couldn't check in for the flight or get bags checked through the valet program.

[crazy 4 cruising]

Awesome to find someone in the same boat I'm in! Just a few follow-up questions if I may.

 

1) Just to placate my paranoia, can you confirm that luggage valet does indeed work with a mixed Southwest/AirTran itineracy? :)

 

2) We booked through Southwest, specifically for the reason you mentioned. If it did work, my follow up thought was that I might get dinged for the bag fees.

 

Do you by any chance still have the company names or contact information from when you had to resolve this? It might save me a few steps if I end up needing to do the same.

 

I don't still have the info, sorry. We did not have a mixed reservation, both flights were Air Tran, so I have no idea. Good luck.