BrusselsSouth From Belgium, joined Aug 2001, 598 posts, RR: 5 Posted (4 months 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1143 times:
Hi all,
All airlines publish minimum check-in times which depend on airport, class of travel, type of flight (short/long haul), ...
But only a handful of them do publish "maximum" check-in times, i.e. how early you can check in.
While I'm interested in all airlines/airports, my question is specific to the following:
I will soon be flying from ORD to MUC on LH in Y. I will land in ORD about 6 hours before the scheduled departure time of my flight to MUC and would want to leave the airport. The trouble is that I will have a bag that I would want to leave somewhere, but from reading various forums, it appears that finding a convenient baggage lockers area in or near ORD is impossible.
So, my idea was to already check-in for my LH flight as early as 6 hours before departure time as a mean to drop my bag. LH website states that online check-in is available as early as 23 hours before departure, but if I did just that, would I then be allowed to just drop my bag at a bag drop counter in ORD anytime within the 23 hours-check-in deadline time frame?
I've read testimonials of people who went as far as renting a car for a few hours just to leave their bags in the trunk (seems incredibly expensive to me if you sum up car rental costs and parking fees, not to mention all the hassle and loss of time).
BrusselsSouth From Belgium, joined Aug 2001, 598 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (4 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1113 times:
Quoting visualapproach (Reply 1): Unfortunately I don't thnk any airline is going to pay for staff to sit around 23 hours before a flight to accept probably very few bags.
Isn't there something like a generic Star Alliance bag drop off counter that would be shared by all Star Alliance flights at ORD and would be open all day long?
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 3, posted (4 months 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1101 times:
Check-in does open 23 hours before the flight, but that is essentially for online and mobile check-in... basically, you can try to score that last remaining window or aisle seat at that time. Staff at the airport may be able to check you in even earlier, but that depends on the software and their skills.
As for dropping your bags six hours before departure, you should have no problem at all; I'd definitely go for it if I were in your place. LH have their own check-in desks at ORD and the departure to MUC is (one of) the last flight(s) of the day, so there should certainly be someone at the desk long before LH435 leaves. If you're still in doubt, you can call them at 1-800-645-3880 (as per the ORD website).
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
airtrainer From Belgium, joined Aug 2003, 1521 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (4 months 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1083 times:
I hope things are different in ORD, but I flew IAD-FRA a few days ago and check-in counters were only opening 4 hours before departure. Was there 6 hours before, all the counters were empty with nobody to be seen...
Lufthansa411 From Germany, joined Jan 2008, 691 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (4 months 12 hours ago) and read 1031 times:
Quoting BrusselsSouth (Thread starter): would I then be allowed to just drop my bag at a bag drop counter in ORD anytime within the 23 hours-check-in deadline time frame?
In my experience with LH in North America once the Check-In counters open usually 3-4 hours before departure of the first flight of the day, you can drop your bag off for any flight leaving that day. I don't know if it is the same at ORD, but I would imagine it would be unless TSA has some special restriction in place at ORD.
Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
BrusselsSouth From Belgium, joined Aug 2001, 598 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (3 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 987 times:
Thanks for all the replies.
Quoting aloges (Reply 3): As for dropping your bags six hours before departure, you should have no problem at all; I'd definitely go for it if I were in your place. LH have their own check-in desks at ORD and the departure to MUC is (one of) the last flight(s) of the day, so there should certainly be someone at the desk long before LH435 leaves
Quoting Lufthansa411 (Reply 6): you can drop your bag off for any flight leaving that day
Thank you, this is what I plan to do.
Quoting luv2fly (Reply 7): If your arriving off another flight then your bag should be checked through and you won't have to collect it in ORD.
I'll be arriving from PAH (Paducah, KY) on UA but on a separate ticket since my exact plans in the U.S. were decided after the ORD-MUC segment was booked. Despite UA and LH belonging to the same alliance, I suppose there's no chance to check my bag in in PAH all the way to MUC (then BRU, on the same ticket as ORD-MUC). Or is there?
B747forever From United States of America, joined May 2007, 16575 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (3 months 4 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 980 times:
Quoting BrusselsSouth (Reply 8): I'll be arriving from PAH (Paducah, KY) on UA but on a separate ticket since my exact plans in the U.S. were decided after the ORD-MUC segment was booked. Despite UA and LH belonging to the same alliance, I suppose there's no chance to check my bag in in PAH all the way to MUC (then BRU, on the same ticket as ORD-MUC). Or is there?
They really should be able to check it through to your final destination. Just let them know that you are connecting at ORD with LH.
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 10, posted (3 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 966 times:
Quoting B747forever (Reply 9): They really should be able to check it through to your final destination. Just let them know that you are connecting at ORD with LH.
I think so, too, although I've only tried it once and that was seven years ago and in the opposite direction: FRA-MUC-ORD on one ticket and ORD-DCA on another one. They checked it through at FRA and upon arrival in the US, it was handled like all the other through-checked baggage. I did have to stop to get the boarding pass to DCA, but that was a quick and easy affair at the transfer baggage desk.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
dc9northwest From Romania, joined Feb 2007, 1735 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (3 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 912 times:
Quoting aloges (Reply 10): They checked it through at FRA and upon arrival in the US, it was handled like all the other through-checked baggage.
In the US, you always get the luggage at the first airport, the one where you enter the country.
Quoting B747forever (Reply 9): They really should be able to check it through to your final destination. Just let them know that you are connecting at ORD with LH.
I agree. Though, if there's one airline who wouldn't want do it for you, it'd be United.
Quoting BrusselsSouth (Reply 8): I'll be arriving from PAH (Paducah, KY) on UA but on a separate ticket since my exact plans in the U.S. were decided after the ORD-MUC segment was booked. Despite UA and LH belonging to the same alliance, I suppose there's no chance to check my bag in in PAH all the way to MUC (then BRU, on the same ticket as ORD-MUC). Or is there?
There should be. Knowing UA, however, they'll lose your bag somewhere in ORD and claim it's not their fault, but LH's.
Anyway, just show them the 2nd reservation. DL and KE were more than glad to do it for me.
aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8358 posts, RR: 47 Reply 12, posted (3 months 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 893 times:
Quoting dc9northwest (Reply 11): In the US, you always get the luggage at the first airport, the one where you enter the country.
Yup, that was the point I was trying to make. It was tagged and all I had to do was put it on the belt like any other bag, no weighing or anything. I did have to get the boarding pass to DCA, but that was all.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
aklrno From United States of America, joined Dec 2010, 693 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (3 months 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 891 times:
When I travel RNO-LAX-AKL I sometimes use a United ticket for the first leg and NZ for the second. UA has no problem checking my bag through to AKL. Since NZ,LH, and UA are all star alliance, they should be able to check it all the way to Gemany at PAH. Be sure to have the LH confirmation to show to the agent at PAH.
Sometimes the RNO agent even gives me a boarding pass for the NZ flight but that didn't happen last month.
FreshSide3 From United States of America, joined Nov 2012, 204 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 814 times:
Quoting BrusselsSouth (Reply 8): I'll be arriving from PAH (Paducah, KY) on UA but on a separate ticket since my exact plans in the U.S. were decided after the ORD-MUC segment was booked. Despite UA and LH belonging to the same alliance, I suppose there's no chance to check my bag in in PAH all the way to MUC (then BRU, on the same ticket as ORD-MUC). Or is there?
You should be able to, with the two carriers having agreements with each other. Since UA went to SHARES last March, it's been more difficult to force out a bag tag with the downline connection....major headache for agents, unlike in APOLLO, where it was easy. There has been a recent enhancement that is supposed to make it easier....but it doesn't always work......
BrusselsSouth From Belgium, joined Aug 2001, 598 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 794 times:
Quoting B747forever (Reply 9): They really should be able to check it through to your final destination. Just let them know that you are connecting at ORD with LH.
Quoting aloges (Reply 10): I think so, too, although I've only tried it once and that was seven years ago and in the opposite direction
Quoting dc9northwest (Reply 11): There should be. Knowing UA, however, they'll lose your bag somewhere in ORD and claim it's not their fault, but LH's.
Anyway, just show them the 2nd reservation. DL and KE were more than glad to do it for me.
Quoting aklrno (Reply 13): UA has no problem checking my bag through to AKL. Since NZ,LH, and UA are all star alliance, they should be able to check it all the way to Gemany at PAH. Be sure to have the LH confirmation to show to the agent at PAH.
Quoting FreshSide3 (Reply 14): You should be able to, with the two carriers having agreements with each other. Since UA went to SHARES last March, it's been more difficult to force out a bag tag with the downline connection....major headache for agents, unlike in APOLLO, where it was easy. There has been a recent enhancement that is supposed to make it easier....but it doesn't always work......
Thank you for all the replies. As I understand it, I should try to check in for the ORD-MUC-BRU itinerary in PAH as it could work, even if there's no guarantee.
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It was tagged and all I had to do was put it on the belt like any other bag, no weighing or anything. I did have to get the boarding pass to DCA, but that was all.
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