Holiday Travel = Improvised Packing & Check-in Process
by administrator on Jan.07, 2009, under Vacation
Below is a Honorary Post from a Friend of Triangle Trip… He’s a travel professional but has not signed up to be a full time Editor yet.
December 23rd the wife and I went to O’Hare to take a 6:40am flight to visit the in-laws in Birmingham, AL. We got there very early, but United only had half of their check-in desks open. After a lengthy wait, we were told at check-in it was too late to check in with bags – even though we were more than 45 minutes early. The next flight was around 3pm – and sold out. They would not let us alternate route to Atlanta. I was all set to just drive, but after asking the check-in lady for options, she suggested that if we could ditch the suitcase and stuff our things into bags, we could try to carry them on.
So, she gave us to two clear plastic bags like they use to wrap car seats.The wife ditched her oversized toiletries, and crammed everything into those two clear bags, abandoning the suitcase by a trash can (after informing the nearby security agent what we were doing). Though we were looking pretty ghetto, they let us through security and were able to get the bags gate checked. Crisis averted.
… Contributing Editor from ORD
January 6th, 2009 on 8:54 pm
Surprised security let you through… Well done nonetheless. BTW, UAL really sucks. Flights must have been sold out to ATL – surprised they didn’t allow you to re-route.
January 6th, 2009 on 11:41 pm
This is a classic!
January 16th, 2009 on 1:58 pm
hope you all had fake tumi’s!