We learned a trick this past trip!

[sas80]

Flying with 2 small children is never "fun".

 

Juggling a bunch of luggage and 2 small children out of an airport, onto a shuttle bus, back off of a shuttle bus, into the rental car terminal, thru the rental car line and finally into your rental car....WAY NOT FUN!

 

This time DH and I decided to let the airlines be the "keeper" of our luggage while we went and got our rental car. :D

 

It's a very easy process. Make sure you know where your airline stores the unclaimed luggage and make sure you have your luggage claim tags.

 

Go get your rental car and drive back to the airport and be sure to stop as close as you can get to where you will claim your luggage. It may be beneficial to have one person take a drive and loop around the terminal while the other person claims the luggage so you wont be considered as a "standing vehicle".

 

The kids are already strapped in, the other person drags the luggage to the curb, you both shove it into the car and are then on your way.

 

No juggling heavy luggage and small children necessary!

[mindymp]

nice!

[sas80]

nice!

 

It worked out really well for us - especially because every time the stroller would stop our toddler would shout "I want to get out and walk!" And his idea of "walking" was to run away from us as fast as he could and see how far he could get....

 

That and every time we heard any kid of "ding" he would shout "time to get off?" because of the elevator dings on the ship. This was especially funny when we were on the airplane, in mid air, and the seat belt light came on with a ding :D

[pms4104]

While the OP's plan may make for less hassle when traveling with young children ... few if any airports these days employ someone to verify that the person picking up luggage actually is the same person who checked the bag(s) at another airport and, therefore, is the rightful claimant.

 

We like to be at the bag claim area before any luggage comes thru to the carousel, primarily because we don't want to be victims of someone intentionally or mistakenly taking our bags. Happens all the time.

 

Yes, the airlines will lock up unclaimed luggage ... generally after a half hour or so, or when there's no one still at the carousel expecting bags to come thru.

[crusinmama06]

Stacy, I know I have said it before and I will say it again, you are a CRAZY lady. That's why I like ya. But still, you crazy girl! lmbo :p

[sas80]

While the OP's plan may make for less hassle when traveling with young children ... few if any airports these days employ someone to verify that the person picking up luggage actually is the same person who checked the bag(s) at another airport and, therefore, is the rightful claimant.

 

What?

 

If you leave your luggage there to be picked up by the airline representatives your luggage is placed in a secured or roped off area and you absolutely need to keep the claim checks that they initially give you at your departing airport so that they can match the numbers that you have with the tags that are on your bag.

 

There are absolutely people manning this type of booth/area, for each airline, in every airport. They are there for the sole purpose of collecting luggage that has made it to the airport ahead or behind it's rightful owners. Consider how many times a day someone misses their connection but their luggage makes it? Consider how many times a day the luggage does not make the connecting flight?

 

Many (not all) is the time that I have left the luggage area after collecting my luggage directly and been asked to show proof that the luggage I am wheeling out is, in fact, my own, by way of claim tickets.

 

We like to be at the bag claim area before any luggage comes thru to the carousel, primarily because we don't want to be victims of someone intentionally or mistakenly taking our bags. Happens all the time.

 

This is absolutely a risk that you take with my system.

[sas80]

Stacy, I know I have said it before and I will say it again, you are a CRAZY lady. That's why I like ya. But still, you crazy girl! lmbo :p

 

Lol, you know me...always looking for a way to cut a corner!

 

Speaking of which, the Freedom does 2 for 1 ritas every evening from 5:30 to 7:30 in the on-air bar. Of course I partook ;) After some probing I discovered that there are 150 calories for every 3 ounces of rita mix :eek: I'm still dealing with bottles for Ashley...I KNOW what 3 oz of liquid looks like and I'm willing to bet that there are at least 4 oz in one drink!

 

I decided that I really didnt need the extra calories from the mixer so I told them to just double the alcohol into one glass and then add the mixer to top it off. :D

 

Again, who needs to juggle 2 glasses of rita when you can condense into one glass AND save a few calories! :p

[sandytoes03]

Glad it worked for you. Not for me though. No way would I want to risk my bags being misplaced or taken. No way!

[PHXscuba]

I like the idea in principle, but the last several times I have flown no one has ever checked my bags and tags to get out of the luggage area, in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale in the last year specifically. I guess you have to weigh the odds of someone picking up your bags with the hassle of dragging kids and luggage around.

 

An alternate idea: You could park one parent, kids and luggage in a corner of the luggage area while the other parent takes the car seats and gets the rental car and brings it back.

 

PHXscuba

[mindymp]

An alternate idea: You could park one parent, kids and luggage in a corner of the luggage area while the other parent takes the car seats and gets the rental car and brings it back.

 

PHXscuba

 

I like this idea better

[deputymama]

The kids are already strapped in, the other person drags the luggage to the curb, you both shove it into the car and are then on your way.

 

No juggling heavy luggage and small children necessary!

 

What about the car seats? Do you rent them?

[sas80]

What about the car seats? Do you rent them?

 

We flew from Dallas to Orlando and rented a car with Hertz. As part of the car rental we did rent 2 car seats (which sucked, but that is a different thread and of course any parent is only going to trust and like their own car seats)

 

We flew back from Orlando to Dallas and went and got our own car, which comes with "free" pre installed, top notch, car seats ;)

[sas80]

I like the idea in principle, but the last several times I have flown no one has ever checked my bags and tags to get out of the luggage area, in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale in the last year specifically. I guess you have to weigh the odds of someone picking up your bags with the hassle of dragging kids and luggage around.

 

An alternate idea: You could park one parent, kids and luggage in a corner of the luggage area while the other parent takes the car seats and gets the rental car and brings it back.

 

PHXscuba

 

This idea is definitely an alternative but we found that, if the stroller was stopped, DS (3) wanted to get OUT and move around.

 

With an infant, a toddler and a bunch of luggage curbside at the airport there was a high likelihood that stroller and suitcases would be abandoned to run after DS as he was performing like the "age of aquarius" dancers (just with clothes) running free curbside at arrivals. Running after him with an infant in a stroller was not ideal because true mobility is limited and running after him with infant in arms is still limiting on mobility and probably more unsafe than having infant strapped in.

 

In either case, the luggage still goes unsupervised.

 

Now, don't get me wrong, DS is a really good kid. He does really well being cooped up but also deserves to have freedom, mobility and burn energy. I can empathize with his desire to run free.

[dijid]

As someone who has had to chase down a person who took my look-alike bag of the carousel instead of theirs, I would never do this.

 

While I know you have to show the bag claim stub to get it out of stored luggage, nothing is stopping someone from accidentally taking your bag. You go to get yours and find that it's someone else's that's in storage. That's a big risk you're taking by bypassing baggage claim.

[pms4104]

What?

 

If you leave your luggage there to be picked up by the airline representatives your luggage is placed in a secured or roped off area and you absolutely need to keep the claim checks that they initially give you at your departing airport so that they can match the numbers that you have with the tags that are on your bag.

 

There are absolutely people manning this type of booth/area, for each airline, in every airport. They are there for the sole purpose of collecting luggage that has made it to the airport ahead or behind it's rightful owners. Consider how many times a day someone misses their connection but their luggage makes it? Consider how many times a day the luggage does not make the connecting flight?

 

Many (not all) is the time that I have left the luggage area after collecting my luggage directly and been asked to show proof that the luggage I am wheeling out is, in fact, my own, by way of claim tickets.

 

 

 

This is absolutely a risk that you take with my system.

Agree ... if you are absent the bag claim area for some while, your luggage will be secured and you will need to present your claim tag to rescue your bags from the staffed bag service area.

 

My point: your luggage is not taken to that staffed and secured area until there no longer are passengers hanging around at the carousel looking for their bags. By that time ... well, who really knows what happens if you're not there to look out for your stuff?

[Terpnut]

What?

 

If you leave your luggage there to be picked up by the airline representatives your luggage is placed in a secured or roped off area and you absolutely need to keep the claim checks that they initially give you at your departing airport so that they can match the numbers that you have with the tags that are on your bag.

 

There are absolutely people manning this type of booth/area, for each airline, in every airport. They are there for the sole purpose of collecting luggage that has made it to the airport ahead or behind it's rightful owners. Consider how many times a day someone misses their connection but their luggage makes it? Consider how many times a day the luggage does not make the connecting flight?

 

Many (not all) is the time that I have left the luggage area after collecting my luggage directly and been asked to show proof that the luggage I am wheeling out is, in fact, my own, by way of claim tickets.

 

This is absolutely a risk that you take with my system.

A few of my thoughts:

 

1. In many cases, in the time it takes to get your rental car, your luggage will not be moved to the unclaimed luggage area yet. Thus it is possible it will still be on the carousel or just pulled by handlers off onto a temporary, unsecured waiting area.

 

2. In the vast majority of airports, you cannot count on your luggage being secured in the unclaimed luggage, and in most cases, nobody will ask for a luggage claim check.

 

3. If you check your car or booster seats (as many parents do), you can't take the kids to get the rental car first.

 

From my experience, the ideal solution is to travel very light so that mom and dad can handle all kids, stoller and luggage with no problem. If the luggage is a burden, then everyone waits for luggage in baggage claim together, everyone gets the luggage to the curb together, and then dad goes to gets the rental car and returns to pick everyone up curbside.

[sas80]

A few of my thoughts:

 

1. In many cases, in the time it takes to get your rental car, your luggage will not be moved to the unclaimed luggage area yet. Thus it is possible it will still be on the carousel or just pulled by handlers off onto a temporary, unsecured waiting area.

 

2. In the vast majority of airports, you cannot count on your luggage being secured in the unclaimed luggage, and in most cases, nobody will ask for a luggage claim check.

 

3. If you check your car or booster seats (as many parents do), you can't take the kids to get the rental car first.

 

From my experience, the ideal solution is to travel very light so that mom and dad can handle all kids, stoller and luggage with no problem. If the luggage is a burden, then everyone waits for luggage in baggage claim together, everyone gets the luggage to the curb together, and then dad goes to gets the rental car and returns to pick everyone up curbside.

 

1. You must fly into and out of very small airports. We dont. Car rental places are always a shuttle ride away from the actual terminal. The only airport I know of where renting a car is a breeze is Burbank, Ca

 

2. Post 9/11, yes you can

 

3. true

[Terpnut]

1. You must fly into and out of very small airports. We dont. Car rental places are always a shuttle ride away from the actual terminal. The only airport I know of where renting a car is a breeze is Burbank, Ca

 

2. Post 9/11, yes you can

 

3. true

We have flown out of numerous major airports. Most, but not all, car rental locations, require a shuttle ride to an off-site location so it is not true that car rental places are always a shuttle ride away.

 

Regardless, when luggage is pulled off the belt at most major airports, you can not assume that it will be placed in a secure luggage claim area. When we don't claim our luggage immediately, we have found our luggage all over the baggage claim area in various major airports. Sometimes it remains on the belt (especially for late night arrivals where there is little or no airline baggage claim staff around), sometimes it is pulled off directly in front of the belt (this happens during peak flight times when the belt is used by multiple flights arriving simultaneously), and then sometimes it makes it to the airline's baggage claim office or holding area. And in every case, we have grabbed our luggage without anyone ever checking claim tickets! Again, my point is you can not count on your luggage being secured by your airline.

[Julienatul]

Yes!! Since we had our 2nd I will only go out of ports we can drive to. It was hard enough just with one and all the gear. I can only imagine with 2 and now with all the luggage restrictions per person it costs too much to fly. The baggage service sounds great.