How early can we drop our bags in Miami? (BA Club)

[sverigecruiser]

 

We have a late BA flight from Miami and are flying Club World. How early can we drop our checked bags?

Edited January 12, 2019 by sverigecruiser

[FlyerTalker]

The definitive answer would come from BA.  I suggest checking their website or contacting them directly.

 

Anything else is anecdotal.

[cruising cockroach]

Unless there is an earlier BA flight, figure 3 hrs before departure (check in desk probably won't be open before then).  Even if there is an earlier flight, the agents may not take your bag, but at least there is a chance.

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, cruising cockroach said:

Unless there is an earlier BA flight, figure 3 hrs before departure (check in desk probably won't be open before then).  Even if there is an earlier flight, the agents may not take your bag, but at least there is a chance.

 

We have done it much earlier than that when flying in World Traveller but it was a few years ago.

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

The definitive answer would come from BA.  I suggest checking their website or contacting them directly.

 

Anything else is anecdotal.

 

Interesting answer from you since you seem to know everything about flying!

 

I have not found the answer on their website. Do you think they will know the answer if we ask when we check in on Arlanda or in the lounge on Heathrow on our way to Miami?

 

Even if it's anecdotal can you guess? Our flight is 21.25 and BAs first flight to LHR that day is 17.15.

[cruising cockroach]

Best to ask locally (i.e., at MIA) when you get the chance.  You will get no uniform (or accurate) answer otherwise.

 

The presence of a 1715 flight means you could possibly drop bags off at 1415 but no guarantees.  May be up to the discretion of the particular agent, local airport manager, TSA or airline policy (local or organisation-wide) or...

 

As for being able to drop bags off earlier, it all depends on in the counters are even manned.  You didn't say where you dropped off bags for early check in in the past..  Very good chance you can in London as that's a hub with check-in counters staffed for most hours of the day.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Interesting answer from you since you seem to know everything about flying!

 

Far from everything.  More than most, but when I don't have solid knowledge, I'm the first to admit it.  And to disuade the replacement of data with anecdotes.

 

Checkin policies vary from airline to airline, and from airport to airport.  So always best to go to the definitive source.

[fbgd]

3 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

Do you think they will know the answer if we ask when we check in on Arlanda or in the lounge on Heathrow on our way to Miami?

 

Not sure why staff in Sweden would know the intricacies of an airport's operation that is located 5000 miles away...

 

Why not go up to the check-in area upon your arrival into MIA and ask? You can go up to the First desk if there isn't anyone manning the queues that you could ask.

 

My guess would be that check-in will open 3hrs before the first flight and stay open until the last flight closes and as a premium cabin passenger BA will let you check your bags at any time. At other US outstations I have checked my bags as much as 7hrs before departure (I was on the last flight of the night and happened to arrive a few hours before the first flight's departure). I was BA Gold and flying First on that occasion but in places where BA do have a restriction for checked bags that is always waived for premium cabin and status passengers.

[sverigecruiser]

12 hours ago, cruising cockroach said:

As for being able to drop bags off earlier, it all depends on in the counters are even manned.  You didn't say where you dropped off bags for early check in in the past..  Very good chance you can in London as that's a hub with check-in counters staffed for most hours of the day.

 

I have done it in Miami before but don't know if it's still possible to do it. 

 

I understand if the system can't handle early arriving bags but shouldn't American Airlines be able to take our bags If BA has no counters staffed? Their systems must be linked, at least when it comes to luggage. 

[sverigecruiser]

11 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Far from everything.  More than most, but when I don't have solid knowledge, I'm the first to admit it.  And to disuade the replacement of data with anecdotes.

 

Checkin policies vary from airline to airline, and from airport to airport.  So always best to go to the definitive source.

 

Believe it or not but I know more than most too! Compared to you I really don't know much!

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, fbgd said:

 

Not sure why staff in Sweden would know the intricacies of an airport's operation that is located 5000 miles away...

 

 

Maybe they can see it on their computer or maybe they have someone they can ask?

 

 

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, fbgd said:

 

My guess would be that check-in will open 3hrs before the first flight and stay open until the last flight closes and as a premium cabin passenger BA will let you check your bags at any time. At other US outstations I have checked my bags as much as 7hrs before departure (I was on the last flight of the night and happened to arrive a few hours before the first flight's departure). I was BA Gold and flying First on that occasion but in places where BA do have a restriction for checked bags that is always waived for premium cabin and status passengers.

 

Thank you for that guess! We will try to arrive at the airport just after 14 and hope that we can drop our bags then.

[fbgd]

7 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I understand if the system can't handle early arriving bags but shouldn't American Airlines be able to take our bags If BA has no counters staffed? Their systems must be linked, at least when it comes to luggage. 

 

AA and BA use different GDS, SABRE and Amadeus. So they won't be able to check you in or take your luggage unless your first flight were to be on AA.

[waterbug123]

On 11/5/2018 at 3:51 PM, smplybcause said:

 

 

22 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

I have not found the answer on their website. Do you think they will know the answer if we ask when we check in on Arlanda or in the lounge on Heathrow on our way to Miami?

 

Have you called AA?

 

I don't typically fly AA but if I had to guess my guess would be 3 hours.  Miami is a cruise-heavy airport and I know Delta at FLL has a strict "no earlier than 3 hours pre-flight" rule, because otherwise they'd be overrun with cruise bags hours and hours before people's actual flights.  When flying business gets you any leeway, I don't know.

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, fbgd said:

 

AA and BA use different GDS, SABRE and Amadeus. So they won't be able to check you in or take your luggage unless your first flight were to be on AA.

 

Ok, then I understand.

[sverigecruiser]

38 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

 

Have you called AA?

 

I don't typically fly AA but if I had to guess my guess would be 3 hours.  Miami is a cruise-heavy airport and I know Delta at FLL has a strict "no earlier than 3 hours pre-flight" rule, because otherwise they'd be overrun with cruise bags hours and hours before people's actual flights.  When flying business gets you any leeway, I don't know.

 

I haven't tried to call anyone because it isn't really that important to know the answer! We will leave the ship as late as possible and take a cab to the airport. We know that means that we will arrive to the airport well before noon and probably have to wait until after 14, or maybe even much longer than that, before we can drop our bags. I should prefer to know but maybe it's better that I don't know!

[fbgd]

3 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

I don't typically fly AA but if I had to guess my guess would be 3 hours.  Miami is a cruise-heavy airport and I know Delta at FLL has a strict "no earlier than 3 hours pre-flight" rule, because otherwise they'd be overrun with cruise bags hours and hours before people's actual flights.  When flying business gets you any leeway, I don't know.

 

I know for a lot of people this is a struggle to grasp but cruise passengers represent a small fraction of air passengers, even at FLL, especially at somewhere such as MIA. 

 

9.1 million cruise (and ferry) passengers between Miami and Fort Lauderdale in FY2017. About 75 million passengers handled across FLL and MIA during the same timeframe, and of course not everyone flies.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-bz-sofla-seaports-fy17-cruise-business-20171113-story.html

[waterbug123]

15 hours ago, fbgd said:

 

I know for a lot of people this is a struggle to grasp but cruise passengers represent a small fraction of air passengers, even at FLL, especially at somewhere such as MIA. 

 

 

Yes, the overall number of cruise pax, as a % of total pax, may not seem huge.  But the big difference is that more than regular travelers, cruise passengers are likely to show up extremely early for flights that may not be until quite a few hours later.  And when they do, their bags sit around taking up space. For that reason, SOME airlines at SOME "cruise" airports enforce bag check in times more stringently.

[jagoffee]

On 1/13/2019 at 11:02 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

 

Have you called AA?

 

I don't typically fly AA but if I had to guess my guess would be 3 hours.  Miami is a cruise-heavy airport and I know Delta at FLL has a strict "no earlier than 3 hours pre-flight" rule, because otherwise they'd be overrun with cruise bags hours and hours before people's actual flights.  When flying business gets you any leeway, I don't know.

I fly on AA and I have been able to check my bags in at anytime during the same day.  The same policy as ORD.

 

FLL is much different from my experience.