Airlines - Dress

[pabride2007]

I will be flying down the friday before my wedding in port on sunday. i am concerned about my dress. We will be flying southwest down. Should i call the airline a head of time or wait until it get to the airport and talk to someone there - if i should wait or should i speak with about my dress. I don't want it check it. Has anyone dealt with them and if so how were they about your dress. thanks for all the help.

[Midnight Rain]

I haven't travelled with Southwest....but we flew Air Canada down to Ft. Lauderdale. I phoned and asked the airline about carrying my dress on in a bag, and they kept saying I had to put it in a carry on suitcase, or wait and see what a stewardess would say.

 

I didn't want to risk getting there and them telling me no.. So I squished it into a carry on size suitcase. My dress wasn't very thick, and it hardly wrinkled. Just a few minutes of steam and I was good.

 

I have had friends that had no problem carrying their dress on in a bag, and having it hung in a closet for them.

[PrincessBride82006]

Having flown Southwest numerous times recently (never with a gown though).....I do NOT think there are any of the typical closets where the flight attendant could hang your dress. So your option would be to lay your dress on top of things in the overhead compartment.

 

Another option would be to call your hotel and see if they have the capabilities or recommendations for steaming the dress.

 

Good Luck

 

:)

[semorgan]

Congrts on your wedding. My fiancee and I are getting married in 6 days on Glory. If I were you I would call Southwest and ask. It can't hurt. My fiancee is a flight attendent with ATA who is partially owned by Southwest, when she gets up I can see if she will give you her opinion.

Good Luck

[Canukfa]

Congrats on your wedding!! Southwest doesn't own any of us any more but we still code share with them. They definitely don't have closets on board but I know that for my peace of mind I would absolutely carry it on in a dress bag or something. Make sure you print your boarding pass online 24 hours in advance so you can be in the A boarding group. When they see the dress you will probably get a lot of congratulations from the crew and they will try to work with you.

If your hotel doesn't have a steamer you could always get one of those little travel ones from Target.

[jkneern]

I can answer this question for you pabride2007

I just returned from my Feb.22nd wedding on the Carnival Imagination. I too flew Southwest Airlines. I called ahead and was told that my dress would be stored in the closet by the cockpit. When we arrived at the gate I was informed there are no closets on any southwest planes. Not to worry, the flight attendants were wonderful and all four of them took the greatest care in storing my dress in an overhead bin allowing nothing else to be stored there. I arrived in Ft.Lauderdale and my dress was perfect!! Good Luck and if you have any questions just ask I'll try to help you along

[pabride2007]

thanks for all the replies. This will help. so do i just call the 800 number for southwest and ask who ever answers the phone or ask for some one in particular. Also how did u all get your dress home.

[dcdiva]

I flew Delta on a busy Friday night in February and here's what I did.

 

I called in advance, but they were not able to help other than to assure me that my gown would be considered as my one allowable carry on. Everything else we carried on (rings, tux, shoes, documents, etc) went in my purse or DH's carry on bag.

 

I found a study garment bag that met carry-on standards (not a nylon bag from the bridal shop, but actual luggage). I packed the dress in it. and carried the bag unfolded onboard in the hopes that I could lay the dress flat in the overhead storage, or hang it somewhere.

 

To start, I smiled and asked as nicely as I could if I could pre-board so I could find overhead space for my dress. Even if you are in the A boarding group on Southwest, you should still ask if you can pre-board. They might say yes! Since my flight was fully booked, they couldn't do it. Not surprising on a busy Friday night. By the time I boarded, the overhead storage was already jammed with bags and winter coats. No way my dress was gonna be able to lay flat. I plastered on a big smile again, and pleaded with with the flight crew to help me find overhead space for it. They ended up hanging it in what I think was a crew closet. The flight crew tried to be helpful, so just ask as nicely as you can and they will usually try to find a way to work it out. That being said you may have to check the dress.

 

Once I arrived, I knew there wasn't time for the ship to press my dress. So I brought a small travel steamer. As it turned out, the dress traveled really well, and only needed a touch up with the steamer.

 

My plan was to do anything I could not to check the dress with the airline - especially if there was a plane change. In my case, traveling in winter, on Superbowl weekend when there are bound to be overbooked flights, the lost luggage lottery odds seemed pretty high. Even if I had to cram it in a carry on bag, a wrinkled dress is better than no dress at all!! :eek:

 

And just in case, I packed a "back up dress", a simple white sheath that I knew I could steam any wrinkles out of. Thankfully I didn't need it.

[johnfas]

My daughter carried her wedding dress on a southwest flight last month. It was in a garment bag (dress was not that big) and we laid it on top of our overhead carry-ons. No other place on the plane to hang it .

[jnj0292]

I had this same question and concern when we got married in November. I aked this question on the Cruise Air board as well as on the Cruise Fashions board (I figured they were a good group of experts to ask.) Here are the links to the threads:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=433840

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=433843

 

Many of them had good ideas and reassuring comments.

 

My sister ended up carrying my dress for me. She flew Spirit and they laid the dress in the overhead compartment and all was fine. We got married on embarkation day and I did not even have to get it pressed/steamed. It traveled very well.

 

Good luck!!

[ShedQueen77]

I really have nothing else substantial to add except this: Whatever you do, DO NOT EVER CHECK YOUR WEDDING DRESS if you want it to survive the flight! :) I've seen how the airline luggage handlers treat luggage. You don't want your beautiful new dress ruined because of improper handling.

 

If no one will store it in a closet for you and you can't get it in overhead sit with it across your lap during the flight. My fiance thinks this is hilarious for some reason (MEN! lol) but I already warned him that I will make him let me stretch it across us if need be!

[pabride2007]

thank you for all of your replies. This will all help.

[SammieMC00]

I too had this same question. I have never flown on a plane before so i have no clue what to expect in the first place. My dress isn't too big and puffy, but i definately did not want to check it. We are flying to tampa the day before the cruise sets sail, so I will have time to steam out any wrinkles. I'm just so worried about traveling with the dress. We haven't booked our plane tickets yet, but we too are thinking of going with southwest. Our wedding is in October, and Southwest isn't booking flights yet for october out of pittsburgh. Another thing i was thinking of doing is making my own bouqet and ones for my maid of honor and bridesmaid. Any ideas on flying with these to get them there in one piece and not to smashed?

[ShedQueen77]

I too had this same question. I have never flown on a plane before so i have no clue what to expect in the first place. My dress isn't too big and puffy, but i definately did not want to check it. We are flying to tampa the day before the cruise sets sail, so I will have time to steam out any wrinkles. I'm just so worried about traveling with the dress. We haven't booked our plane tickets yet, but we too are thinking of going with southwest. Our wedding is in October, and Southwest isn't booking flights yet for october out of pittsburgh. Another thing i was thinking of doing is making my own bouqet and ones for my maid of honor and bridesmaid. Any ideas on flying with these to get them there in one piece and not to smashed?

 

Put them in your carry on and wrap them up with the clothes you have in there. To save room, have the other ladies pack their own in their carry on. :)

[pabride2007]

We too are flying out of Pittsburgh on Southwest. I am having flowers also made by Pat Catans in monroeville. I am shipping them to the hotel along with the favors. Our hotel will hold boxes for $2.50 a piece which isn't bad. So that way we don't have to worry about getting the favors for 75-80 people down there on the plane and also the flowers will not get crushed.

[tanishao]

I will be flying down the friday before my wedding in port on sunday. i am concerned about my dress. We will be flying southwest down. Should i call the airline a head of time or wait until it get to the airport and talk to someone there - if i should wait or should i speak with about my dress. I don't want it check it. Has anyone dealt with them and if so how were they about your dress. thanks for all the help.

I didnt fly on Southwest, I flew on Continental. I had a very full dress and I didnt have my dress pressed beforehand so I just folded it over once and stored it with the carryon luggage once I got on board. People on the plane were very accomodating and were very congratulatory... I had my dress pressed the day that I got on the ship (Saturday) and I got it back Sunday evening by 5pm. My wedding was on Monday.