Can someone explain how to do the baggage fee

[disneytopdog]

I am getting conflicting information on resort airline check in and bag check. How early can you pay the fee for a checked bag on your return flight so you can check it at your resort and not mess with it at the airport. I will have a rental car so wont be taking DME back to MCO, they said I could still do the resort airline check in.

 

[Jacks_Wench]

Here's the phone number for the baggage people to pay for the checked in luggage. 407-284-1231 I am not sure about time frame except that it has to paid before you check it in for the ME. But if you call, I'm sure they can explain everything.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm having a similar question.

We're flying Continental. For our return to the airport we want to do the resort airline check-in so we don't have to deal with our baggage when it's time to go. Normally we pay our baggage fees when we check-in online. Can we go online and pay it then just "check-in" at the resort (even tho technically we already have done it) & give them our baggage to take care of at the desk? I'm thinking they'd be able to see our bags paid when they pull up the reservations at the airline check-in desk, right?

I know there's a phone number to call that does baggage payments but I'd rather take care of the fees on my own.

 

[disneytopdog]

I called the number and they said you could pay the fee anytime. I called back to ask a few more questions and they said you have to call 48 hours before your departure. So I am 2 calls and 2 different answers.

 

[balletgirl2]

I went to the GF this past August and flew continental. The morning we left we we got to the outside ME check in station the CM called a ph# and past the phone to me where I gave my cc# to pay the baggage fees, they gave me a confirmation # that I then gave back to the ME CM that then took my bags after typing that confirmation # into his computer.

The Cm did tell me if I did not want to give my CC#over the phone I could take my bags with me on the ME and then take care of it myself at the airport.

 

[Phonedave]

You call the number and they tell you one thing, then the CM at the RAC tells you something different and fixes the problem.

Thats what happend to me, twice.

But to be fair, it was not exactly paying for baggage. Both times were on Continental. The first time I was Elite Access, so my bags were free. The second time, I had a Contrinetal Credit Card -so my bags were free.

The CMs at the RAC desk are good at solving problems. I think they want you to do it beforehand so as not to cause a back up at the desk.

And for those flying Continental. The credit card is $80 a year. Continental charges $15 for the first bag ($20 if using curbside) and $25 for a second bag

Only one person in the party needs the card, and the whole party gets their first bag free. All people in the party must be on the same reservation - no announcing that everyone in line is in your party

Do the math, 3 checked bags each way, and the card pays for itself.


If you really want to go nuts you can get the President level card for $375 and get your first and second bag free and get access to the Presidents Club Lounge - I miss having access to that lounge. However in this economy, I don't travel enough to make frequent flyer levels anymore.

-dave

 

[disneytopdog]

Thanks for the info. I guess I will have the number handy and wait and talk to who ever is working the Resort Airline Check In counter before heading out to the parks one morning when they are not busy.

I just thought this was something that had to be done weeks in advance.

 

[Rob562]

You will also get one or two things at the hotel outlining the procedure. We had a piece of paper already in the room talking about it, and procedures were again included with the paperwork giving our DME pickup time.
(As the OP isn't using DME to return to the airport, they might want to ask for the handout at the front desk to be sure they get it)

-Rob

 

[bugsbunny]

I've never had a problem and I thinks its pretty straight forward.

Assuming you are using the Magical Express and using the airline checking through your hotel when you leave, call the number night before you check out. Tell them how many BAGS you will be checking in. Don't count strollers, carry on bags, etc.

You pay by credit card and they give you a confirmation number.

Next morning, you check out and then head to the airline checkin. They will want the confirmation number to prove your bags are paid for. BE SURE YOUR BAGS ARE UNDER THE WEIGHT LIMIT! I can't tell you how many times I have seen people with their luggage contents spilled out all over the ground while they try to shuffle it all around and get all their bags to be under 50 lbs. They then take your bags and send them ahead for your flight.

And here's a bit of info for EVERYONE concerning your luggage once its checked in. If you get to the airport and find out you can get standby for an earlier flight, the chances of you getting your already checked bags onto that flight are slim to none. They apparently take all the luggage from WDW for these flights and lock them in a cage as one unit number. This helps keep the baggage secure and altogther since its not going through the normal baggage security process. It get kept this way until it gets on the plane its ticketed for. So if you jump a flight, they will have take an entire cage apart just to get your bags. I've tried this before and was told it would be a crap shoot. Turns out I got 1 of 3 bags on my earlier flight and had to go back the airport later that day to get the rest of my bags.

 

[coltow]

BE SURE YOUR BAGS ARE UNDER THE WEIGHT LIMIT! I can't tell you how many times I have seen people with their luggage contents spilled out all over the ground while they try to shuffle it all around and get all their bags to be under 50 lbs.

I just had to do that...6 damn pounds. If you do, they have scales there. We just took out a few things, weighed them and were at 6.5 pounds so then added that to another suitcase.

When we flew US Airways last year my mom called a couple days before we left and paid for all our bags at once. She just gave confirm #s to airline check-in CM and we were all set. It was pretty simple.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I just had to do that...6 damn pounds. If you do, they have scales there. We just took out a few things, weighed them and were at 6.5 pounds so then added that to another suitcase.

When we flew US Airways last year my mom called a couple days before we left and paid for all our bags at once. She just gave confirm #s to airline check-in CM and we were all set. It was pretty simple.

This is exactly what I've been looking for. I don't want to call any numbers the day before or anything to pay for my baggage. I prefer to do it all online. My in-laws will be with us and I want to make everything as smooth and seamless as I can. We'll have at least a suitcase or two for each of the 6 of us plus 2 or 3 sets of golf clubs. What I wanted to know is if I paid my baggage fees ahead of time would the RAC people be able to see in the computer that everything is paid.

Thanks bunches!

 

[KC82271]

Couple of items of interest here:

1. For those of you concerned about weight limits - go to a local sports store and purchase yourself a hand held "fish scale". It weighs maybe a pound on it's own - but it's made to weigh a large fish. You just hook the handle of your luggage on the hook and lift the scale. It will pull the lever down to indicate your weight. Works wonders in the room.

2. For those flying Continental - for your initial flight you can do your luggage checkin online if you are online checking in for the flight. It asks you are you checking luggage, if so, how many pieces, and asks for the CC #. Check in at the curb is either $5 or 10 more than online.

3. Check-in at the airport. I had a 3pm flight the last time out of Orlando. I called the Bags line at 6am that morning and told them 2 bags were being checked in for the group. They charged my CC at that point - and I don't remember having to give a confirmation number to the CM doing the luggage - it must have automatically been indicated on my flight info.

And by the way, the poster that indicated that your baggage may not make earlier flights if you happen to get luck enough to get a seat once you are checked in - a year ago part of my luggage didn't make my original flight. Because it was an error on someone elses part, Continental dropped it off at my home overnight. It was on my front steps when I woke up. Luckily it was just the dirty laundry!