Onboard Airline Check-In Coming this Fall

[chmb1]

From ALL EARS® Weekly Newsletter (10/2/2007):

Beginning this fall, Disney Cruise Line will introduce Onboard Airline Check-In, a new service that enables qualified guests to check-in for their post-cruise flights while on board the Disney Magic or Disney Wonder, eliminating the need to do so at Orlando International Airport. Guests participating in Onboard Airline Check-In will not have to collect their luggage upon debarkation, since checked luggage will be transported directly from the ship to the guest's flight. While on the cruise, guests' boarding passes will be delivered to their staterooms the day prior to disembarkation. Upon the ship's return to Port Canaveral, participating guests can proceed directly to Customs and then to Orlando International Airport where they bypass check-in and continue straight to airport security and on to their assigned departure gate. To take advantage of this service, guests will need to meet certain requirements and be booked on a domestic flight on one of the seven participating air carriers: AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, or United Airlines/Ted. Eligible guests will be able to enroll for Onboard Airline Check-in by completing pre-registration information received at Orlando International Airport or one of the Disney Cruise Line Hospitality Desks at the Walt Disney World Resort and turning it in during check-in at Port Canaveral.

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

The Wonder cruises were doing this over the summer. One of the restrictions is what time your flight leaves on departure day. I think the flights had to leave no earlier than 12:30pm.....not a problem for most people but we had an early flight and weren't eligible. Which turned out to be good for us because we had a change of planes for our flight and all the seats got rearranged so everyone had to get new boarding passes anyway.

One more thing to remember....you won't have a chance to get access to your luggage in the terminal before you leave for the airport. I know that I like to put a few things into my checked bags that I needed (toiletries) in the morning on the ship.

 

[fourfoxesinpa]

Wonder if you need to be taking the Disney transportation to take advantage of this?

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Wonder if you need to be taking the Disney transportation to take advantage of this?

Oh wow, that's a good question. We did use DCL transportation.

We did book our own flights.

 

[sclark503]

This was available on the Magic last month. It was only for select airlines. I don't know if you have to be using Disney ground transfer - we did, but we booked our own flights (Delta).

HTH!

 

[nickmom]

We just took advance of the this on Sun. We did use Disney Transporation and booked our own air with US Airways. We thought it was great. They gave us our boarding passes and took our luggage just before we got on the bus to go to the airport. We could then just go to airport security. Worked nice. We didn't have to stand in the long line at US Airway for our boarding passes. We had a 12:15 flight home and got to the airport at 8:45. It was a long morning waiting for our flight. Glad we didn't go with a longer wait. We sat and ate pizza at 9am. The gameboy then kept DS 5 occupied until noon. Can't wait to go again, but on a longer cruise.
Carla

 

[plutospup]

Nickmom...we did the same as you a few years ago. I believe (heaven knows I could be wrong!), but I believe what they are talking about is something different. The article mentions receiving your boarding passes the night before debarkation. Also US Airways was not yet included. That had me confused (not too difficult to do!) since there was a US Airways booth at the port after you got off the ship, but the article said US Airways was not involved with the program, yet.

 

[pfishgirl]

Wonder what are the "qualifications" to use this

 

[MBPrincessMoM]

Wonder what are the "qualifications" to use this

I would guess that you have to NOT be on any bad TSA lists plus have a domestic flight on a carrier they deal with.

 

[ibouncetoo]

One more thing to remember....you won't have a chance to get access to your luggage in the terminal before you leave for the airport. I know that I like to put a few things into my checked bags that I needed (toiletries) in the morning on the ship.

Yep, this point would be an issue for me too. There are 'things' I need for morning grooming that aren't allowed in carry-ons!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

One more thing to remember....you won't have a chance to get access to your luggage in the terminal before you leave for the airport. I know that I like to put a few things into my checked bags that I needed (toiletries) in the morning on the ship.

As great as this new on-line check-in system is for most, I'm wondering if the 'old' system will be an option? There are absolute must items that we need our last night that we put in a regular suitcase when we leave the next morning. I then put that last suitcase with our other luggage when we do airline check-in upon debarkation. (I don't really want our family to sleep in our clothes we're wearing the next day. )

 

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We just took advance of the this on Sun. We did use Disney Transporation and booked our own air with US Airways. We thought it was great. They gave us our boarding passes and took our luggage just before we got on the bus to go to the airport. We could then just go to airport security. Worked nice. We didn't have to stand in the long line at US Airway for our boarding passes. We had a 12:15 flight home and got to the airport at 8:45. It was a long morning waiting for our flight. Glad we didn't go with a longer wait. We sat and ate pizza at 9am. The gameboy then kept DS 5 occupied until noon. Can't wait to go again, but on a longer cruise.
Carla

we did this when we were on the Magic 9/8 cruise. Ours was a little different though as we put our bags out the night before and didn't see them until we landed at home.

Sounds you had to claim your bags and take them to the bus.

Personally I liked our way better.

Bill

 

[GuardMusic]

Yes, we used this new service on the Wonder over Labor Day. I was surprised, but VERY happy with the change. We did use Disney transportation and had booked our own air on NWA. The rule was your flight HAD to be AFTER 11:30am, which was lucky. Our flight was at 11:35am!

We left our bags out the night prior with the new tags. The tags already showed they were to go to NWA and the time of our flight. Our tag wa red, maybe because the flight was so early.

Next morning got up, walked off ship, through luggage, straight to customs. (I felt bad passing all the porters.) Our boarding passes were in a bright yellow envelope. It was obvious all staff on & off the ship knew the yellow because they pointed us in the right direction before we even got within 15 feet of them! Walked right on the bus.

Once arriving at MCO we proceeded directly to security and the gate. It was great to completely skip the airline desk. I think we left the ship at 8:45am? We were at MCO by 10am. I remember because we couldn't find anywhere that would serve us lunch!!!

Any questions?
Gayle

 

[dlf246]

One more thing to remember....you won't have a chance to get access to your luggage in the terminal before you leave for the airport. I know that I like to put a few things into my checked bags that I needed (toiletries) in the morning on the ship.

2 questions:
1) does this mean they will let you go through customs without your luggage. That is amazing?!

2) Do people with Disney arranged air and transfer automatically get this service?

 

[cupcake]

Since we are days away, I wanted to know!

--You must purchase air via DCL or ground transfers, or both.

--Flight must be same day as cruise debarkation.

-- Flight must leave at 11:25 or later.

-- No more than 2 bags/pp, no bag can exceed 50 pounds.

-- Only for domestic flights, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

-- Only for the airlines in the program.

-- You may be randomly selected to check in at the airport even if you do this program.

So it basically lets people who did air thru DCL or purchased ground transfers get their boarding passes while onboard if they meet the other requirements. This isn't us... oh well!

Cupcake

 

[dmi188]

New? We cruised on the Wonder last April, and that is what we did. Our first cruise, so did not know it was new. It IS optional. And at customs, you just check thru with your paperwork. Luggage is already gone.

 

[dmi188]

Threadjack! Look at my ticker!!! I am closer to my next cruise than my last one! Hooray! Threadjack over...sorry!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

It would be nice if they did this for UK Flights as well.