Anyone having problem using RAC for SWA?

[horselover]

Back in Dec. when we were staying at OKW the RAC agent had all kinds of problems checking us in & it took forever for her to print our luggage tags. She didn't really seem to know what she was doing so I wrote it off as a fluke. However last week when I stayed at BCV I tried to check my carry on at the RAC desk but the agent kept getting a message saying I needed to check in at the airport & they could not check my luggage or print my boarding pass. I knew something was screwy because I had purchased EBCI. I even showed him the confirmation on my phone that showed I had EBCI. Nope wouldn't check me in. So I went to the concierge & they had no problems at all printing out my A boarding pass. The concierge seemed very annoyed with the RAC employee & told me to go back out & tell them if she could print the pass they could check me in. I did that but it did no good. They still said they'd couldn't check my bag. It was not that big a deal since it was just a carry-on. I took it with me but prefer to go through MCO security as light as possible. If I had real bags to check I would have been very annoyed. Has anyone else had this problem at any of the resorts?

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I flew SW and used RAC at Pop in 2010 and at WL in Dec. 2012 with no issues at all. They printed my passes and checked my bags very quickly and efficiently.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Used RAC at POP the end Jan to check in for my SW flight and to check two pieces of luggage and didn't have any problems other than my luggage weighed too much and I had to take stuff out and do some rearranging!!!
Yeah, I was 16lbs over in one suitcase!

 

[sam_gordon]

Back in Dec. when we were staying at OKW the RAC agent had all kinds of problems checking us in & it took forever for her to print our luggage tags. She didn't really seem to know what she was doing so I wrote it off as a fluke. However last week when I stayed at BCV I tried to check my carry on at the RAC desk but the agent kept getting a message saying I needed to check in at the airport & they could not check my luggage or print my boarding pass. I knew something was screwy because I had purchased EBCI. I even showed him the confirmation on my phone that showed I had EBCI. Nope wouldn't check me in. So I went to the concierge & they had no problems at all printing out my A boarding pass. The concierge seemed very annoyed with the RAC employee & told me to go back out & tell them if she could print the pass they could check me in. I did that but it did no good. They still said they'd couldn't check my bag. It was not that big a deal since it was just a carry-on. I took it with me but prefer to go through MCO security as light as possible. If I had real bags to check I would have been very annoyed. Has anyone else had this problem at any of the resorts?

A carry on bag doesn't get checked.

 

[horselover]

A carry on bag doesn't get checked.

It does if you want it to.

 

[Jestocost]

We have used RAC with SWA at multiple resorts on numerous occassions without any problems.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I just used it at BC and had to give both my reservation number and flight number but other than that it was fine.

 

[kaytieeldr]

A carry on bag doesn't get checked.

It does if you want it to.

A carry-on suitcase doesn't get checked in at RAC because the service isn't transporting it to the airport, through security screening, and into the plane. That's all being done by the passenger.

That same piece of luggage doesn't get checked for security by RAC because that process can't be done until the carry-on and the person carrying it arrive at the security checkpoint at the airport.

I guess I'm confused what the original poster wanted the RAC worker to check the carry-on bag for.

 

[sam_gordon]

It does if you want it to.

Did you want to check a carry on SIZED bag? In other words, it goes under the plane and you pick it up at baggage claim at your destination? By definition a carry on bag would be carried on by the passenger.

 

[horselover]

A carry-on suitcase doesn't get checked in at RAC because the service isn't transporting it to the airport, through security screening, and into the plane. That's all being done by the passenger.

That same piece of luggage doesn't get checked for security by RAC because that process can't be done until the carry-on and the person carrying it arrive at the security checkpoint at the airport.

I guess I'm confused what the original poster wanted the RAC worker to check the carry-on bag for.

Did you want to check a carry on SIZED bag? In other words, it goes under the plane and you pick it up at baggage claim at your destination? By definition a carry on bag would be carried on by the passenger.

I guess I'm not understanding why the size of the bag I wanted to check is such a big deal to my question. Yes, it was a rolling carry on suitcase that I brought onto the plane with me for the flight down. It fits in the overhead bin. However, like I said in my original post when I go through security at MCO I prefer to have as little as possible with me hence I will usually try to check my "carry on" luggage with RAC. Does it really matter the size of the bag I wanted to check? My point was asking if others have experienced problems using RAC for SWA flights.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I guess I'm not understanding why the size of the bag I wanted to check is such a big deal to my question. Yes, it was a rolling carry on suitcase that I brought onto the plane with me for the flight down. It fits in the overhead bin. However, like I said in my original post when I go through security at MCO I prefer to have as little as possible with me hence I will usually try to check my "carry on" luggage with RAC. Does it really matter the size of the bag I wanted to check? My point was asking if others have experienced problems using RAC for SWA flights.

So if I understand correctly, you 'brought' it as a carry on but want to send it home as a 'checked' bag?
If that is the case, as long as it is a 'suitable' bag to be checked and it sounds like it was...you really shouldn't have encountered any problems checking it. I'm not sure why you did. It sounds like it was a 'staff' problem. Sorry, you had such a difficult time at depature. I know how frustrating that can be!!

 

[sam_gordon]

I guess I'm not understanding why the size of the bag I wanted to check is such a big deal to my question. Yes, it was a rolling carry on suitcase that I brought onto the plane with me for the flight down. It fits in the overhead bin. However, like I said in my original post when I go through security at MCO I prefer to have as little as possible with me hence I will usually try to check my "carry on" luggage with RAC. Does it really matter the size of the bag I wanted to check? My point was asking if others have experienced problems using RAC for SWA flights.

I don't think the size is a big deal. I'm just trying to get clarification on what happened.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't think the size is a big deal. I'm just trying to get clarification on what happened.

Exactly. It was just confusing. The explanation of wanting to travel light came after two mentions of checking a "carryon", and I know I missed it. But since many of our bags are official carryon size, but used either as checked bags or carryons depending on the trip, I just figured you meant carryon-sized. Not everyone has that experience.



The time that RAC said you had to check in at the airport but the lobby concierge got you a boarding pass, did you have any issues at the airport? Because that happens sometimes; a name is flagged or something random is flagged, and someone has to check in at the airport, in person.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We fly southwest all the time and have never had a problem with RAC checking in our bags or getting boarding passes at any resort

 

[horselover]

The time that RAC said you had to check in at the airport but the lobby concierge got you a boarding pass, did you have any issues at the airport? Because that happens sometimes; a name is flagged or something random is flagged, and someone has to check in at the airport, in person.

Nope, no problems at all at the airport. I guess it was just a fluke, but it seemed a strange coincidence I had problems twice in a row with the common denominator being SWA. Glad it doesn't appear to be a wide spread problem.

 

[helenk]

I pretty much fly only SW for my trips to WDW, and I've never had a problem when using RAC. You do need your confirmation number, but I always have that info with me when I go to the counter.

 

[mb187143]

Usually when I fly SWA, my boarding pass is printed as left on my door on the morning I check out, so we take that over to RAC with our ID and I've never had a problem checking bags at that point, just like curbside at MCO. I'm sure glitches happen from time to time. As a matter of fact, leaving AKL in November, the family in front of us was trying to check in for their SWA flight and the agent just couldn't do it after about 45 minutes of trying. They had no problem checking me and DH in right after for our SWA flight. The people in front of us also already had boarding passes, they ended up having to take their bags to MCO with them though, where we did not.