curbside check-in question

[Best Aunt]

Brother will be driving us to the airport. Brother will drop me and the rest of the family off at the curb, with all of the luggage, and then go park the car. Brother will then meet us in the airport.

Can we check brother's bag at the curb for him, while brother is driving to park the car?

Or does the owner of the bag need to be present to check the bag at the curb?

I'm thinking that if the owner needs to be present, we should just say that it's my bag. I never check any luggage. (That's why I have an Owner's Locker.)

Everyone can check one bag for free on this airline.

 

[goofy4tink]

Nope....the person who belongs to the checked bag has to be there to check it. Sorry. Now, you have no checked bag, then sure, you can check his as your piece of checked luggage.

 

[Best Aunt]

Thank you.

 

[kristenrice]

Nope....the person who belongs to the checked bag has to be there to check it. Sorry. Now, you have no checked bag, then sure, you can check his as your piece of checked luggage.

We will be traveling as a family of 15 and flying Airtran. On the way to Orlando, we plan on having 9 of us upgrade to business class upon checkin. This would allow those 9 people to check a total of 18 bags for free. On the way home, the other 6 people will upgrade instead, allowing a total of 12 free checked bags.

Between the 15 of us, we will have no more than 8 checked bags each way. So, in theory, are only 4 people required to check the luggage, assuming that they are 4 of the people in business class? For example, if my brother and I (and our families) are upgraded, could my brother check in 4 bags (say, 1 for him and 1 for each of his 3 children) and I check in 4 bags (2 for me and 1 for each of my 2 children) while our spouses take the children through security? I would assume that children do not need to be present to check their bags right? FWIW, we would all be checked in with our boarding passes in hand before we even get to the airport.

We are planning on my parents checking one bag, my sister's family checking two bags, my brother's family checking 2 bags and my family usually only checks one bag. Since we are all travelling as one big family, will there be any problem with checking the bags as a "group" instead of each individual family? Does this make sense?

 

[goofy4tink]

Basically speaking.....no one is ever allowed to check someone else's bag...and by this I mean going up to the counter and saying 'This is John Smith's bag...he is parking the car, but wants us to check it for him.'..that isn't allowed. BUT...if you either 1. get enough free checked bags that you can include John Smith's bag in with yours, or 2. don't mind paying for a second checked bag, that belongs to John Smith, then fine, you can do that.
IF everyone upgrades to a class that allows them 2 free checked bags, but some only have one bag to check and want to take someone else's one bag to check with their one bag, then that's okay as well.
Nobody is going to open your checked bags and say...'Hmmm, I doubt this is your clothing Anne Barnes..it looks like a man's clothing.'

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We will be traveling as a family of 15 and flying Airtran. On the way to Orlando, we plan on having 9 of us upgrade to business class upon checkin. This would allow those 9 people to check a total of 18 bags for free. On the way home, the other 6 people will upgrade instead, allowing a total of 12 free checked bags.

Between the 15 of us, we will have no more than 8 checked bags each way. So, in theory, are only 4 people required to check the luggage, assuming that they are 4 of the people in business class? For example, if my brother and I (and our families) are upgraded, could my brother check in 4 bags (say, 1 for him and 1 for each of his 3 children) and I check in 4 bags (2 for me and 1 for each of my 2 children) while our spouses take the children through security? I would assume that children do not need to be present to check their bags right? FWIW, we would all be checked in with our boarding passes in hand before we even get to the airport.

We are planning on my parents checking one bag, my sister's family checking two bags, my brother's family checking 2 bags and my family usually only checks one bag. Since we are all travelling as one big family, will there be any problem with checking the bags as a "group" instead of each individual family? Does this make sense?

Can you count on nine seats being available for upgrade? Seems unlikely - does this happen?

As has already been stated here, you cannot check other people's bags, unless you make them part of your baggage allowance. For example, with 2 free checked bags, you could check one bag belonging to you and one bag belonging to your child. You and your brother cannot take 9 business class tickets to the counter and check 18 bags. You need a person present (with id if they are over age 18) for each ticket. Yes, children need to be present when checking bags.