DME Non-Participating Airline Question

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm quickly planning a spur of the moment trip with my 6yo, flying USAir, which I believe is a non-participating airline for DME. In January I flew United and know exactly what to do when flying a participating airline, but I had to go and confuse things!

I'm talking to my AAA agent in a little while and wanted to have all my ducks in a row since she seems to be giving me some misinformation.

I think I know how it's going to work when I return to MCO when I'm going back home, but I'm confused about how it's going to work when I get to MCO at the beginning of my vacation.

I know that I can ride the DME bus, but will I first need to retrieve my luggage or will that be done for me like when I took United? I'm totally confusing myself reading all the information about participating vs non-participating airlines, especially since this trip is so last minute (leaving May 3rd and I just arranged my air today and have a hold on the package that I'm paying today).

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

"Participating' only matters for your return to the airport at the end of your stay. It only means that if you are on a 'participating' airline, you can check your luggage at your resort, rather than do it at the airport. You also get your boarding pass at this time.
So.....for your MCO arrival from home. If you get the yellow luggage tags that come in the info packet from DME, put them on your luggage. One tag per piece of checked luggage. Then, when you get to MCO, hop off the plane, and head right to the DME checkin area. You will get checked in, and then it's on to the bus line, hop on the bus, and off to your resort you go.
Now...if for some reason you do not get the yellow tags, you have several options. YOu can just go to baggage claim yourself and get your bags and bring them to the DME check-in desk. The bags will then be put underneath the bus that you will be on. Or, you can go directly to the DME desk, give them your baggage claim numbers and they will have someone claim your bags from the carousel, and put the bags on the truck that takes the yellow tagged bags to the resorts.
I prefer getting my bags myself and bringing them to the check-in area myself. that way, I know if there is a bag missing before I ever leave the airport. So far, I have not had to do that....I've always gotten the yellow tags.

For your return to MCO at the end of your trip, you take your bags with you to the DME bus and they go underneath the bus unless you are flying a 'participating' airline. Then it is as I stated above.
Hope that has helped.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Thanks! Since I'm only making the reservation today and going though AAA, I'm assuming that I won't have the yellow tags.

I'll wait to see how much lugguge we have and whether or not we want to deal with it at MCO. My 6yo is finally to the stage that he can handle himself nicely at the airport, but it's not as if he will be too helpful to me, other than to pull around a little carryon.

I'm trying to remember, is the DME desk on the same level as the baggage claim? It's not, if I remember correctly.

 

[kaytieeldr]

DME is on level 1, with the car rental counters. Baggage claim is on level 2; you arrive on level 3 (or 4, I forget )
May 3rd? You never know, you actually may get your yellow tags in time! If not, I personally would go with the "give DME your claim check numbers and match your luggage to one of the photos they show you" (at least, I think they still do that part - I'm 100% positive on the claim check part) and let them transport your luggage.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

This is how it will work. If they can't express the tags to you in time... doesn't matter. Just go to the DME Welcome Center with your claim tickets. Describe the bags, and give them the claim tickets. They will claim your luggage for you, and transport it to your room.

Alternatively, you can claim your bags in baggage claim B, return to level 3, cross the concourse, and then proceed to the Welcome Center in Terminal A, level 1.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Sounds good! I didn't think DME was on the same level, but I was in a daze looking for it in January and thought I would never get to it all the way down where it is (probably really not that far, but when a person is looking for it seems far ).

I probably will have them transport the luggage to save me the hassle.

And all this is assuming that I don't get a good rental car rate and end up going that route. That would change everything. Sometimes I think I'm trying to see how much confusion I can generate in a few days, just to drive myself crazy.