Has anyone done this with DME?

[joxer1014]

My family and I will be travelling to WDW this year. The only difference is I will be on a different flight than the rest of the family. My flight leaves an hour later then their flight. We only did this because I have enough miles with my airline and intend not to fly them or accrue any more miles with them so I am emptying my account and it will save us some money.

My question is: they will be using Magic Express and I will not. I am getting a car. Has anyone used the unused ME tags on a different flight then the original reservation? I am thinking about doing this soley so I might not have to wait at baggage claim myself and then take the two bags I will check down to the garage. I have a first class flight which means no bag fees. The rest of them have to pay for the bags so two less bags saves money as well. I am not trying to circumvent security or anything like that. We will probably have at least two unused tags and I thought I could take advantage of them.

Just an idea. Send me your thoughts.

 

[seashoreCM]

No problem. It is not unusual for different family members to arrive on different flights. For same day flights, when your family gets to the DME welcoming area, give the total number of checked baggage items.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Because your flights are so close, I would say no issue using the ME tags. If it wasn't as close, I would typically say that ME is not a luggage only transfer service from the airport.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

So why is this ok? OP is using DME as a baggage service. If she wants the bags to go on DME they should go with her family.

Otherwise this is just like all those other threads saying "can I just send my bags and not get on the bus"

And the family tells Disney we had 10 bags, but only 8 show up on the same flight I think the gig is up. Disney will start the lost bag search, airline will point out they only got 8 bags

 

[goofy4tink]

Oh brother....here we go again. Can you do this? Yes. I would actually have the rest of the family check your bags, rather than you check the bags. Now, of course that means an addlt checked bag fee...but, it could save some major hassle down the road.
You fly with carron only.....your checked bag goes with your wife..surely there is someone in that group who isn't checking a bag. Your bag would get their tag. Is there some way you could cut your bags down to just one??? Seriously, my family of three travels with just 2 checked bags between us.

 

[Lewisc]

Oh brother....here we go again. Can you do this? Yes. I would actually have the rest of the family check your bags, rather than you check the bags. Now, of course that means an addlt checked bag fee...but, it could save some major hassle down the road.
You fly with carron only.....your checked bag goes with your wife..surely there is someone in that group who isn't checking a bag. Your bag would get their tag. Is there some way you could cut your bags down to just one??? Seriously, my family of three travels with just 2 checked bags between us.

The OP is flying first class. Sounds like she gets 2 checked bags for free. Other family members pay for their bags.Makes sense to me.

There is a luggage only DME thread where you can get more information then you need.

 

[goofy4tink]

The OP is flying first class. Sounds like she gets 2 checked bags for free. Other family members pay for their bags.Makes sense to me.

There is a luggage only DME thread where you can get more information then you need.

Really??? Seriously??? There's a whole thread devoted to just this question??? Who knew!!! How wonderful.... Okay, I'm done.

Yes, I realized that he is flying first class and not paying for baggage. Which is pretty much why I said there would be an addtl baggage fee. But, I have to wonder if he is taking some of other people's stuff since he has two bags (for free) and there are people on the other flight not using their DME luggage tags.

To the OP.....
Here's the thing...there is no way to be 100% sure everything will go fine if you tag your bag(s) and then don't ride the bus. So...if you want further info on that situation, please feel free to check out the above mentioned thread!!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

To the OP.....
Here's the thing...there is no way to be 100% sure everything will go fine if you tag your bag(s) and then don't ride the bus. So...if you want further info on that situation, please feel free to check out the above mentioned thread!!

But here's the catch, they have others who are using DME and can turn display the baggage tags from the luggage from another airline.

Since the flights are so close together, it wouldn't be unreasonable for bags to sometimes get separated at times anyways or for a passenger to accept a bump and bags arrive separately. The big point is making sure that someone is checking in with the baggage tags at DME.

So if the bags don't arrive, DME would probably handle the problem because they were provided with the baggage check codes from a passenger who boarded DME.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

So in other words the rules are.... Whatever we want them to be LOL. You don't think the DME folks might wonder why they have claim checks for a plane that has not landed. ( and if you spend as much time on this as they do, you probably have the flight schedules memorized)

Personally I just find the "fuzzy logic" being used entertaining. Does this logic apply to everything in life?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

So in other words the rules are.... Whatever we want them to be LOL. You don't think the DME folks might wonder why they have claim checks for a plane that has not landed. ( and if you spend as much time on this as they do, you probably have the flight schedules memorized)

Personally I just find the "fuzzy logic" being used entertaining. Does this logic apply to everything in life?

I actually like following the rules in life and am a firm believer in not trying to cheat the system, but this situation is a little unique compared to most situations with "luggage only" as the question.

Again, I don't mean for my post to come off as supporting the decision, but it would most likely work without any issues (honestly, I doubt DME is even looking at the baggage tag flight numbers).

 

[DebbieB]

I once arrived on a Saturday and my friend arrived on Wednesday. I had a rental car. She had no problem using DME with the luggage tags.

 

[goofy4tink]

So in other words the rules are.... Whatever we want them to be LOL. You don't think the DME folks might wonder why they have claim checks for a plane that has not landed. ( and if you spend as much time on this as they do, you probably have the flight schedules memorized)

Personally I just find the "fuzzy logic" being used entertaining. Does this logic apply to everything in life?

In all reality, DME workers, at the baggage level, aren't looking at claim checks. They see a bag with yellow tags, they pull 'em. It's only if someone doesn't tag their bag that a claim check will be looked at.
As I said, my issue would be if the wife stated 10 bags are checked (with her dh's two bags included), but they could only locate 8 of them. I would like to think that after all bags had been pulled from the plane, and 2 bags hadn't shown up, they would start looking for them. I would imagine that when the dh's flight showed up, and there were two bags on that flight, it would all work out. And in all probability, it would. BUT...there is always a small chance of something going wrong, usually on the airline's part.

Yes, Disney tells us that you must ride the bus in order to get luggage delivery/handling. But in all reality that isn't true. They could change the way they operate in order to make it true though. Your bags don't leave the airport until you have checked in at the DME area and boarded a bus. They imput the number of bags into the system as it is. So, they know if you've arrived. I just don't think Disney truly cares about this..at least, not all that much. As long as the vast majority of guests are using DME the way Disney intended it to be used, they are fine with it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Do they photocopy the white baggage claim checks of each and every DME guest nowadays? In years past they did that only:
1. At the welcoming area in the airport if the guest did not have or use the yellow DME tabs,
2. At the resort front desk when the guest, after not finding his bags in his room, went down to inquire.

Yes, Disney tells us that you must ride the bus in order to get luggage delivery/handling. But in all reality that isn't true. They could change the way they operate in order to make it true though. Your bags don't leave the airport until you have checked in at the DME area and boarded a bus. They imput the number of bags into the system as it is. So, they know if you've arrived...

DME could simplify the baggage process, eliminate considerable labor, and speed the delivery to the room (2 hours after you can get there, instead of 3?) by getting rid of the step that holds the baggage at the airport until the guest checks in for DME and boards the bus. The only downside would be diverting to Disney an occasional bag of a former Disney guest now on a non-Disney trip into Orlando when he failed to remove the yellow tag of his previous Disney trip.

 

[Lewisc]

Obviously the comment about the luggage only thread was directed to the OP and not to you.

This is the DISBOARDS. People bring back old mugs to save a few dollars. Purchase an extra bun to save a few dollars. Won't spend $10 on assigned seats. Will rebook a car rental to save $5.

By DIS standards saving around $50 in checked baggage fees is like winning the lottery.

Really??? Seriously??? There's a whole thread devoted to just this question??? Who knew!!! How wonderful.... Okay, I'm done.

Yes, I realized that he is flying first class and not paying for baggage. Which is pretty much why I said there would be an addtl baggage fee. But, I have to wonder if he is taking some of other people's stuff since he has two bags (for free) and there are people on the other flight not using their DME luggage tags.

To the OP.....
Here's the thing...there is no way to be 100% sure everything will go fine if you tag your bag(s) and then don't ride the bus. So...if you want further info on that situation, please feel free to check out the above mentioned thread!!

 

[Lewisc]

DME could simplify the baggage process, eliminate considerable labor, and speed the delivery to the room (2 hours after you can get there, instead of 3?) by getting rid of the step that holds the baggage at the airport until the guest checks in for DME and boards the bus. The only downside would be diverting to Disney an occasional bag of a former Disney guest now on a non-Disney trip into Orlando when he failed to remove the yellow tag of his previous Disney trip.

Why do you continue to make stuff up?

Disney doesn't hold luggage at MCO until guests check in. The evidence is the posters who use DME for luggage only. The other evidence is from the posters who found their luggage waiting in their room. Luggage beat them to their resort. Obvioulsy their luggage just made a truck. Wasn't time to have held the luggage until the guest checked in.

The downside to the present system. Luggage arrives without a passenger. Passenger didn't clear standby. Passenger accepted a bump. Assume the guest cancels his trip. Disney has to send the luggage back to the airport so it can be sent to his original aireport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Do they photocopy the white baggage claim checks of each and every DME guest nowadays? In years past they did that only:
1. At the welcoming area in the airport if the guest did not have or use the yellow DME tabs,
2. At the resort front desk when the guest, after not finding his bags in his room, went down to inquire.

DME could simplify the baggage process, eliminate considerable labor, and speed the delivery to the room (2 hours after you can get there, instead of 3?) by getting rid of the step that holds the baggage at the airport until the guest checks in for DME and boards the bus. The only downside would be diverting to Disney an occasional bag of a former Disney guest now on a non-Disney trip into Orlando when he failed to remove the yellow tag of his previous Disney trip.

Not at all accurate. DME has never held luggage until a guest checks in at the DME counter.

In all actuality, this is what happens. The plane lands....luggage is taken off. As a yellow, DME tagged bag comes through, it is taken off and put aside. When all the bags for DME have been pulled, they scan the bar codes....this is what tells them where the bags are going. Yes, it says it on the tag but many times the resort has been changed..so the bar code is scanned to see where it should go. Then, bags are put into piles according to resort area....scanned again. Then, onto the truck. As they come off the truck, at each resort, they are scanned again...at least that is what I have been told. They go to Bell Services/Luggage Assistence for room delivery.

'If', in fact the bags were held until the guest had boarded the bus (the voucher being scanned would show them as being boarded in the system), then you wouldn't be able to go off and rent a car or use a car service and still expect your bags to arrive at your resort, magically. Of course, that would prevent people from doing just that...so if Disney felt it was an issue, they could put an end to that practice.

And yes lewisc...I knew you weren't talking to me...I just couldn't resist!!