Mrs Grumpy said:
OK, this is my first time flying so I am really dumb when it comes to all of this. We are using a town car service instead of DME. What all happens if you check in at the resort? What happens when you check your bags? You still take them with you right? Sorry, but I have never done anything like this before.
Not sure exactly what you're asking, so let me walk you through it.
Two types of luggage in airplanes, checked luggage (suitcases) and carry-ons. When you arrive at your home airport, you will have to "check" the luggage that will be going into the cargo hold of the plane. You can check that luggage at your airline ticket counter, and if it's set up for this, you can also do what's called curbside check-in, where employees called skycaps take your luggage, tag it, give you your boarding passes (the paper you need to get through security and then later to actually board the airplane), as well as your baggage claim checks. Baggage claim checks are just a receipt, kind of like you'd get at the dry cleaner when you leave clothes there -- it's your proof that they have your stuff, in case there's a problem. If you check in at the airline counter (as opposed to using the skycaps) you will get the same service and same paperwork. Curbside check-in is often (but not alwats) faster, but in exchange for that extra service you are expected to tip the skycap. You would NOT tip the employee at the airline ticket counter.
Okay, so now you know what checked luggage is. If you're smart, you also have a piece of carry-on luggage. It's called carry-on because you carry it onto the plane with you. Since it's with you, it does not get "checked" with the airline. Don't confuse "checking luggage," which means handing it over to someone else so they can transport it for you, with security checking through your luggage (suitcases or carry-ons) to make sure you don't have anything in there you're not supposed to have. Anyway, in the airplane, your carry-on lugagge must be stored either in the overhead compartment or under the seat IN FRONT OF YOU. Airlines have different limits on the size of carry-ons, so check with your exact airline on the size limits.
Okay, so now you land at Orlando International Airport. Every airport in the world has a three-letter codename, always three letters in English. Orlando's airport is MCO. When your plane lands at MCO, you'll get off the plane, go down to baggage claim, be greeted by your towncar driver, claim (grab) your luggage when you see it on the baggage claim carousel, get driven to your resort, check in at the front desk, enjoy your stay.
Like you said, you're not using DME, that's why you have to get your own luggage, etc.
Okay, now fast-forward to the end of your vacation ....
You are going to take a towncar back to MCO to fly home. But, if you are flying on one of the "participating airlines," you can bring your checked luggage to a certain person/place at your resort. That certain place is called the Resort Airline Check-In desk (RAC). It's a special service that was just set up a little over one year ago. You can go to that desk and hand over to them your suitcases that will be checked lugagge (the stuff that will go in the cargo hold of the airplane). They'll give you baggage claim checks and your boarding passes, just like you got at your home airport. You have just checked your suitcases! You won't see them again until they are on your home airport's baggage claim carousel after your plane lands at home. You will still have your carry-on bags with you. At whatever time you are scheduled, your towncar will take you back to MCO for your flight home.
Just like ONLY people flying certain airlines get to use RAC, only people with flights at certain times get to use it, too. To use RAC, you must check your luggage with them AT LEAST 3 hours before your flight, but NO MORE than 12 hours before your flight. Add onto that that RAC is not a 24-hour-a-day operation. It's open from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. So in other words, if your flight leaves MCO at 7:00 a.m., you can't use RAC. WHy? Because luggage has to be checked in at least 3 hours before the flight. Your flight leaves at 7 AM, 3 hours before is 4 AM, and RAC isn't open yet.
RAC is completely separate from DME. You don't need to use DME or ride a DME bus to use RAC.
If your airline is NOT a "participating airline" in RAC, then you can't use RAC. In that case, your towncar driver will load your bags into the car. When you get to MCO, it'll be exactly the same procedure as at your home airport at the beginning of your vacation. You will check in at either your airline ticket counter, or do curbside check in with a skycap. Then it works the same as I described earlier.
I hope this all helps. After your head is done spinning, please post back if you have any questions. Remember, we were all first-time fliers once!
