luggage rechecking issues... HELP! thanks..

[dingaling]

I have a small dilemna that hopefully someone who has had experience with can help me.

I am leaving from Niagara on a delta flight that takes me to Atlanta and then to Antigua. At Antigua, I take Liat to dominica. My issue is with baggage. Since I am changing airlines at Antigua, will I have to re claim my luggage and then re check it to Liat? I only have an hour from when I arrive at Antigua and when my plane leaves. Will this be enough time? Also, I'm guessing I dont have to play with the luggage at Atlanta since I'm taking the same airlines to Antigua, right?

I tried calling the customer service about this but they keep giving me a different answer each time I call.

thanks alot for your help,
I'm freakin out here...

[BrazilianDoc]

u take bags in antigua anyway, because there is customs, etc... should be enough time.. 30 min is what is more problematic. try to rush to immigration and go ahead of the crowd when leaving the plane.. if u can... or take the first class row @ immigration...

[Cuando2]

This is what you do:

Call up Delta (is delta taking you all the way from niagara to antigua?) and ASK them if they have baggage transfer agreements with Liat. If they do, you are all set...all you do when you check in for your flight from Niagara is to tell the agent to check the baggage all the way to your final destination of DOM and show her the boarding pass of your Liat flight from Antigua to DOM.

You will NOT have to reclaim baggage in the above situation...in fact, you wont see your bags until DOM. The bags would not succumb to customs in Antigua since you are not claiming there and entering their country...you are transferring thru their airport.

HOWEVER: If delta says they do NOT have baggage agreements with Liat, then your journey becomes slightly more complicated/difficult...esp with a 1hr connection in Antigua. That in itself is a MISTAKE...anytime you make international airport connections, you should give yourself at LEAST 2 hrs of connection time as a MINIMUM, mainly to allow for international flight delays, and especially in this situation since you are dealing with international airports in the CARIBBEAN (which translates to SLOOOWW).

Aside from that, upon your arrival in Antigua, you will have to exit security, reclaim your bags, haul the bags to the check-in counter (of which there is NO online check-in since it is international, which means longer wait times), wait in line, and re-check those bags onto Liat. Then, you will have to figure even more time to enter and pass through security xrays, and then travel time to your gate. You have to be at the gate I believe by 5 mins before departure otherwise you will not be let onto the plane. 1 hour doesn't seem like it will work out unless you are REAL lucky, simply because the caribbean doesn't run on American time standards (things are SLOW and delayed frequently). Also, the time it takes you to get off your flight from ATLy while you're in Antigua...well thats at least 10-15 mins while they get the door open and you get off the plane onto the Antigua airport, and then the extra time it takes to wait and receive your bags at bag claim. Get ahead of as MANY lines as you can...just blatantly budge in front of people while yelling "MY FLIGHT LEAVES IN 10 MINS" and people will understand. Good luck.

[Dru]

I agree with C2, and additionally, make sure you pack at least a day or two of change of clothing in your carry-on...just in case your luggage takes a little vacation and makes it to Ross on a later date than you.

[doc20]

plan to miss your flight and stay overnight in Antigua, they will rip you off for a shady shack that according to them would be the only place to stay

[AxlFoley]

Nothing much I can add that hasnt already been said. But just for the sake of consistency I suppose.... But I can also provide you an account of my experience, Jan 2005.

I made last min. changes (wanting a few extra vacation days) and flew through Antigua, rather than fly directly to Dominica from San Juan. Not the greatest thing I did.
I had an American airlines flight from Detroit - Miami - Sanjuan -
Then flew on American Eagle to Antigua (reclaimed baggage there) - Caribbean star TO Dominica.

Antigua is much more "hospitable" to the average tourist. It may not look like it from the look of the airport, but it definately is, ccompared to Dominica. HOWEVER. When I arrived (around midnight) I got my bags and tried to get a taxi to a hotel...since my flight wasnt until morning....EVERY hotel was booked and there were no vacancies so I got screwed and ending sleeping on one of the benches....ya it sucked. So try to make arrangements ahead of time (of course, depending on your situation and your timings)

Flew out the next morning. The funny thing is...after all the flights AND baggage transfers...Caribbean star loses my bags from Antigua to Dominica. SO... just in case...I suggest take on a carry on (althought I think Liat may only allow 1 piece total, rather than your computer and a carry on) and maybe take some extra shirts/shorts and your toiletries. I was without both my big suitcases for almost 2 weeks...My mom actually FED EXed (overnight) extra clothes, Since I had nothing.

But anyways...your question is whether you will have enough time in Antiugua. I believe so. Then again when I arrived it was late nite, and very few people were in customs line. If anything, I say just let someone know that you have a narrow window for your next flight, and they should speed up your process. And, go through the shortest line, just letting them know your situation. Plus...hey its the caribbean. Nothing is hardly ever really on time right? But I am quite sure you WILL have to reclaim luggage in Antigua, which shouldnt too long either.

Oh ya, and in Atlanta, you wont have to reclaim your luggage at all. But if you want to, just double check with the ticket agent in Niagra. But since Antigua is your final arrival place via Delta, they may do an international security check on your bags in Niagra.

Hope any of this helps, message me with any questions also.

[what up doc]

That is all good but according to Liat, they only allow 50 pounds of total luggage. How is one supposed to get around that when leaving on Liat from dominica or any other island?

[Cuando2]

That is all good but according to Liat, they only allow 50 pounds of total luggage. How is one supposed to get around that when leaving on Liat from dominica or any other island?

Well, when you leave FROM Dom, you have no choice but to follow the rules of the airline. I once had a bag which was 20-something pounds overweight. They took me into a back room next to the check-in counter (this is on the Dom airport), and a bunch of Dominicans were back there chilling. When we weighed the bag, the guy says "uh ohhhh" and suggested i transfer some stuff into my handbag. My handbag was already full (it was a laptop bag), so no other choice, and I couldn't part with any of the stuff in that bag. The guy then says, "Well, fuh small fee, I let ur bahg pass tru." I asked "how much?" thinking it would be ridiculous like 100 US bucks...and the guy says "20 EC mon" and I let him have it immediately. This entire deal was also allowable only because one of the other Dominicans saw a JetBlue tag on my bag, and was reminiscing about how his sister lives in NJ and flies JetBlue all the time...so they were content and easy to deal with due to that.

Anyhow, if you're on the way TO Dom, the way to by-pass the weight limit is to check your baggage onto American Eagle from your departure city. So, lets say your trip was from Detroit to ATLy to San Juan to DOM, and from Detriot all the way to SJU you flew American Airlines, then American Eagle from SJU to DOM, then you tell American Airlines in Detoit to check your bags all the way through to Dom and they forget about the limited weight restrictions. The bags are never re-weighed and you're all good.

[dingaling]

I just got this email. If I interpret this correctly, it means the bags go all the way to dominica. This is good news right?

"Delta Baggage may only be checked to the passenger's final destination,
not to a point intermediate to the passenger's next point of stopover.
In order to check baggage through to your final destination on an Liat
Airline you must present an other airline ticket, or Electronic ticket
(ET) receipt showing the final destination when checking the bag."

once again I want to thank everyone for responding...
I really need to start travelling more

[AxlFoley]

hmmm , sounds legit

at least thats one less worry

[monkeydoc]

If you have a carry on with you make sure it haves tags and that it doesn't have important documents/things that are crucial to your time in Dominica. When you're about to board AE at San Juan if your carry on is to big they will provide you with a red tag and put the other half on your bag and this carry on will be sent with your regular bags.
The reason that I am stressing not to have any important thing in that bag or of value to you, is b/c i had a bad experience when I got here. Once you arrive you start making the line to pass through immigration and while your doing that your luggage start to come out. All my luggage cam out but not my carry on, I was so nervous b/c my laptop was there and other electronic devices. At the airport they kept telling me that all the bags where out and no one knew anything. I went back out before the plane left and sopke to the flight attendant and she stated that she personally looked and all bags where out. I started saying how I had important documents and w/o them I couldn't start my classes, etc. After about 30 minutes of misery, some one out of no where came out with my carry on and all the tags where not on them. I don't want to sound negative but someone was planning to stay with my bags b/c I had two tags on them plus the red one given to me. So please be careful.
Other than that I have nothing to say but good thing about the dominican people. Vendors at the shacks a very nice, security people around the university,etc. Students are great source of information. I only found the housing department to be the less helpful.

Well have a sefe trip over here, Meet you all at orientation.

[BrotherMan]

Does anyone know if Liat and United airlines have a luggage transfer agreement with each other. My flight is united to san juan, then liat from san juan to dominica.
Thanks

[monsoon338]

Wonder if anyone can offer any input on my specific flight schedule:

I go from Houston to San Juan to Dominica all on American (well American Eagle from San Juan to Dominica). I called AA, and they said that I would not have to worry about my checked bags or customs. All I would have to do is get off my plane and then walk over to the terminal where my next flight is. I have 40 mins between flights if everything goes as planned and there are no delays.

Anyone who has gone on American and had a connection in San Juan, can you please tell me if 40 mins is enough time to haul my stuff from one terminal to another? Do I have to exit security and then go through security again? Will I have to deal with customs?

[Cuando2]

Wonder if anyone can offer any input on my specific flight schedule:

I go from Houston to San Juan to Dominica all on American (well American Eagle from San Juan to Dominica). I called AA, and they said that I would not have to worry about my checked bags or customs. All I would have to do is get off my plane and then walk over to the terminal where my next flight is. I have 40 mins between flights if everything goes as planned and there are no delays.

Anyone who has gone on American and had a connection in San Juan, can you please tell me if 40 mins is enough time to haul my stuff from one terminal to another? Do I have to exit security and then go through security again? Will I have to deal with customs?

Hey man, I think I already answered your question a few times in this very thread. Just read above. Obviously, if you're flying AA (or AE which is the same company) then you check all the way to DOM.

No, you dont exit security, no you dont haul stuff (other than your carry-ons). And yes, it is quite a walk...from domestic to the internal island-hopper AE area. You'll see when you get there. Good luck.

[Cuando2]

Does anyone know if Liat and United airlines have a luggage transfer agreement with each other. My flight is united to san juan, then liat from san juan to dominica.
Thanks

Dude, just call up AA to find out from them for sure.

[liqu0rleadstocha0s]

ok so since we're on the subject of luggages i might as well ask one. I know the carry on restriction for AE is 40" linear inches and a max of 40 lbs. but what about checked luggage? i have 2 bags that are 61" linear inches each...i figure if i will buy luggage i might as well buy 2 bags that are the same size rather than 1 big size and 1 slightly smaller. i figure it won't be a problem to DOM but what about leaving from DOM? from experience, do they hassle about the sizes of the checked luggage or is it ok with what i have?? i've called the AE in san juan and DOM but they give me the same answers as the one on the american website but on the welcome packet travel thing they have the dimensions for required luggage and now i'm kinda freaked out.