I am going to St. Croix on the 22nd and have to change planes in San Juan. While I have flown a fair bit, I have never had to change planes. My travel partner is in a wheel chair (we'll use our own). My question is will the airlines transfer my checked lugage to the new plane or do I have to go down and wait for it and re-check it? If so any suggestions for pushing a wheelchair and hauling a dive bag and clothes bag at the same time? OK aside from grow 4 more arms. :11:
When changing planes do they????
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The airline will transfer your baggage since you're not traveling outside of the United States.
The airline or airport will probably also have a "shuttle" (golf cart like car) to help you get to the other gate with your friend in the wheelchair.
I am sure you'll have no problems
The airline or airport will probably also have a "shuttle" (golf cart like car) to help you get to the other gate with your friend in the wheelchair.
I am sure you'll have no problems
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There may be a boarding issue for your travel partner in SJU. See my PM.
My fiance is in a wheel chair and we have flown several times. The airline will transfer your luggage provided you are flying with the same carrier. A friend once made first leg on usair and second leg on american. never again. you got to claim your bags, if like in miami the terminal is split up (was a couple years ago anyway) you may have to go thru security again, get your boarding passes, and make your flight. My recommendation it to get a roller bag and put as much stuff in it as you can. Check it. Carryon your reg and maybe your mask. Mine has script lenses so it goes with me on the plane. Everything else you can rent if needed. Take a change of clothes or two on with you also. If the person in the chair is able he/she can carry some stuff on with them. Airlines are very accomodating to disabled passengers. Also ask if there is room to put the chair in the cabin closet. Sometimes there is and it makes it easier to get when getting off. Otherwise it's usually ok in the baggage compartment as it's the last thing on and the first thing off therefore. If the person uses a silicon jay cushion or similar take this with you. It will fit the airline seat and makes for a much more comfortable ride and minimizes pressure related problems on longer flights. Don't be afraid to get a porter to help. As for those golf carts depending on the level of disability they can be down right worthless for someone not able to sit up on their own. They are designed for elderly or people who may be disabled but are still able to walk some. The chair may not even fit on some and you may end up wheeling it while they ride. Check with the airline and let them know well in advance. they will have people waiting to assist you. Have fun through security also. They will probably "randomly select" the person in the chair for close inspection :11: . One bozo asked my fiance who has muscular dystrophy to take her shoes off. She is not able to do this as I have to completely dress her and undress her. She told the PIA if you want them off you take em off and put them back on. These people don't have a clue. She does not even look like she comes from a terrorist country. I'm not going there however you can see the TSA thread in the whine and cheese category. Have a safe and fun trip and just relax. The airlines are great about this. 
The TSA, well they suck.
The TSA, well they suck.
You can have bags checked all the way through even if you change airlines (with different tickets), all you have to do is ask when checking in. We do this a couple times a year. They'll as to see the tickets for the other airline, and it's a done deal.
All the best, James
All the best, James
RonDawg
Contributor
The process of having your bags automatically "forwarded" to your next flight segment is called "through-checking." Whether or not this is possible depends on several factors, such as the airline(s) involved, and the flight segments involved.
As already pointed out, you don't always have to buy both flight segments from the same carrier. Earlier this year I went to Maui using a combination of Continental Airlines and Aloha Airlines, and at LAX Continental had no problems with through checking it to Kahului. I stopped in Honolulu for a few days on the way back, but on a previous trip Aloha had no problems through checking my baggage from Hilo to home via a United flight from Honolulu.
However, in Australia Virgin Blue wouldn't through-check my bags onto Air New Zealand at all. That sucks because Sydney's Kingsford-Smith Airport is among the WORST airports to transit through. The terminals are clean and beautiful and well laid-out, but International and Domestic are NOT walking distance from each other. Even worse, you have to PAY to get from one to the other. You have to pay $4.50 to take a subway train along with all the other Sydney commuters, and the train cars themselves aren't well suited for large baggage (you have to stay in a small area near the doors unless you want to climb stairs, plus there are HUGE gaps between the train cars and the platform). Not fun when you're struggling with a huge Akona dive bag along with your regular luggage. And NO you can't take the trolleys onto the train. Bus is cheaper but then you have to struggle getting luggage onto a bus.
If you buy a trip from a carrier who automatically routes you via an intermediate airport, you can pretty much bet that your baggage will be automatically through-checked, with the exception noted below.
One type of flight where you CANNOT through-check is if you are coming back into the US at an international airport (LAX, SFO, JFK, Chicago O'Hare, Washington-Dulles, etc.) and have to take a connecting flight to another airport. Homeland Security rules say that you have to pick up your bags at the international port of entry, and re-check the bags for your next flight segment. Some airlines such as United make this process less painful by having a special "transit" area where you pick up your bags and drop them off at another carousel in the same area; at O'Hare's United transit area the two carousels are literally steps apart.
As already pointed out, you don't always have to buy both flight segments from the same carrier. Earlier this year I went to Maui using a combination of Continental Airlines and Aloha Airlines, and at LAX Continental had no problems with through checking it to Kahului. I stopped in Honolulu for a few days on the way back, but on a previous trip Aloha had no problems through checking my baggage from Hilo to home via a United flight from Honolulu.
However, in Australia Virgin Blue wouldn't through-check my bags onto Air New Zealand at all. That sucks because Sydney's Kingsford-Smith Airport is among the WORST airports to transit through. The terminals are clean and beautiful and well laid-out, but International and Domestic are NOT walking distance from each other. Even worse, you have to PAY to get from one to the other. You have to pay $4.50 to take a subway train along with all the other Sydney commuters, and the train cars themselves aren't well suited for large baggage (you have to stay in a small area near the doors unless you want to climb stairs, plus there are HUGE gaps between the train cars and the platform). Not fun when you're struggling with a huge Akona dive bag along with your regular luggage. And NO you can't take the trolleys onto the train. Bus is cheaper but then you have to struggle getting luggage onto a bus.
If you buy a trip from a carrier who automatically routes you via an intermediate airport, you can pretty much bet that your baggage will be automatically through-checked, with the exception noted below.
One type of flight where you CANNOT through-check is if you are coming back into the US at an international airport (LAX, SFO, JFK, Chicago O'Hare, Washington-Dulles, etc.) and have to take a connecting flight to another airport. Homeland Security rules say that you have to pick up your bags at the international port of entry, and re-check the bags for your next flight segment. Some airlines such as United make this process less painful by having a special "transit" area where you pick up your bags and drop them off at another carousel in the same area; at O'Hare's United transit area the two carousels are literally steps apart.
Didn't know that the airline change is called "through-checking". Thanks!
Through-checking at an international airport has been no effort, though. Our experience, when coming from out of the country:
>Go to check-in counter. Penetrate language barrier.
>Explain airline change. Show tickets.
>Bags are tagged with routing to our final airport.
>Arrive in good ol' US of A. Exit airplane with herd.
>Outrun herd to Imigration booth.
>Pick up luggage at caroussel.
>Drag bags through Customs.
>Drop bags at baggage check-in conveyor belt outside Customs.
>Through TSA screening to terminal. Exchange money.
>Switch airline and fly home. Pick up bags.
This has been the proceedure everywhere...MSP, DTW, MIA, IAH, LAX, SEA, SFO, ATL...
If we're coming back home from Hawaii (US soil), our experience is:
>Go to check-in counter.
>Explain airline change. Show tickets.
>Bags are tagged with routing to our final airport.
>Arrive on mainland.
>Switch airline and fly home. Pick up bags.
Enjoy the trip!
All the best, James
Through-checking at an international airport has been no effort, though. Our experience, when coming from out of the country:
>Go to check-in counter. Penetrate language barrier.
>Explain airline change. Show tickets.
>Bags are tagged with routing to our final airport.
>Arrive in good ol' US of A. Exit airplane with herd.
>Outrun herd to Imigration booth.
>Pick up luggage at caroussel.
>Drag bags through Customs.
>Drop bags at baggage check-in conveyor belt outside Customs.
>Through TSA screening to terminal. Exchange money.
>Switch airline and fly home. Pick up bags.
This has been the proceedure everywhere...MSP, DTW, MIA, IAH, LAX, SEA, SFO, ATL...
If we're coming back home from Hawaii (US soil), our experience is:
>Go to check-in counter.
>Explain airline change. Show tickets.
>Bags are tagged with routing to our final airport.
>Arrive on mainland.
>Switch airline and fly home. Pick up bags.
Enjoy the trip!
All the best, James
Thanks everyone for your help. Mom is 84 and can still walk short distances and climb a few stairs. It sounds like the only real concern is the small American Eagle plane from San Juan to St. Croix. The wheel chair we use is actually a transfer chair meaning it doesn't have the big wheels at the sides but 4 smaller size ones directly underneath so it goes through many smaller doorways with no problems and it's much lighter. I was debating how to pack with the new 50lb limit on luggage. My dive bag is quite large so I think I'll pack the gear and clothes in it. The second bag will have the 2 cases for the video camera . Then 2 backpacks with regs and mask and the other the rest of the clothes. I'll take a couple heavy duty bungie straps to strap the checked bags together for transport while pushing the chair and the 2 backpacks can ride one on each handle of the chair. Not sure how much my dive gear weighs without regs but I'll plan for 30lb. If it's over I think they just charge you at the checkin counter provided it's less than 75 lb.
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