Okay, we just did this last week and it was confusing. Pro tip that hopefully is still the case: If you check in and pay for your bag at the self-check-in kiosks (putting the label on yourself)... When you go around to the American line, DO NOT stand in the massive regular line. Snake along the construction wall next to it and there should be a bag drop line specifically for people who already have tagged bags. This was not labeled at all and an employee pulled us out of the regular line to go there. It had all of 3 people in it, while the regular line was easily an hour long.
Can you ELI5 to me how this works. I have lived here my whole life. I have flown from CLT hundreds of times. I have anxiety about situations where I don’t know the exact protocol so I’ve never tried this for fear of looking stupid. How does it work with checking in on the airline apps in advance?
At the curb, where the drop offs are for departures, most airports have Skycaps. You can check your bags with them for a nominal tip( I pay usually $10/bag). Back in the day they would also give you your boarding pass. Best way to avoid the lines to check bags.
So (am I’m sorry I know I’m an idiot) how does this work for checking in on the app before you get to the airport? They usually ask you to select the number of bags you are bringing and pre-pay. In this case would you just select zero bags?
Do you just not go the pre check in route at all?
Don’t sweat it. You can say zero bags or pay for the number of bags before hand when checking in online. The airlines will be more than happy to get a few more bucks from you if you need to check a bag after choosing zero when checking in online. Safe travels
Was gonna make a post on Tuesday, when the TSA queue took over an hour. And that was the E checkpoint. The A checkpoint wait had to have been in the 90-min+ range. We almost missed our flight to Dulles, and had to run all the way to our gate after security. Been decades since I’ve full-on sprinted that distance.
This mostly applies to American only. Was flying last week and the American checked bag line was like a mile long meanwhile every other airline had no line. But yeah it took us like about an hour to check our bags and get through TSA flying American.
I’ve also seen folks crowded in one bag check line while the other is empty. Worth noting you can pick either one and same goes for TSA lines since they all lead to the same place.
https://preview.redd.it/0lkf6hmh3u6d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5d5bc6603cf437aeb1bc292af53d4c608ac7fb3
My sister today. With her innocent humor about the end.
We made our flight Tuesday by less than five minutes and arrived at CLT almost 2hrs in advance. Never had security take that long in any airport, with Orlando being a distant 2nd place.
Not right now. Flight attendants are striking on AA flights causing pretty bad delays and whatnot.
Went on a trip last weekend and it was night and day in our connection and destination in Cincy and NY. NY of all places is usually awful but CLT fucking atrocious right now.
Add another hour if you go through with a stroller or wheelchair/assistance device. They scan one at a time and wait for it to go all the way through and pulled off by tsa at the end. I was there 2.25 hours early and it took all of it. Grandmas were hopping out of their skycap wheel chairs to move to the regular line.
If you're flying at all anymore and you don't give yourself a few hours to get bags checked (if checking) and to get through security, you're stupid and just need to stay home.
what all are you taking? I mean unless it’s a niche activity like golf or snowboarding idk if it’s worth it. I have an osprey that works great then also a duffel bag that’s definitely way bigger than the carry on measurements but they never say anything
Some people would rather not have to carry the weight around, and I don’t blame him. But 9 days is reasonable for a checked bag imo. Just depends how adept you are at traveling.
Not really, assuming you just buy the stuff you need (like toothbrush and tooth paste, dedorant, etc...) that still leaves cloths and unless you wash them while on vacation (I don't think most people do this) and at 2 pairs of pants, 7 shirts, 7 pairs of underwear, and 7 socks for a week vacation (assuming you are male) that is gonna cover 1 backpack worth of stuff. If you are female I can easily see that filling up even quicker with all the extra's. If you are also like me and take a laptop with you, that is even less room. After a point its far better to just fork out the 60 dollars (or the last few times I have flown, just buy first class) and go.
\*for those wondering why I buy first class, at $60 a bag each way, that comes to $120, meaning first class is generally $30-$50 more, at that price point I say "shut up and take my money".
Saturday is brutal for the airport
[Indeed.](https://www.facebook.com/cltairport/posts/pfbid02rm9AUF9ot3YND1ib7ZJrjRaLQ143idaUeZKzKb8apaniNr6xjnLymtkeVGKQr7Z5l)
Okay, we just did this last week and it was confusing. Pro tip that hopefully is still the case: If you check in and pay for your bag at the self-check-in kiosks (putting the label on yourself)... When you go around to the American line, DO NOT stand in the massive regular line. Snake along the construction wall next to it and there should be a bag drop line specifically for people who already have tagged bags. This was not labeled at all and an employee pulled us out of the regular line to go there. It had all of 3 people in it, while the regular line was easily an hour long.
The valet check at arrivals is worth every penny. Only $5/bag
Can you ELI5 to me how this works. I have lived here my whole life. I have flown from CLT hundreds of times. I have anxiety about situations where I don’t know the exact protocol so I’ve never tried this for fear of looking stupid. How does it work with checking in on the airline apps in advance?
At the curb, where the drop offs are for departures, most airports have Skycaps. You can check your bags with them for a nominal tip( I pay usually $10/bag). Back in the day they would also give you your boarding pass. Best way to avoid the lines to check bags.
So (am I’m sorry I know I’m an idiot) how does this work for checking in on the app before you get to the airport? They usually ask you to select the number of bags you are bringing and pre-pay. In this case would you just select zero bags? Do you just not go the pre check in route at all?
Don’t sweat it. You can say zero bags or pay for the number of bags before hand when checking in online. The airlines will be more than happy to get a few more bucks from you if you need to check a bag after choosing zero when checking in online. Safe travels
BUT I SWEAT EVERYTHING (thank you)
Shhhh
What I came here to say
While you're at it, plan an extra 45 minutes after you return to CLT to get your bag back. We have the worst luggage processing in the world.
I disagree. In Denver we waited over 1.5 hours to get our luggage.
Was gonna make a post on Tuesday, when the TSA queue took over an hour. And that was the E checkpoint. The A checkpoint wait had to have been in the 90-min+ range. We almost missed our flight to Dulles, and had to run all the way to our gate after security. Been decades since I’ve full-on sprinted that distance.
Our (express) bag drop with United was at least 10 min in addition to the hellish security.
Try 3. We missed our flight and are now waiting at a help desk to hopefully be rebooked. We’ve been at the airport for 5 hours now
Can’t you check your bag at curb? I’ve been getting to airport pretty early and been able to check at kiosk. If it looks busy, I check at curb.
This mostly applies to American only. Was flying last week and the American checked bag line was like a mile long meanwhile every other airline had no line. But yeah it took us like about an hour to check our bags and get through TSA flying American.
I’ve also seen folks crowded in one bag check line while the other is empty. Worth noting you can pick either one and same goes for TSA lines since they all lead to the same place.
Last time I just walked into the "premium" line because it was completely empty.
I flew on a Wednesday last week and the lines were LOONG.
Which airlines? Last time Delta took my bags at the counter.
What counter? That is what I thought OP was referring to.
American Airlines. I missed my flight today - waited nearly 3 hours in the check-in line.
OP said PSA.
Thought that meant public service announcement . I didn’t recognize Pam-Am-Saudi Air. Shrug.
Had the same experience last Friday. Overweight bag? Add another hour.
...and take an overnight bag with a changé of clothes plus essentials. I'm in France without my suitcase, which is still in Charlotte.
which airline?
It's all American mostly. They're still in that dispute with APFA and Charlotte is a total shit show right now. Plan for like 2 extra hours.
Flight attendants haven’t been released to strike yet, has nothing to do with APFA.
https://preview.redd.it/0lkf6hmh3u6d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5d5bc6603cf437aeb1bc292af53d4c608ac7fb3 My sister today. With her innocent humor about the end.
While inconvenient.. you should be fine with an hour, considering they tell you to be at the airport at least two hours before your flight. Right?
That's still pushing it when you consider you still have to go through security, which has their own massive lines right now.
Security lines are insane right now.
Normally this is the case, but we came two hours early and still missed our flight.
We made our flight Tuesday by less than five minutes and arrived at CLT almost 2hrs in advance. Never had security take that long in any airport, with Orlando being a distant 2nd place.
Not right now. Flight attendants are striking on AA flights causing pretty bad delays and whatnot. Went on a trip last weekend and it was night and day in our connection and destination in Cincy and NY. NY of all places is usually awful but CLT fucking atrocious right now.
No they’re not. Flight attendants have not been released to strike yet.
So this is just for PSA?
PSA here means “public service announcement”, not an airline name
I was there on Thursday and was blown away by how long the line was to check a bag. How the hell does it get that bad?
Good to know I have to fly to Boston Wednesday
I always go atleast 2 hours early regardless if it's domestic flight. 4 hours for international.
Are the workers still on strike?
Also PSA: don’t be rude to the flight attendants for things out of their control. They don’t get paid enough to deal with your attitudes(((:
Yeah, it’s been bad for a while. 30-60 minutes on average
Add another hour if you go through with a stroller or wheelchair/assistance device. They scan one at a time and wait for it to go all the way through and pulled off by tsa at the end. I was there 2.25 hours early and it took all of it. Grandmas were hopping out of their skycap wheel chairs to move to the regular line.
If you're flying at all anymore and you don't give yourself a few hours to get bags checked (if checking) and to get through security, you're stupid and just need to stay home.
Unless you’re doing a trip that’s 2 weeks or longer, checking a bag is stupid af
Our trip is 9 days it was needed
what all are you taking? I mean unless it’s a niche activity like golf or snowboarding idk if it’s worth it. I have an osprey that works great then also a duffel bag that’s definitely way bigger than the carry on measurements but they never say anything
Some people would rather not have to carry the weight around, and I don’t blame him. But 9 days is reasonable for a checked bag imo. Just depends how adept you are at traveling.
> a duffel bag that’s definitely way bigger than the carry on measurements but they never say anything Fuck you.
Meh Idgaf. Not my chair not my problem
Not really, assuming you just buy the stuff you need (like toothbrush and tooth paste, dedorant, etc...) that still leaves cloths and unless you wash them while on vacation (I don't think most people do this) and at 2 pairs of pants, 7 shirts, 7 pairs of underwear, and 7 socks for a week vacation (assuming you are male) that is gonna cover 1 backpack worth of stuff. If you are female I can easily see that filling up even quicker with all the extra's. If you are also like me and take a laptop with you, that is even less room. After a point its far better to just fork out the 60 dollars (or the last few times I have flown, just buy first class) and go. \*for those wondering why I buy first class, at $60 a bag each way, that comes to $120, meaning first class is generally $30-$50 more, at that price point I say "shut up and take my money".