Bringing my wedding dress on a plane?

jennelope · June 2013

So here's the issue:

I'm stationed in Colorado, my fiancé is stationed in North Carolina. Our wedding is going to be in Virginia. The only problem is getting my wedding dress over there. I'm basically just curious as to if anyone knows the rules and regulations on certain flights? And which flights would be the best to take with a wedding dress as carry on? My dress is kind of on the... big side. Not huge but it's nothing that i could easily just sit on my lap. I don't want to check it because with my luck it will get lost or damaged.

GBCK · June 2013

Personally, I'd UPS it to somewhere in CO. It'd be easier and more likely to arrive w/o the headache. And you can do it early.

hmonkey · June 2013

if you can't wear it on the plane, i would send it fedex.

niki&rob · June 2013

airplanes have coat closets which they will let you use, call the airline and ask about it. everyone i know who has had a destination wedding brings their dress on the plane with them, that way it can't be lost, damaged or wrinkled.

hmonkey · June 2013

@jennelope OMG I JUST SAW YOUR SCREEN NAME IS IT IN HONOR OF JENELOPE AKA NATINA REED OF BLAQUE FROM "BRING IT ON" PLEASE SAY IT IS EVEN IF IT IS A LIE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

(my dh is horrified by that movie film because i always do the cheers whenever they are on screen.)

hmonkey · June 2013

just in case it is: @lafred and @lava

Heffalump · June 2013

It wasn't a wedding dress, but my mother brought her MOB dress on the plane without any issues Ditto for my bridesmaids.

PMeg819 · June 2013

niki&rob said:

airplanes have coat closets which they will let you use, call the airline and ask about it. everyone i know who has had a destination wedding brings their dress on the plane with them, that way it can't be lost, damaged or wrinkled.

Honestly, very few planes have coat closets nowadays. The majority of planes have hooks in the last row of first class on the divider wall, and I know that many airlines will not hang bulky items on these hooks. I would not chance bringing your dress on the plane with hopes you can hang it. Overhead bin space is also a premium. Personally, I would send it via Fed Ex/UPS with insurance and tracking prior to your event.

Wzz · June 2013

they don't let anyone use the closets. they are reserved for flight staff. if there is room, they make an exception. it's not a rule to allow people.

a wedding dress packed into luggage or in a suit bag (gasp) is just like any other piece of luggage. the airline doesn't care if it is 50 pounds of socks or a $15k wedding dress.

send it fedex. it may be cheaper and much safer than bringing it onto a plane.

lpheath · June 2013

When my parents renewed their vows in Florida, my Mom originally planned on bringing all our dresses carry on. She then found out that the airline didn't allow garment bags as carry on luggage, meaning she would've had to squish it into a carry on size suitcase. We ended up packing a suitcase with only our dresses and checking it. So I would definitely not assume you're going to be able to carry it on. The best suggestion I have is to call some airlines and ask.

hmonkey · June 2013

lpheath said:

She then found out that the airline didn't allow garment bags as carry on luggage,

A GARMENT BAG IS NOT CARRY ON LUGGAGE. WHOEVER THINKS IT IS WILL BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST MONSTERS.

lpheath · June 2013

hmonkey said:

lpheath said:

She then found out that the airline didn't allow garment bags as carry on luggage,

A GARMENT BAG IS NOT CARRY ON LUGGAGE. WHOEVER THINKS IT IS WILL BE REMEMBERS AS ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST MONSTERS.

Why are you yelling at me? When I say carry on, I mean that they wouldn't allow the dress in the cabin of the plane without being in a suitcase or luggage of some kind. I'm just saying that some airlines won't allow what the OP wants to do, so she should call and ask. I don't think that warranted an all caps reaction, or implying that I will be remembered as one of history's greatest monsters.

hmonkey · June 2013

if you have ever had to fly and someone brought on a garment bag as a carryon and then took up the entire overhead compartment, you would agree -- that is something mao would have done.

niki&rob · June 2013

I googled " wedding dress on a plane" guess what, airlines do make special exceptions to brides with their dresses. i would just contact the airline first and see what they have to say, and im sure if you were over the top nice there wouldn't be a problem! I would be so worried to ship my expensive dress, i think it could be the last resort.

cbrown828 · June 2013

I traveled with my first wedding dress from WV to GA on a small puddle-hopper plane. I had a tiny one-room apartment and we decided to store it as his place until the wedding, so I just carried it with me. I didn't take anything else except a small purse. The flight crew were very accommodating and secured my dress in the coat closet. I was 22 and had only flown once before that...looking back now I'm surprised they were so gracious about it. If I had to do it again, I'd ship it or call the airline ahead of time. With a big dress, I'd probably just ship. You can always have it steamed later to let out wrinkles.

Wzz · June 2013

ok, and if they can't accomodate the bride, then what? or is this a guaranteed exception?

cbrown828 · June 2013

@Wzz, I have no idea. I realize now, 6 years later, that I got very lucky. The one flight attendant made a big deal about having a bride on board. I'd never do that again. I don't believe it is a guaranteed exception.

Wzz · June 2013

cbrown, exactly. i was really responding to niki&rob. i know airlines will make exceptions. but they are called exceptions, NOT guarantees, not rules, not "things we do for special people on their special day".

i'd like to know what niki suggests as plan B if the flight staff can't make an exception. what happens when the bride shows up at the gate and they already have another bride's dress in this small closet? what if the bride asks the wrong people and ends up being forced to gate check her dress? then what.

Heffalump · June 2013

lpheath said:

hmonkey said:

lpheath said:

She then found out that the airline didn't allow garment bags as carry on luggage,

A GARMENT BAG IS NOT CARRY ON LUGGAGE. WHOEVER THINKS IT IS WILL BE REMEMBERS AS ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST MONSTERS.

Why are you yelling at me? When I say carry on, I mean that they wouldn't allow the dress in the cabin of the plane without being in a suitcase or luggage of some kind. I'm just saying that some airlines won't allow what the OP wants to do, so she should call and ask. I don't think that warranted an all caps reaction, or implying that I will be remembered as one of history's greatest monsters.

I'm pretty sure Hmo was dead serious about that last bit, too.

[Deleted User] · June 2013

hmonkey · June 2013

ChiGirl2013 · June 2013

I just traveled with my dress in April and I promise you, it is a MAJOR pain in the @ss!!!! My dress had to go on the conveyor belt through the security screening and it was so big it didn't fit through the opening, even though my dress was a very simple satin dress with a 1 layer chiffon overlay and no crinoline or anything like that. So we got pulled to the side, they had to take it out of the bag it was in (the bag that came with the dress) and hand-inspect it with the wand. And let me tell you - they don't give a crap if your dress drags all over the floor while they do it, either.

We flew United/United Express. On the way from Chicago to Savannah, the flight attendant said there was no closet, but she could put it in the closet where the flight attendants and pilots put their things. Great. Except that closet was about the size of a dorm refrigerator and my dress ended up being rolled into a ball to fit in this "closet." By the time I got to Savannah, it took nearly 2 hours to steam the wrinkles out of it and the hem was dirty. Thankfully, we had a guest who drove and I was able to give her the dress to take back home so I didn't have to lug it through the airport. Those things get HEAVY after a while!

As for shipping it.... about a year and a half ago, there was someone on the Destination Weddings board who shipped her dress - and it never made it to its destination. It's a chance you take. Many brides on that board have flown successfully with their dresses and had much better experiences than I did, but NO airline will make any guarantees regarding the safety of your dress, or whether it will fit in the overhead compartment with everyone else's stuff. And they will NOT promise to find a magic extra closet to hang it in, either. Some will, but I wouldn't count on it. You may end up with the mini-closet like I had.

niki&rob · June 2013

Wzz said:

cbrown, exactly. i was really responding to niki&rob. i know airlines will make exceptions. but they are called exceptions, NOT guarantees, not rules, not "things we do for special people on their special day".

i'd like to know what niki suggests as plan B if the flight staff can't make an exception. what happens when the bride shows up at the gate and they already have another bride's dress in this small closet? what if the bride asks the wrong people and ends up being forced to gate check her dress? then what.

If it were me, i would try my hardest to fly with my dress, even if i had to fly with a different airline. If that wasnt possible, i would check my dress rather than shipping it , its a risk either way and i would rather pack and protect my dress in my luggage than leave it up to a shipping company. If you are on a direct flight, your luggage most likely will not be lost. Your dress is a big expense, if it were me....I would be the only one handling it!

niki&rob · June 2013

by the way Wzz do not forget there are good people in this world, all it takes is a little bit of respect and appreciation for the people who are accomodating you

6fsn · June 2013

niki&rob said:

by the way Wzz do not forget there are good people in this world, all it takes is a little bit of respect and appreciation for the people who are accomodating you

I'm betting wzz has a lot more knowledge on travel than you. Respect and appreciation aren't going to magically make space in a crowded plane.

GBCK · June 2013

there are also a lot of assholes in the world who think it's entertaining to watch people scramble.

Depending on the kindness of strangers doesn't lead to a successful life Blanche.

PMeg819 · June 2013

There's no obligation to be super accommodating to a bride with a wedding dress. I'm a former frequent flier, my dad is an airline pilot. I've been around planes my entire life and I respect that the cabin crew and gate staff have a difficult job; therefore I'm always polite and courteous but that's also part of being a decent human being. They have no legal obligation to a bride with a dress to stow it in the plane for her. This is the pitfall of being a destination bride- you need to plan for these things.

As I mentioned above- very few planes have space to store a dress. Those coat closets have been removed in many planes to add additional seating. Newer planes often do not have them or if they do, they are designated for crew bags only. Crew bags contain items the crew needs in case of an emergency and cannot be obstructed by passenger items. If a flight attendant stores something there, it's very kind but is also possibly in violation of airline operating procedures.

jadedemon · July 2013

If you got your dress through David's bridal talk to them they might be able to ship it to where you need it as long as there is a store near by or someone you can trust to ship it too. They might be able to so that for you. I almost had to have a bridesmaid gown shipped to a friend cause there was a chance that it would not get here in time.

jadedemon · July 2013

jadedemon said:
If you got your dress through David's bridal talk to them they might be able to ship it to where you need it as long as there is a store near by or someone you can trust to ship it too. They might be able to so that for you. I almost had to have a bridesmaid gown shipped to a friend cause there was a chance that it would not get here in time.

I had to ship one of my bridesmaid's gowns and my flower girl's dress from another state. Cause when we ordered it we where down in OR and I live in WA. My bridesmaid was unable to get her dress so I ask them to ship it to me. And they did.

Chipmunk415 · July 2013

I'm not going to have to fly anywhere with mine. 12 years ago, before 9/11, my sister got married in CA. Flying from Jacksonville, FL to San Francisco, she was able to purchase a seat specifically for her dress. And yes, her dress occupied one seat while she had the other.

It sounds ridiculous, but it worked for her. Don't know if it would work these days.

Bringing my wedding dress on a plane?

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