Has anyone ever taken their wedding dress as a "carry-on" on the airplane? I am having a destination wedding in Vegas and need to get my dress out there. I feel best about carrying it on rather than checking it or shipping it, but I am worried it will be awkward and there will be no place to put it. Anyone have a similar experience?
Are you flying from a big airport or small? I always fly out of an airport with only 6 gates - which means I'm on little hopper planes and there usually isn't much overhead storage or closets to use. I'm sure most airlines will be very accomadating though! Of course if you are on a larger plane - you should be fine!
Also, Southwest doesn't have anywhere to hang your dress up. If you don't want to smush it into the overhead compartment, I've heard of people buying an extra seat for the dress.
I just travelled with my dress. Everyone was totally fine with me having it as a carry-on, and in fact, I was excitedly asked over and over by the flight attendents, "Is it a wedding dress?"
My dress did not have an attached petticoat, so it layed reasonably flat in its garment bag. On all the flights, there was room for me to gently fold it over and place it in the over head bin. On a few flights, I had to place it on top of other's bags, but no problems.
As long as your dress isn't huge, you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck!
I'm planning on taking my dress on as a carry-on. If they are nice, they might offer to put it in the first class storage closests or the crew closets, as sometimes they are a little big bigger.
I would suggest against shipping it, as you never know if it'll get there in time.
My dress isn't overly huge, but it is kinda big at the bottom. I never even thought of buying a seat for it, but wouldn't the flight crew make you put it "under the seat or in the overhead bin?" They don't even let you hold your purse any more, so I'm not sure they would let the dress stay in the seat. Does anyone know if this has actually worked?
I recently flew with my dress as a carry on. The first plane was large in size, but there was only one small closet for the airline staff to store their carry on baggage. I was told that I was lucky the crew was going back and forth from a warm climate, otherwise they would all have jackets and coats which would take up all the closet space.
The plane I transferred to was about half the size of the first one and they didn't have any closet at all, The overhead bins were too small to fit my dress, so right before we took off I sat holding onto my dress and refusing to let go. The first stewardess pretended not to see me so she wouldn't have to tell me to check the dress in. The second stewardess saw me and said it needed to be checked in. Luckily, the row behind me was empty so she let me put it on the floor in the empty row for the rest of the flight.
Coming back, I just folded it as neatly as possible and packed it in my husband's suitcase which was a hard shell and carried that on the plane. I should have done that to begin with. When I unpacked it, it was no more wrinkled than when I had carried it on the plane to my destination in the garment bag.
To give an idea of how difficult it was to transport it in a garment bag, my dress was an A-line with a petticoat and chapel train. I needed a longer-than-normal garment bag to fit it, which I folded in half to make it easier for carrying. My advice is to put it in a hard shell case and carry it on. You're going have to iron it anyway when you get to your destination.
I took my dress as a carry-on, didn't have any problems. It was a huge ballgown, and I stuffed it into one of those big comforter/bed-in-a-bag, plastic bags with handles. Obviously, I had to call that my carry-on and only carry a backpack as my "personal item" on the plane, but it fit just fine in the overhead bins, and no one gave me any trouble. Much easier than trying to fit a giant garment bag.
I just had to get it pressed when I arrived at my destination. If you're going to Vegas, call around ahead of time to find a place that specializes in wedding gowns.
Has anyone ever taken their wedding dress as a "carry-on" on the airplane? I am having a destination wedding in Vegas and need to get my dress out there. I feel best about carrying it on rather than checking it or shipping it, but I am worried it will be awkward and there will be no place to put it. Anyone have a similar experience?
posted by VegasBride Newbee: 46 posts 7 months agoAre you flying from a big airport or small? I always fly out of an airport with only 6 gates - which means I'm on little hopper planes and there usually isn't much overhead storage or closets to use. I'm sure most airlines will be very accomadating though! Of course if you are on a larger plane - you should be fine!
posted by jilian Helper bee: 356 posts 7 months agoAlso, Southwest doesn't have anywhere to hang your dress up. If you don't want to smush it into the overhead compartment, I've heard of people buying an extra seat for the dress.
posted by rebecca Bumble bee: 1,247 posts 7 months agoI just travelled with my dress. Everyone was totally fine with me having it as a carry-on, and in fact, I was excitedly asked over and over by the flight attendents, "Is it a wedding dress?"
My dress did not have an attached petticoat, so it layed reasonably flat in its garment bag. On all the flights, there was room for me to gently fold it over and place it in the over head bin. On a few flights, I had to place it on top of other's bags, but no problems.
As long as your dress isn't huge, you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck!
posted by triciaj Helper bee: 257 posts 7 months agoI'm planning on taking my dress on as a carry-on. If they are nice, they might offer to put it in the first class storage closests or the crew closets, as sometimes they are a little big bigger.
I would suggest against shipping it, as you never know if it'll get there in time.
posted by lovebird Helper bee: 408 posts 7 months agoMy dress isn't overly huge, but it is kinda big at the bottom. I never even thought of buying a seat for it, but wouldn't the flight crew make you put it "under the seat or in the overhead bin?" They don't even let you hold your purse any more, so I'm not sure they would let the dress stay in the seat. Does anyone know if this has actually worked?
posted by VegasBride Newbee: 46 posts 7 months agoI recently flew with my dress as a carry on. The first plane was large in size, but there was only one small closet for the airline staff to store their carry on baggage. I was told that I was lucky the crew was going back and forth from a warm climate, otherwise they would all have jackets and coats which would take up all the closet space.
The plane I transferred to was about half the size of the first one and they didn't have any closet at all, The overhead bins were too small to fit my dress, so right before we took off I sat holding onto my dress and refusing to let go. The first stewardess pretended not to see me so she wouldn't have to tell me to check the dress in. The second stewardess saw me and said it needed to be checked in. Luckily, the row behind me was empty so she let me put it on the floor in the empty row for the rest of the flight.
Coming back, I just folded it as neatly as possible and packed it in my husband's suitcase which was a hard shell and carried that on the plane. I should have done that to begin with. When I unpacked it, it was no more wrinkled than when I had carried it on the plane to my destination in the garment bag.
To give an idea of how difficult it was to transport it in a garment bag, my dress was an A-line with a petticoat and chapel train. I needed a longer-than-normal garment bag to fit it, which I folded in half to make it easier for carrying. My advice is to put it in a hard shell case and carry it on. You're going have to iron it anyway when you get to your destination.
Hope this info was useful.
posted by moonchick Wannabee: 1 posts 7 months agoI took my dress as a carry-on, didn't have any problems. It was a huge ballgown, and I stuffed it into one of those big comforter/bed-in-a-bag, plastic bags with handles. Obviously, I had to call that my carry-on and only carry a backpack as my "personal item" on the plane, but it fit just fine in the overhead bins, and no one gave me any trouble. Much easier than trying to fit a giant garment bag.
I just had to get it pressed when I arrived at my destination. If you're going to Vegas, call around ahead of time to find a place that specializes in wedding gowns.
posted by tanya2s Helper bee: 416 posts 7 months ago