Traveling with a wedding dress

[reicoord]

We are headed to North Carolina from Houston to get married next week.  I am carrying on my wedding dress (we are flying out Tuesday); I've been told that I can carry my dress on and store it in the overhead or possibly hang it with the pilots.  Is this accurate?  I know we have the option to check it in, but I am too afraid it would be damaged or lost.  It's pretty big, so folding it is not an option.  Thanks in advance.

[bec102896]

Hello

from what I have seen on flights people do carry them on without any problems that I have seen and they just lay it on top of other bags you don't want to put it on the bottom or your dress will get squished and possibly damaged. I don't think there are any closets for you to store the dress in but laying in the overhead bin should work just fine if you place it on top of bags. 

congratulations and hope all goes well with flying with the dress!

Blake 

[TheMiddleSeat]

It's either going overhead or in a checked bag, there's no other spot to put anything. Warning about counting on overhead space, if the flight is full the overhead bins will be full of carryon suitcases and those do not leave much room for placing things on top of bags (it's hard to wedge a small coat in that space). And no one will be pleased if you take up an entire section of the overhead space. Just be warned you may need to do some compacting. My personal suggestion is to check it in a large suitcase and make backup plans to steam or otherwise deal with wrinkles if needed upon arrival. Congratulations and good luck!

--TheMiddleSeat

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[krysss]

DO NOT purchase a ticket for your wedding dress even if customer service says you can.  I spoke to a customer service agent who said I could purchase a ticket for my wedding dress, so I booked the flight and called them back.  The new agent made a note on the ticket that said it was specifically for the wedding dress.  After boarding the flight, the flight attendant told me it was against Southwest policy to purchase a ticket for my wedding dress.  Kim (flight attendant) then snatched my dress out of my hands as I was trying to process the information and proceeded to shove my dress into the overhead compartment that already had my hand carry stored in it.  At this point, I pleaded with her to stop so that I could at least safely store it up there myself.  The supervisor on duty ensured me that I would be refunded for the ticket that I had purchased.  That never happened.  Fast forward more than a month later, I still haven't received that refund.  They tried to offer me a voucher for less than the amount I paid for the ticket.  Issue is still not resolved.  Bottom line, DO NOT FLY WITH YOUR DRESS ON SOUTHWEST!  I'm not sure about other airlines, but there is clear disregard for respect of your wedding dress and of you with Southwest.  If there is no room in the overhead, you are taking the chance of your dress being mangled by other people's belongings.  Try a different airline.