Southwest now participating in resort check out for baggage!

[Gregandmel]

As stated on the thread below (thank you luvdamouse) Southwest is now participating in the resort check-out with your luggage. I called ME earlier to see if they would be participating and I asked specifically about POFQ. She said beginning March 30th, both POFQ & POR will be participating. Now we can check our luggage at the resort before we leave!! If you fly Southwest and are planning a trip soon, call ME and see if your resort is included. I'm SO happy about this. That was the ONE thing last trip that I wish we had been able to take advantage of. Yeah!!!

[KylesMom]

Just to clarify, the program is called "Airline Check In", not "Resort Check Out". You may confuse a CM or two by using the wrong terminology.

[Gregandmel]

Just to clarify, the program is called "Airline Check In", not "Resort Check Out". You may confuse a CM or two by using the wrong terminology.

Sorry - I figured I wasn't saying it right, but I explained exactly what I meant when speaking to ME. Thanks for the clarification! In my excitement - I just called it what seemed reasonable.

[vicster]

I wonder if it's all resorts??? It figures-last September we stayed at POFQ and this September we'll be at WL.

[wdwnomad]

I have read on another message board the Southwest is part of RAC as of now at the BC/BCV/YC.

[wendybird]

Sounds great - we are on SWA for our April trip staying at POFQ. So how does this work..we have never participated in airline check-in?

[CleveRocks]

Sounds great - we are on SWA for our April trip staying at POFQ. So how does this work..we have never participated in airline check-in?

Think of Resort Airline Check-in as you would think of curbside check-in at the airport ... you check your luggage through to your final destination, you show your ID and get boarding passes, and so on. You would tip the staff at the RAC desk the same way as you'd tip the skycaps at curbside check-in. When you arrive at the airport, you won't have your checked luggage with you, and you won't have to wait in line at your airline's ticket counter ... you just head right to security and then to your departure gate.

Keep in mind that once you check your bags with RAC you will no longer have access to them. Exactly the same way that when you use curbside check-in at the airport you no longer have access to your bags. After using RAC at your resort, the next time you'll see your bags will be at your home airport's baggage claim carousel.

The RAC desk at each resort is open from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You must complete the check-in process no later than 3 hours prior to your flight ... this is an absolute deadline, you'll want to get it done well before the 3 hour mark.

But you can't use RAC on a prior day. This means that not everyone is eligible to use RAC, even if you're flying on a "participating airline." For example, if your flight leaves before 8:00 a.m., you can't use RAC, because the process must be done no later than 3 hours before the flight and the desk only opens at 5:00 a.m. And you CAN'T do it the day before your flight.

Please keep in mind that Resort Airline Check-in is not related in any way to DIsney's Magical Express. Disney does a terrible job of letting you know they are different, but they ARE, and they are VERY different. In fact, the staff at the RAC desk are not Disney cast members, but instead are employees of a subcontractor called BAGS Inc. The BAGS Inc. employees know nothing about DME buses or DME policies.

Same for the Disney cast members who work at the resorts, for that matter. If you need DME info while at the World, your best bet is to call DME at 866-599-0951 ... this is a direct line to DME itself.

[Genie1953]

Thanks for the great information! We will be at POR from 4/10 thru 4/19 and we are flying SWA so this works out great for us!!