Can you check your baggage the night before a flight?

Question

I'll be flying out of Tegel at 7:00 Saturday morning and I'm thinking of just sleeping in the terminal. Can I check my baggage in that early, or do I have to wait until the morning? Anyone know for a fact whether I can sleep there? Sleepinginairports.com only has reviews over a year old. What's the earliest you can walk into an airport to check in for flights?

Answer 1

I've checked in for a flight at an airport the day before a flight before, but never checked in luggage that early.  My answer would be that it depends on the carrier and you should check with them.  Most certainly have facilities to store luggage for last in-first out overnight connections, it's a matter of whether they will choose to do it for you.  Since it will be subject to the same screening as any other piece of baggage, I can't see it as a security issue, more of a logistics issue for the carrier.

Answer 2

Most airlines have a 12-hour maximum they'll accept your luggage.  And of course their counter has to be open to accept it from you.

Answer 3

For International flights you should be at the airport at least 2 hours before boarding. Busy airports 3 hours before. Most airports are open all night but not the check in counters.

I do not advise checking your bag the night before. It may get lost.

Check your airline website for information on checking in and when the counters open in the early morning.

Good Luck)

Answer 4

I would be very concerned that checking in your luggage so early would just give more people more time to either break into it or lose it.

Answer 5

You should check with the airline you'll be using.  I checked a couple airlines' baggage policies, and they only have minimum times (as in, the bag must be checked at least 30 minutes before departure) listed there.

Similarly, recommended times to arrive at the airport beforehand seem to vary by airline and destination (international vs. domestic), but there may be a concrete no-earlier-than-X dictated by the airport.  For what it's worth, my parents always told me to figure at least 90 minutes (before scheduled takeoff) for domestic flights and 2 hours for international flights.

As for whether you can sleep in the airport, you should call to ask the airport.  Having never been there, I have no idea. ;)

Answer 6

No.  You can check your baggage about 2 to 3 hours before departure time.