I am traveling to Ottawa (Canada) via 2 airlines. What should I do with my luggage?

Question

I am taking Southwest from Lubbock, TX, to St. Louis, MO. Then, I am taking United from St. Louis to Ottawa. I have left at least one hour available for me to make it to the terminal of the other airline (round-trip). Would it be advisable for me to do carry-on instead of check-in? Unfortunately, Lubbock does not have a United kiosk. If anyone can help me, I would appreciate it.

Answer 1

When checking bags, there's always a risk of lost baggage.  If you can manage a carry-on, I would suggest doing just that.  Also, w/Southwest you can sit whereever you want, so try to be close to the front so you can get out fast.

Answer 2

If you carry-on, it means you will have to lug your stuff from one plane to the next but if you do check-in, there's a small chance it will get  temporarily lost in the shuffle as they transfer your stuff from one plane to the next for you.

So if there's something that's extremely important (life or death  ect) for you to have in your immediate possession on arrival at Ottawa you'll want to do that as a carry-on for sure.  

Lets say you're going to do a buisness presentation three hours after arrival. That presentation stuff should be carry-on or you're taking a small but significant risk of blowing the presentation.

It's a question of labor versus risk and what's the more important to you.

Answer 3

A one-hour connection in STL on two different tickets (which is what would have had to have been purchased, given the Southwest/United combination) is extremely risky.  If your WN flight is late, you risk being stuck in STL, as United will not have any obligation to honor your ticket if you miss their flight.  

Even if the WN flight is on time, you'll have very little time to get to the A terminal (which is where the UA flights depart from) from the E terminal (which is where WN's flights land).  That will probably necessitate you doing online checkin for your UA flight before you leave, if it's possible, so that you don't have to worry about it when you get to STL.

You will also definitely want to carry on your luggage.  Southwest has no interline baggage agreements with other carriers, so you won't be able to check luggage all the way to Ottawa when you check in at LBB.  One hour would not be enough to get your luggage, check back in with United, and reclear security, which is what you'd be required to do if you check in your luggage in Lubbock.

In the future, if you're going to ticket in this manner, you really should consider allowing more time at your connecting point.  If I am buying two separate tickets, I always allow at least two hours to connect (and sometimes more), because if the slightest thing goes wrong, I have some buffer time to work with.  A delay of as little as 30 minutes may cause you to be stuck in St. Louis, the way you've ticketed this.

Answer 4

You should be fine.. print your united boarding pass out online at home. You can do that from 24hours prior.

But I would advise going with a carry on, unless Southwest has a baggage agreement with United, which I doubt.

Answer 5

let me ask:

1- you have 2 tickets for separate flights (meaning you have ticket to St. Luis, Mo, and then you bught another ticket from Louis to Ottawa.



2- or you bught the ticket from one airline and you just make connection in St. Luis to Ottawa.

if the first one apply, you must carry on ( I understand that you mean you can carry your bag in the plane??)

instead of cheking in, because you do not have enough time for sure, and you will miss your flight while you waiting for your bags.

If the second one apply, make sure to tell them in the airport in Lubbock, TX that you are going to canada and make sure they know that you are making connection so they will take your luggage to the other plain in St Luis.