1. American Airlines
Can you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on?
Yes. Customers are allowed a soft-sided garment bag in lieu of a carry-on bag (get specific dimension and details here). But keep in mind, only some American Airlines aircraft feature closets for hanging garments, and those with the space give priority to passengers with other carry-ons that can’t be stowed overhead (think: wheelchair, walker, bicycle, surfboard).
2. Delta Air Lines
Can you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on?
Absolutely. Delta even designates a section on its website to destination wedding travel tips, where it specifies that brides often carry on their gowns, and, even if they’re flying coach, the crew can usually accommodate them by hanging their dress in a first-class coat closet. Again, it’s important for you to follow baggage size guidelines in case there’s no room for your dress in the inflight wardrobe. But, hey, if the airline actually lets people bring Christmas trees on board, you’re probably set to jet with your (properly packed) strapless A-line.
Another great option? Take advantage of Delta’s recently launched Early Valetprogram. About 45 minutes prior to boarding, a gate agent will preload your dress to the overhead bin directly above your seat, so no more fretting about cramming it in some opening 12 rows back—or not finding any space at all. Oh, and it’s free! But it’s only available on select routes and vessels, so do your research.
3. JetBlue
Can you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on?
Sure. Unfortunately, JetBlue doesn’t have closets or other hanging space, but your wedding attire can definitely be stored in an overhead compartment. It counts as your personal item or your carry-on (most likely the latter, especially if your gown is particularly voluminous), as long as your garment bag is securely packed and meets all JetBlue baggage requirements. Fun fact: If you end up purchasing a separate seat for your dress, it’s also entitled to a carry-on (seriously!). Be careful, though: Some carry-on items can be checked at the gate due to weight or size issues.
4. Southwest Airlines
Can you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on?
Yep. As with most airlines, you get one carry-on and one personal item. Crew members will typically help accommodate for wedding attire, laying your fragile dress—wrapped in a proper garment bag—carefully in an overhead compartment, either atop other suitcases or in its own space, depending on room. Of course, this applies as long as you adhere to Southwest’s carry-on bag dimensions.
5. United Airlines
Can you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on?
You bet. United Airlines highly recommends you carry on versus check any high-value, fragile or perishable belongings, including “garment bags not designed for travel,” and will accept these specialty items (AKA your packed-up wedding dress) as carry-ons. Gate agents and crew members will be as accommodating as possible with your wedding ensemble, space permitting. See United’s carry-on size restrictions here.
Overall, airlines and their friendly crew members are pretty cool when it comes to wedding dresses—they’re excited for you (it’s your wedding!) and want you to have the smoothest, most stress-free experience possible. When in doubt, call or tweet at your airline (yes, you read that correctly) to get the exact answers you need based on your circumstances. One last thing: You won’t regret bringing a fabric steamer with you or contacting your destination site about steaming options, since you can’t always guarantee a totally wrinkle-free dress upon arrival.
**Thank you The Knot for the information.