Destination Wedding

Check with your airline regarding their policies for wedding dresses. We are flying American Airlines, and they allow a long garment in lieu of a carry-on. The bag would just be laid flat on top of luggage in the overhead compartment. They also said they have a closet, and if there is room you can hang the dress in there. They said they try their hardest to accommodate wedding dresses in the closets, but if there are other items that must go in there because they cannot be stored overhead (ie, Wheelchairs, snowboards, etc.) they will be given priority. Another option is flying first class. I know the storage areas are much more spacious, and have fewer people utilizing them. Or, you could always purchase an additional seat on the flight for your dress. No matter what, I would make sure that dress flies with you and does not leave your side. I definitely would not put it in a bag that must be checked and put below, because luggage gets lost all the time. I definitely wouldn’t trust to mail it either.

View Quoted Comment My thoughts exactly I didn't want to check it at all.. thank you so much for being so thorough I truly appreciate it!!! I will certainly look into all that you've suggested 🥰🥰🥰

I am 100% not letting my dress out of my sight unless it can go in a crew closet on the plain. I'm still many months out, but when I bought my dress I talked to my consultant about it. If I bring my dress in the week before I leave for the wedding, they will pack it in an opaque garment bag (which is what I pick it up in, anyway) specifically for flying on a plane with it. I'm not shelling out enough to get it its own seat, but I'm flying American which sometimes has crew closets and will sometimes hang your dress for you. Otherwise I'll place it very carefully in the overhead bins. I've been on a few flights with brides and their dresses and everyone is always super kind (which I know won't always be the case).

Another option could be to have someone professionally pack it in a carry on suitcase for you! Then you know it won't get smooshed or lost in the baggage handling system!

These are the articles that have helped me feel a little better about the whole process:
Brides
The Knot (makes me wish I could have flown Delta to our wedding!)
Shoreline Destinations (a website specific to destination weddings)
Bridal Musings
Smarter Travel (recommends getting a dedicated, bougie garment bag)
The Bridal Finery (apparently United always has closet space, but I'm not sure how accurate that is)

I'm still on the hunt for the right garment bag - I pick mine up from the salon today and I'll be able to see if it feels sturdy enough for the plane!

View Quoted Comment Omg, once again I appreciate all those vital recommendations, it's greatly appreciated... I have the opque bag as well and i'm some ways out from my wedding day however, this is a vital part... I'll look into purchasing a sturdy/ durable bag in the event my dress has to go into the overhead compartment.

View Quoted Comment You bet, glad I could help! I think all airlines really try to be accommodating to brides with dresses, so hopefully you will find the perfect solution for you. And congratulations on the destination wedding!! I swear, they are the most fun types of weddings!!

View Quoted Comment I truly hope they are, weight have really been lifted, thank you again!! Awwa, thank you so much we are certainly planning to have a blast!! Congratulations to you as well!!!

Like everyone else said, I definitely wouldn’t check it. We are flying Delta and they will store it for us (we are flying first class but they said it wouldn’t have mattered). Plus they aren’t counting it as one of my carry-ons. After my last fitting, the dress shop will steam the dress, put it on a form, and then place it in the garment bag.

I'd definitely recommend checking out that article from The Knot that Samantha shared!! It has great tips and specific advice for several airlines:

How to Safely Fly with Your Wedding Dress, According to Pros