Has anybody here flown with their wedding dress? I'm getting married in another state, and I've called both airlines - United and American Air - and they were extremely unhelpful. United said it would need to fit into a carry-on bag, and American Airlines said the garment bag needed to be soft-sided and less than 51 inches in length (which it's obviously not). Both airline representatives on the phone were not really sure what I would need to do or how I would go about the situation. I'm trying to avoid having to put my dress in a suitcase/folding it if I don't have to.
So I guess what I'm getting at is this: Does anybody have any experience flying with a wedding dress? Would it be easier if I just took my dress with me and spoke to the gate agents at the airport?