Another Magical Express Question

[emmatink]

Does anybody know which airlines are part of ME? We are flying Spirit airlines but I don't think they are a participating airline.

[Strmchsr]

Spirit is not a "participating" airline, but that only affects the way in which you return, not your arrival with DME. All details are in Info Central here. (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/transportation/magicalexpress/default.asp)

[Disney4]

I believe Air Tran is now a participating member. They should be added to the list.

Good thing too, since those $59 airfares are calling me out! :thumbsup:

[Pop Centurion]

I believe Air Tran is now a participating member. They should be added to the list.

Good thing too, since those $59 airfares are calling me out! :thumbsup:Yes Air Tran has been for the last two years. That's what we use.

[Pop Centurion]

Also, Southwest Airlines should be added to the list too.

[Disney4]

Also, Southwest Airlines should be added to the list too.

When did Southwest join DME??? :confused:

[Pop Centurion]

When did Southwest join DME??? :confused:Not sure but we used them for our return flight in 05'

[Disney4]

I think I know where the difference is . . .

Southwest will allow you to use the DME transportation, but they are not a participating member, meaning you cannot check your bags with them at the hotel for the return trip. I usually fly SWA and have had to haul my bags to the airport on the way back, but will probably use Air Tran this time since they offer the full DME service, including the on-site baggage check (or so I hope!).

[wendy*darling]

Southwest is NOT a participating airline.

Currently these airlines are "participating" in DME:
AirTran, American, Continental, jetBlue, Delta, Alaska, Northwest, and United (including Ted).

We have flown Spirit several times in the past and used DME.
Once you sign up for DME, you will still get your yellow tags in the mail before your trip. Attach them to your luggage (no matter what airline) and they will bring them to the resort for you. You just check in at the DME desk on the lower level and they will point you to the proper bus for your trip to the resort.
If your airline is not on the list, all it means is that you cannot check your bags and get your boarding pass at your resort at check out.
All you have to do is bring your luggage on the bus with you (they store it underneath in the bay) and you will check in as you normally would at the airport.

And don't forget to tip your DME driver for this free service!
(Just like you would tip a taxi or towncar driver)

[Disney4]

Southwest is NOT a participating airline.

Currently these airlines are "participating" in DME:
American, Continental, jetBlue, Delta, Alaska, Northwest, and United (including Ted).



Reading this (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=101568&highlight=tran) post shows Air Tran now offers this service as well.

I think I'm going to call just to be sure though. it would be a nice bonus! :D

[Pop Centurion]

Okay, I see what you're saying now. But..... I didn't have to check my luggage on my return trip for Air Tran for our return trip. It was placed in the busses storage area and that's the last we saw it til we got to baggage claim back home. We still had to get our boarding passes at the airport though.

As far as SW, I did forget that we didn't go straight home from MCO. We got off the ME and asked for our luggage so we could catch a shuttle to my GF's Aunt's house. My mistake. Sorry.

[Disney4]

Okay, I see what you're saying now. But..... I didn't have to check my luggage on my return trip for either Air Tran or SW for our return trip. It was placed in the busses storage area and that's the last we saw it til we got to baggage claim back home. We still had to get our boarding passes at the airport though.

Sweet! :number1:

[Pop Centurion]

You must have quoted my post as I was editing it. Again, sorry for any confusion.

[wendy*darling]

Reading this (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=101568&highlight=tran) post shows Air Tran now offers this service as well.
My mistake- sorry to add to the confusion!
AirTran IS participating.:thumbsup:
I'll edit my post to show AirTran. (And to think I used the official Disney website ;) )

[CleveRocks]

There seems to be a lot of "participating airline" confusion here.

There are 2 separate services, Disney's Magical Express is one, and Resort Airline Check-in is another.

Disney's Magical Express can be used by everyone on every airline. PERIOD. DME provides the following:
free round-trip motorcoach transportation between your WDW resort and Orlando International Airport (MCO)
free automatic baggage transfers ONE-WAY, from the airport to your resort room
To be eligible to use DME, the following must be true:
being a registered guest at a WDW owned-and-operated resort
taking the bus from MCO to that resort on your check-in day
taking the bus from that resort to MCO on your check-out day
One-way bus transportation is okay (you don't need to do it round-trip if you don't want to)
There are literally NO OTHER REQUIREMENTS. Airline makes no difference whatsoever.

RESORT AIRLINE CHECK-IN (RAC) is where airline matters. Think of RAC as curbside check-in, because it's exactly the same thing as curbside check-in. When you check-in curbside at the airport, you kiss your luggage good-bye and get your boarding passes, right? RAC is exactly the same thing, only it's in the lobby of your WDW owned-and-operated resort and not at the smelly curb of the airport.

RAC is available ONLY to people using one of the "participating airlines."

If you are not flying a "participating airline," you bring your luggage to the DME bus, the driver loads it under the bus, and then unloads it for you at the airport. You then take your luggage and check-in with your airline as you do at every other airport in the world.

So remember, anyone on any airline can use Disney's Magical Express. It's Resort Airline Check-in that is limited to certain airlines.

[Piglet822]

Okay, this is the official list of airlines offering resort check in service (AKA participating airlines):

Delta
United/Ted
Northwest
AirTran
JetBlue
Continental
American
Alaska Air

I'm a DME driver, believe me, I know which airlines offere the resort check in service. The rumor I'm hearing is that US Air will be offering the service but don't know when. As for Southwest, no mention has been made.



didn't have to check my luggage on my return trip for Air Tran for our return trip. It was placed in the busses storage area and that's the last we saw it til we got to baggage claim back home.


If your luggage or carryons are placed in the luggage bays of the bus these items will be returned to you. You are responsible for claiming these items and checking them with your airline. Bus drivers do not check luggage with your airline. If we have leftover bags or find lost and found items on board our coaches, they are taken to the DME welcome center and turned over to a CM there.



And don't forget to tip your DME driver for this free service!

Thank you, Linda :notworth:
We make lower wages than most bus drivers in the industry here. That's because we can accept tips. We do not work for Disney, we work for Mears Transportation.

[lylone]

We just returned from WDW on May 5th and was told that AirTran was not paticipating for resort airline checkin.
There were also others in the ticketing and checkin lines at the airport who had just left the world and they were told the same thing.
So, it may be available for some resorts, but not all because it wasn't for POFQ.:mad:

[Piglet822]

While I wasn't at POFQ today, of all the families I had to Air Tran there was only one group that hadn't used the resort airline checkin. So, it is available.
I'm not sure what happened to you on Saturday, unless they had a glitch. :shrug:
If I'm in that area tomorrow I'll try to find out.