Taking dress blues on a plane

[cailinabroad]

Hi everyone!

H and I are stationed in Germany but he's currently back in the States for a TDY. Summer leave is coming up, and we're supposed to meet in the States and attend a wedding where he has to wear his dress blues.

I'm responsible for bringing the dress blues over when I come, but I'm kind of at a loss. It's in a garment bag, but should this be a carry on? Or can I fold it in half, put it in my checked bags and hope for the best? I've also got his "bus driver hat" as he calls it, and I'm worried about squishing that so I figured I'd put it in my carry on.

I know this may seem like a silly question but I'm just worried about messing up his nice uniform and wondering how people usually travel with their blues. Thanks!

[prettyinpink]

If you carry them on the likely hood is that they will end up in the overhead squished by other peoples things. I think I would fold it in half and lay it in the top of your bag and hope for the best. He can press them if worse comes to worse.

[twoplustwo]

Depending on the airline, if there is room they can hang them in the Captain's closet if you ask, or at least that is what I was told. My husband just took his uniform with him to a school, He carried it on the plane with him and said it did not need to be pressed once he arrived.

[audette]

You can carry on a garment bag (I've seen folks do it), and if you ask _really_ nicely, they may let you hang it up where they hang the jackets of the first class/business class folks, so it doesn't wrinkle as much. (especially if you explain it's your husband's dress uniform for a family function)

And, even if it ends up in the overhead, it may wrinkle, but not as much as if it was packed into a checked bag.


I would expect it to count as my carry-on bag, though, so anything else you want to carry on will need to fit into a small backpack or large purse.

[dancingpanda]

When we went on our cruise in Feb, Dh took his Blues for formal night. We just put it in the garmet bag and checked it. They were fine when we took them out of the bag. No wrinkles.

[basilosaurus]

I don't even bother with garment bags anymore, for anything. It hasn't seemed to make a difference. H I think checks his, the few times he's traveled with it. If it has to be pressed, so be it. It would have to be pressed at home, most likely, anyway.

[drunkpeggy]

Because I'm a paranoid flyer I'd carry the uniform on. That's definitely something you don't want lost by the airline. I'm sure if you explain to the flight attendant that it is your husband's dress uniform and ask nicely they'll be accommodating and hang it up for you.

For special requests like this I'd get the name of the person who helped you and a write a quick thank you to the Customer Service contact when you get home with your flight # and the person's name.

[NomadicMama]

Any chance that you could mail the uniform home?

IMO, you are a better wife than I am. I would be here bitching about my DH if he went TDY, leaving me to deal with HIS dress blues on a transatlantic flight, where you are having to get yourself to the airport from several hours awa

[Deleted]

Stuff them in a suitcase and then dry clean them when you get there. We have a one day service. If you get it in by 9 then it's ready to pick up by 4 the same day.

[cailinabroad]

haha NomadicMama, believe me I've done my share of bitching about it...I've just accepted it at this point. He also left quite a few civilian clothes for me to bring as well since he didn't have room when he left. As if my own suitcase wasn't full enough already! At least they'll be HIS problem on the way back!

Thanks for the advice everyone, worse comes to worse I'll just get them pressed once we're Stateside.

[justaname]

I would just ask the flight attendents if you can hang it up. I would be shocked and horrified if they said anything other than "of course." I have had them hang stuff up for me a lot.

[iluvmytxrgr]

Any time H and I have every traveled with our uniforms, we carried them on and then explained to the flight crew what they were. They always hung them in the Captain's closet for us. No issue.

[cactusflower12]

May 22, 2012 7:48:14 GMT -5 justaname said:

I would just ask the flight attendents if you can hang it up. I would be shocked and horrified if they said anything other than "of course." I have had them hang stuff up for me a lot.

What airlines do you fly? Haha We've never had luck doing this, even when they know what they are and their is a big ole Marine shop logo on the side of the bag. Even when we were flying to Arlington to DH's dads funeral. Oh well unlucky I guess.

OP - H and I have both traveled with his uniforms together and separately. I'm too scared to loose them so I carry on. I just shoved them up in the overhead and put his cover in the seat pocket. They did fine.
DH checks them and they do fine on checked bags too. The fabric is thick enough they didn't get too wrinkled.

[brandienee]

We just stuff them in a traveling garment bag and it lives in the overhead compartment, and if they are horribly wrinkly afterward (Which is rare), we use the hotel iron or a steamer. NBD. I've never even heard of them hanging up a uniform for you.

[cailinabroad]

Update: Made it safely to the States, dress blues intact. I carried them on and ended up putting them on top of the luggage in the overhead since I couldn't flag down a stewardess to help. They were just fine with no wrinkles. The only thing was everyone kept thanking me for my service and welcoming me home. Very sweet of them, though I felt undeserving. Not mine, I'm just the pack mule