Fly Away Bride

WITH many UK couples looking for reliable weather and lower wedding costs, the trend for getting #marriedabroad is increasing. Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) is hoping to assist Fly Away Brides to plan ahead with a comprehensive guide which compares airline policies for transporting wedding dresses and cakes abroad. 

The research compares guidelines across 15 major airlines including easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, and Thomson Airways, and highlights policies for carrying dresses as hand baggage and hold luggage. The guide also highlights the airline regulations relating to how the dress needs to be packed and whether any additional baggage options are available.

All of the 15 airlines in the study were found to allow wedding dresses to be transported as hand luggage, although 14 of the airlines offer no additional baggage allowance for the bride. Couples who have booked a wedding package through Thomas Cook are entitled to 11kgs hand luggage spread across two bags for each person travelling, instead of the usual policy of 6kgs in one bag.

When it comes to packing wedding dresses, airlines such as Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa, and US Airways recommend that it is packed in a foldable garment bag to reduce creases and damage during the flight. Virgin Atlantic require the dress to be packed in a separate suitcase marked 'fragile wedding garments' if it is to travel in the hold.

Brides travelling with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic can ask for their dress to be hung in a wardrobe storage area if space is available. Ryanair will go one step further, allowing passengers to book an additional seat for their dress for the duration of the flight. They must pay the full ticket price for the seat occupied.

Three of the 15 airlines compared in the survey, including Aer Lingus, easyJet, and Flybe allow passengers to bring their wedding cakes onboard. For those travelling with Aer Lingus, there is the option of checking the cake in or carrying it as hand luggage, while easyJet says they must be carried only as hand luggage.

Travellers flying with Flybe and opting for a traditional Scottish wedding abroad should be aware that the kilt pin and sgian gubh (sock knife) can be carried only as checked luggage … for obvious security reasons. 

The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website … www.aph.com/weddingdresses

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