Baggage allowance QF to American Eagle - separate PNR

[danielc]

I am booked in Y on QF93 in May for MEL-LAX which allows two free checked bags. I will now be transferring 3-4 hours later to get to Sacramento on either American Eagle or Southwest and am querying any baggage fees for US domestic segment.

If I am reading the Qantas baggage policy on their website correctly, there should be no charge for the two bags for American Eagle flight LAX-SMF. I also should be able to through-check bags at MEL if I show both bookings. I know I have to reclaim bags at LAX to clear customs. Is my understanding correct?

Alternatively I can fly Southwest for LAX-SMF and they allow two free checked bags. Downside is I have to take the bags myself to Southwest terminal at LAX to check - in. Flight departure is 4 hours after QF93 so should be ample transfer time.

 

[Danger]

Are you travelling on the one ticket MEL-LAX-SMF or two separate tickets?

Do you have any oneworld status (including Ruby/QF Silver)?

 

[danielc]

The LAX-SMF segment will be on a separate ticket. I don't have any OW status, am a lowly QFF bronze. Cheers. Have used UA the last few trips but went with QF specifically to get the two free checked bag allowance as I'm travelling a bit heavy this time due to trip duration. UA charges $100 for a second bag.

 

[danielc]

Great, thanks for the info. Looks like Southwest would be the better option for me.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I am booked in Y on QF93 in May for MEL-LAX which allows two free checked bags. I will now be transferring 3-4 hours later to get to Sacramento on either American Eagle or Southwest and am querying any baggage fees for US domestic segment.

If I am reading the Qantas baggage policy on their website correctly, there should be no charge for the two bags for American Eagle flight LAX-SMF. I also should be able to through-check bags at MEL if I show both bookings. I know I have to reclaim bags at LAX to clear customs. Is my understanding correct?

Alternatively I can fly Southwest for LAX-SMF and they allow two free checked bags. Downside is I have to take the bags myself to Southwest terminal at LAX to check - in. Flight departure is 4 hours after QF93 so should be ample transfer time.

The free baggage allowance on QF would definitely carry through to the AA flight (even on a separate ticket) as QF is the most significant carrier. Tell QF in MEL your connecting AA flight number so they can add that in first before checking you in. They will also issue you with both boarding passes. You would also be protected should QF93 run late causing you to miss your AA flight.

Your bags will be tagged from MEL to SMF but you'll need to collect your bags in LAX at TBIT to clear customs before doing the bag drop at TBIT but you don't speak to any checkin people here so nobody will ask you to pay for checked baggage. Proceed next door to T4 and head directly through the TSA screening point to your boarding gate. There is no need to touch base with AA as your checked bags have already been dropped off & you have your boarding pass.

WN do not interline with any other carrier (to the best of my knowledge) so although they may give you 2 free bags you would need to drag both your suitcases around from TBIT at LAX to T1, line up and checkin again. The WN checkin queues can sometimes be quite long.

If QF93 was to run late WN allow you to change your flight up to 10 minutes prior to departure and use the credit from that flight towards a later flight however you would need to pay the additional amount between the old fare and the new fare.

 

[danielc]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I've done MEL/LAX/SFO many times before using QF/AA but always on the same ticket. Following your instructions certainly makes using AA from LAX-SMF my preferred option as it makes for an easier LAX transfer.

 

[Danger]

The free baggage allowance on QF would definitely carry through to the AA flight (even on a separate ticket) as QF is the most significant carrier. Tell QF in MEL your connecting AA flight number so they can add that in first before checking you in. They will also issue you with both boarding passes. You would also be protected should QF93 run late causing you to miss your AA flight.

Intersting. I was of the impression that airline A would only protect you against a misconnect to airline B if you were travelling on the one ticket (although I've recently learnt AA is an exceptional and actually goes one better on this).

similarly, I thought MSC only applied to single tickets also.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Intersting. I was of the impression that airline A would only protect you against a misconnect to airline B if you were travelling on the one ticket (although I've recently learnt AA is an exceptional and actually goes one better on this).

similarly, I thought MSC only applied to single tickets also.

I posted in another thread about my parents having two separate tickets - SEA/LAX in Y on AS then LAX/SYD in J on VA. AS will through check bags to any airline & recognise the other airlines baggage allowance as long as a) AS have a baggage interline agreement with the other airline & b) that the connection is within 12 hours.

On the way over they flew SYD/LAX on VA then had an overnight stop they had to pay AS for baggage the next day on the LAX/YVR flight but flying home SEA AS x/LAX VA SYD no baggage fees were charged. They only had to get boarding passes from VA at LAX.

 

[danielc]

OK, so now I've booked LAX-SMF flight via aa.com on American Eagle. Is there any point in me ringing QF reservations to link the two bookings?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK, so now I've booked LAX-SMF flight via aa.com on American Eagle. Is there any point in me ringing QF reservations to link the two bookings?

no. Simply present both tickets at check in.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

OK, so now I've booked LAX-SMF flight via aa.com on American Eagle. Is there any point in me ringing QF reservations to link the two bookings?

Even if res did enter the AA flight as an information segment it won't show in checkin so the CSA would need to add the flight number in anyway.

 

[danielc]

Great, thanks everyone for the helpful info !

 

[Quickstatus]

Upcoming flight:

SYD-LAX (QF) LAX-DEN (AA), 2 separate tickets, same day travel, 4 hour layover

Return flight:

DEN-LAX (AA) LAX-SYD (QF), 2 separate tickets, same day travel, 4 hour layover

AA domestic flights in Y
QF Transpac in J

Would QF luggage policies apply to the entire itinerary?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Upcoming flight:

SYD-LAX (QF) LAX-DEN (AA), 2 separate tickets, same day travel, 4 hour layover

Return flight:

DEN-LAX (AA) LAX-SYD (QF), 2 separate tickets, same day travel, 4 hour layover

AA domestic flights in Y
QF Transpac in J

Would QF luggage policies apply to the entire itinerary?

Going over it shouldn't be an issue - just have a copy of your AA itinerary with you so the CSA can add in the oncarriage flight & class before they check you in.

Some itineraries (eg TA ones vs AA.com) won't show the class/fare bucket such as Q, V, L class etc so if you can find that out ahead of time from the AA site by entering your AA pnr.

Coming back from DEN, yes AA *should* recognise the QF allowance however they need to be in the land of the willing.