flight connections on different tickets with one world alliance

[LAH]

Forgive me if this topic has been covered before.

I had two round world tickets - both only half flown, and this trip I am putting them together to use them. It's a long story - but there was a reason for this - change of dates, availability etc while en route!

Anyway, the flights are in "your bookings" although one was made with QF on line and the other with AA online.

I decided I had better make sure they were 'married' up as I have a reasonably tight connection in LAX on Monday. I rang to check and go over it with AA and to check and go over it with QF.

A very, very nice and helpful person spoke with me at Qantas. I told her I was aware that I'd have to pick my luggage up, but I wanted all the bookings cross referenced so I could tag my luggage through to CUN upon arrival to AKL airport for my first flight to LAX on Monday.

I know that I have had some difficulties in the past .... over the years .... with onward bookings and tagging luggage - but I really like to use the onward baggage and not queue again or move terminals with baggage in LAX.

QF person said "they probably won't tag it to CUN. We don't do that anymore. ..... hmmmm, about 10 months now."

This disappoints me as that is one reason to stay loyal to one alliance in my opinion. Maybe I am over optimistic and unrealistic. Am I? :shock:

 

[docjames]

What is your routing/airline to CUN? If you are travelling via the US (presumably LAX) they can tag it but you have to collect it, clear customs and drop it off again on your way out of TBIT (before re-entering the departure terminal). Same applies for arrival into any US airport as a transit (to anywhere - domestic or intl).

 

[ozmille]

Normally if you are connecting to another OW carrier there is no problem. However I can not think of a OW carrier that does LAX CUN directly only UA, CO, DL and VX. Or are you connecting through DFW?

 

[LAH]

hello, thanks for the answers. I didn't want to make it too long. Yes, it is AA - LAX/DFW/CUN.

Yes, I said to the person that I know I have to pick up the bags in LAX, clear immigration, then take them to the connection belt/area - of course, if they are tagged. I am usually flying to Mexico City and in the past have been able to have tagged.

The person on the phone asked me why I wanted to cross reference the bookings, and I told her that I wanted them in the QF booking so that at check in the person could see and tag to Cancun, (via lax, dfw) ......... of course, I would ask them as well, but if the flight numbers are right there it would help them.

So, I don't know. I just thought that I'd mention it so that other people are aware.

I made the comment to her that I thought this was wrong, and she said that it wasn't. It has been a policy for about (and she hmmmmm......d) 10 months now! I haven't done any flights this year with immediate same day connections, so I couldn't really comment.

Anyway, I'll ask again at the airport when I arrive on Monday.

 

[LAH]

By the way, when I said to her that I would have thought that already tagged luggage to final destination would have been an incentive to stay with carriers in the one world alliance. She agreed and said she couldn't understand why this decision had been reached.

I should clarify - she clearly said that this was only for passengers with separate tickets - where the final destination is not on the same ticket.

Could it be that they are discouraging people who buy separate tickets? This is not the case in my situation, but a ticket through to Cancun return with QF/AA is a huge price if you are travelling in business class. It is cheaper to buy a return to LAX, then another ticket or airpass.

 

[ozmille]

According to these QF guidelindes http://i.etbnews.com/etb/article/20...stions Changes to Through Check Processes.pdf they do interline with OW carriers on a separate PNR


Sent from my iPad using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[docjames]

There should be no issue tagging through if it's all on AA from LAX so I wouldnt be leaving checkin until you confirm your bags have CUN as the final destination!

Enjoy your travels!

 

[LAH]

Thank you and thank you. I will be polite but firm at check in. I have a rigorous trip with alot of work involved, so I really just want some of the 'bumps' smoothed out. I am going to print that out - such a help Ozmille - thank you so much. I am really touched how generous everyone is with their help and advice.

 

[LAH]

According to these QF guidelindes http://i.etbnews.com/etb/article/20...stions Changes to Through Check Processes.pdf they do interline with OW carriers on a separate PNR


Sent from my iPad using Aust Freq Fly app

this is an invaluable document - thank you so much. I am already forwarding it to friends. Your spirit of sharing is really appreciated.

 

[serfty]

this is an invaluable document - thank you so much. I am already forwarding it to friends. Your spirit of sharing is really appreciated.

That's what AFF is all about!

This change was thoroughly dissected in this thread:

• [*=1]http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/qf-no-longer-interline-through-26031.html

What this shows is that Qantas Agents have not been trained properly, have been fed wrong information and/or simply don't understand; either by co-workers or other. Maybe the agent was not aware that AA is of oneworld.:-|

 

[LAH]

That's what AFF is all about!

This change was thoroughly dissected in this thread:

• [*=1]http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/qf-no-longer-interline-through-26031.html

What this shows is that Qantas Agents have not been trained properly, have been fed wrong information and/or simply don't understand; either by co-workers or other. Maybe the agent was not aware that AA is of oneworld.:-|

THANKS for the link. Not sure, it was the one time I got through on the priority line to Qantas but I assume these are all still just the same res people who answer to all passengers. She seemed quite sure, and I was a bit shocked! I even pointed out that AA was part of oneworld and that should be one of the benefits of sticking with the alliance. She agreed, and said that she couldn't understand why they have stopped doing it. :shock:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

By the way, when I said to her that I would have thought that already tagged luggage to final destination would have been an incentive to stay with carriers in the one world alliance. She agreed and said she couldn't understand why this decision had been reached.

I should clarify - she clearly said that this was only for passengers with separate tickets - where the final destination is not on the same ticket.

Could it be that they are discouraging people who buy separate tickets? This is not the case in my situation, but a ticket through to Cancun return with QF/AA is a huge price if you are travelling in business class. It is cheaper to buy a return to LAX, then another ticket or airpass.

It never ceases to amaze me how often reservations people get it wrong! I wouldn't even bother ringing them. You can definitely have your bags through checked to your final destination of CUN despite having separate tickets on separate pnrs as long as the airlines involved are members of the One World Alliance.

The reason why they will no longer do this for non-One World airlines on separate bookings is that in the event of a major disruption such as the Icelandic volcano eruption is that if it's a separate booking QF cannot see the other airlines booking or access the eticket information so it makes it very difficult to rebook passengers on to new flights. QF also had to foot the bill for hotel accommodation as by through tagging bags to the destination eg SYD QF SIN (one booking) and SIN LH FRA (different booking) they were accepting responsibility for that passenger & thereby liable to pay for their accommodation enroute until the flights resumed.

When you arrive at QF checkin in AKL (taking the copy of that memo with you just in case) tell the checkin agent you would like to have your bags checked through to CUN. Yes you will still have to collect your bags in LAX to do customs etc but it doesn't mean you bags cannot be tagged through to CUN. If they give you any grief ask to speak to the checkin supervisor.

It would be handy to have a print out of your AA itinerary receipt that has your AA booking class on it eg F, I etc so the checkin agent can enter the correct subclass into your checkin record so you can receive your boarding passes for the AA flights & have your bag tagged through to CUN.

 

[LAH]

It never ceases to amaze me how often reservations people get it wrong! I wouldn't even bother ringing them.

I rang them just to put my aa flights in as passive segments and she asked me why - obviously for various reasons - but mainly to have them there for baggage to be checked through. The check in desk can see it straight away. And that is when she proceeded with the info that she gave me.

You can definitely have your bags through checked to your final destination of CUN despite having separate tickets on separate pnrs as long as the airlines involved are members of the One World Alliance. Yes, and I've printed out the document courtesy of another aff member.

The reason why they will no longer do this for non-One World airlines on separate bookings is that in the event of a major disruption such as the Icelandic volcano eruption is that if it's a separate booking QF cannot see the other airlines booking or access the eticket information so it makes it very difficult to rebook passengers on to new flights. QF also had to foot the bill for hotel accommodation as by through tagging bags to the destination eg SYD QF SIN (one booking) and SIN LH FRA (different booking) they were accepting responsibility for that passenger & thereby liable to pay for their accommodation enroute until the flights resumed.

When you arrive at QF checkin in AKL (taking the copy of that memo with you just in case) tell the checkin agent you would like to have your bags checked through to CUN. Yes you will still have to collect your bags in LAX to do customs etc but it doesn't mean you bags cannot be tagged through to CUN. If they give you any grief ask to speak to the checkin supervisor.

Thanks, yes, I will ask for a supervisor. If I don't have them tagged, I can't put them through in the connection area past immigration in LAX, and that's what I want to do.

It would be handy to have a print out of your AA itinerary receipt that has your AA booking class on it eg F, I etc so the checkin agent can enter the correct subclass into your checkin record so you can receive your boarding passes for the AA flights & have your bag tagged through to CUN. Isn't that hoping for too much to get the boarding passes as well?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It would be handy to have a print out of your AA itinerary receipt that has your AA booking class on it eg F, I etc so the checkin agent can enter the correct subclass into your checkin record so you can receive your boarding passes for the AA flights & have your bag tagged through to CUN. Isn't that hoping for too much to get the boarding passes as well?

Not at all, it shouldn't be a problem. I know if the checkin agent loads the flights in at the airport you should receive your AA boarding passes the same as you would if the AA flights were all in the one booking with the QF flights. I don't know whether segments put into the QF by res passively will have the same results.

Have you already done your AA seating allocation? This can be done as soon as you make the booking. If you leave it until you get to the airport there may only be middle seats left.

 

[LAH]

Not at all, it shouldn't be a problem. I know if the checkin agent loads the flights in at the airport you should receive your AA boarding passes the same as you would if the AA flights were all in the one booking with the QF flights. I don't know whether segments put into the QF by res passively will have the same results.

Have you already done your AA seating allocation? This can be done as soon as you make the booking. If you leave it until you get to the airport there may only be middle seats left.

You are so kind, thank you. Been awhile since I flew on AA. I'll mention this to the person I check in with. And yes, I rang AA because the website wouldn't allow me to do it for some reason. I have 1A both sectors. Thank you so much.