Linking tickets to save on baggage fares - USA

[onlycopunk]

Hey Gang,

So I've booked my shell tickets to the US over the Christmas holiday next year flying Delta, SYD - JFK; SEA - SYD. Not my first choice but with the deal I found it was impossible to pass up.

Now on to my real question, I have yet to book my internal flights as I'm still trying to finalise plans, but if I book my internal flights with Delta am I able to link those flights to my international legs and thus avoid having to pay for baggage since it will be included on my international legs.

 

[Tris]

I have personally found that linking flights is something that seems to magically happen when I go to check in. (I always seem to find myself purchasing separate tickets for each leg due to timing issues).
I have done aus>aus>us>us and vice versa, with different combinations of Delta, Qantas and UA. I am yet to be hit with baggage fees, regardless of my ticket clearly stating I will need to pay them at check-in.

Maybe I have been lucky? I think it's moreso that when you chuck the wad of flights down at the first check-in desk, they do their "magic" of checking in your luggage to get to its final destination, and figure maybe it's someone else's job to charge you at some point. /shrug.

 

[onlycopunk]

My internal flights wont be done in the same sequence of my shell flights. Albeit a week apart for each.

 

[Tris]

Oh. A week till your internal flights will not be kind to you, Delta is well known for their earnings when it comes to baggage.
With that said, all is not lost. Check out Airline Credit Card offers, as paying on one will waiver the first bag.
Alternatively, check out the not-so-legacy airlines to see if they can come up cheaper (with no baggage fees).
On a brighter note, delta baggage fees are still cheaper then FedEx.

 

[onlycopunk]

I guess I can always book it, then call customer service and plead my case. Worst that will happen is I'll have to pay. Luckily tickets on all airlines this far out are pretty even with Delta being the less awful airline of the bunch.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hey Gang,

So I've booked my shell tickets to the US over the Christmas holiday next year flying Delta, SYD - JFK; SEA - SYD. Not my first choice but with the deal I found it was impossible to pass up.

Now on to my real question, I have yet to book my internal flights as I'm still trying to finalise plans, but if I book my internal flights with Delta am I able to link those flights to my international legs and thus avoid having to pay for baggage since it will be included on my international legs.

You will not be able to combine the booking references of one ticket to another separately purchased ticket even on the same airline. However, if you are booking a domestic flight with the same airline and you are transferring from international to domestic flight on the same day then the domestic luggage is same as international leg. If the domestic flights are stand alone and not part of connecting to/from another delta flight then you have to pay for checked luggage as determined by your ticket rules

example: you but an domestic flight from JFK-MSP and are connecting from your syd-jfk flight then your MSP flight luggage will be free if you check your luggage through to MSP. however if you are not checking your luggage through to MSP because you have a stopover in JFK then you have to pay for luggage to MSP.

similarly if you now buy a SLC-SEA flight to connect to your SEA-SYD flight then that domestic flight luggage allowance will be the same as your international leg and free to that extent if you check your luggage in SLC all the way to syd. Otherwise pay for luggage.


ringing up and pleading your case wont work.