VA - VX Through Baggage Separate Tickets

[eeliechick]

Has anyone had any recent experience checking baggage through from VA to VX?

I am looking at purchasing a ticket from SEA/LAX on Virgin America arriving in at 8.15pm and am booked on an international ticket from LAX/SYD at 10.35pm.
I am concerned about the connection time as I will be checking in for an International flight and have 2hrs 20 mins gap between the two.

What are your thoughts on MCT and checking through baggage etc.

 

[williamsf1]

Has anyone had any recent experience checking baggage through from VA to VX?

I am looking at purchasing a ticket from SEA/LAX on Virgin America arriving in at 8.15pm and am booked on an international ticket from LAX/SYD at 10.35pm.
I am concerned about the connection time as I will be checking in for an International flight and have 2hrs 20 mins gap between the two.

What are your thoughts on MCT and checking through baggage etc.

VX and VA have a interline agreement. when you arrive at SEA ... have all the VA booking details ready to give to the check in person. tell them as soon as you are at the desk that your destination is Australia and they will tag bags to final destination.

VX arrive into T3 and only a very short walk to TBIT for the VA flight ...... 2.20 is possible ... a good way to check is make a dummy booking and see if the connection is offered

 

[eeliechick]

Thanks! Yes I have checked and the connection is offered so I think I will go ahead and give it a go if they have an agreement sounds like a fairly simple process.

 

[roby]

VX website states that they will not thru check bags with separate tickets. I don't know whether they will do it in practice but be prepared if they play by the book.

https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/corporate-travel/ticketing-instructions-and-faqs

27. If my guest has two separate e-ticket reservations that form a connecting itinerary, can Virgin America check bags through to their final destination?
No, there is no through check-in for guests traveling on two separate tickets.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Last October we flew LAS-LAX on VX to meet VA2. The agent in LAS couldn't check us in all the way because the flights were ticketed separately and wouldn't budge (we asked very nicely.)

 

[Cryptarcadian]

The good news is, even if you can't check your bags through, VX arrives into T3 and VA check-in is also at T3 (despite departing from TBIT), so you don't have far to go!

 

[jad01]

I have flown in a similar way several times with VA/VX booked separately and the process I have experienced is that VA or VX can 'tag' your bag to the final destination....HOWEVER it will not go through as it would on a connecting flight with the same booking. Therefore you will have to collect your baggage when you land and then drop your bag off for the next flight. So basically the actual tag is of little benefit because you still have to go through the same process.
The only way you can get your bags to go all the way to the final destination is if both sectors are on the same booking.

JASON

 

[roby]

I have flown in a similar way several times with VA/VX booked separately and the process I have experienced is that VA or VX can 'tag' your bag to the final destination....HOWEVER it will not go through as it would on a connecting flight with the same booking. Therefore you will have to collect your baggage when you land and then drop your bag off for the next flight. So basically the actual tag is of little benefit because you still have to go through the same process.
The only way you can get your bags to go all the way to the final destination is if both sectors are on the same booking.

JASON

This is actually incorrect. As long as your bags are tagged to the final destination even on separate tickets, your bags will be automatically transferred. The exception is when you arrive in the US, you will need to pick up your bags to clear Customs, but you would still want to tag your bags so that as soon as you exit, you can drop them off straightaway rather than drag them with you possibly to another terminal.

On the way back as you leave the US, however, as long as it's tagged to your final destination, one ticket or not, you will not need to pick up bags. This process is the same in Australia.

 

[jad01]

I'm not stating what's correct/incorrect.....but I do know that I wasn't hallucinating when every contact with VX and VA via phone, email and at the airport have all said the exact same thing for the past 5 years.
I am wondering if this is policy and if so where it is written or is it a perception of how it should work?