Experience with A3 interline agreements
Feb 3, 2016, 3:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Experience with A3 interline agreements
I'm soon to travel ATH-BRU (A3), BRU-CPH (SN), CPH-KEF (FI) on three separate tickets, luggage included. All three airlines have interline agreements with each other. Layovers are 5h10 at BRU and 2:40 at CPH to be precice.
Should it be possible to already check the luggage at ATH all the way through? I know this is at the discretion of a check-in agent, but perhaps some of you have first hand experiences on likewise itineraries.
Should it be possible to already check the luggage at ATH all the way through? I know this is at the discretion of a check-in agent, but perhaps some of you have first hand experiences on likewise itineraries.
Feb 3, 2016, 8:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
Only recent experience with three tickets/three airlines was with A3->LH->CM. The lady at HER did it ("of course I'll do this for you" - big smile), but this was three *A members. I don't know how they'll react with FI...
Feb 4, 2016, 10:16 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Let's see what they can do. FI is after all an interline partner of both SN and A3, and has by far a more generous baggags policy than the two Star Alliance carriers if that plays a role.
But already if they can check through to CPH, it will already free up extra time in BRU to spend eating some frites in the city and get a beer
Let's see what they can do. FI is after all an interline partner of both SN and A3, and has by far a more generous baggags policy than the two Star Alliance carriers if that plays a role.
But already if they can check through to CPH, it will already free up extra time in BRU to spend eating some frites in the city and get a beer
Feb 9, 2016, 4:28 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: YYZ, HKG, MFM
Programs: AC35K, AS MVP, WS Gold, ITA EP, Marriott Plat, Hyatt-Explorist, IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,019
I think *A all have interline agreement with each other. I have done TPE-ICN-SYD on OZ for an award ticket and SYD-AKL on NZ with cash ticket, the agent was able to merge the ticket together at the airport. My*G with A3 got me business class on the SYD-AKL flight
Feb 9, 2016, 8:09 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
Yes, they (any *A member) can check luggage through even if on different tickets.
No, they don't have to do it.
Yes, A3 will usually do it (was never, ever refused).
Actually, only once they (CM) were not able to do it after having tried for about 10 minutes and they were really apologetic. I was holding different tickets (SJO-PTY, PTY-CUN) but no harm: I had more than enough time to stand on line at immigration and customs only to then go upstairs, check my bag and walk through... immigration. But as there were no queues, I was in the lounge in less than 30 minutes after deplaning.
No, they don't have to do it.
Yes, A3 will usually do it (was never, ever refused).
Actually, only once they (CM) were not able to do it after having tried for about 10 minutes and they were really apologetic. I was holding different tickets (SJO-PTY, PTY-CUN) but no harm: I had more than enough time to stand on line at immigration and customs only to then go upstairs, check my bag and walk through... immigration. But as there were no queues, I was in the lounge in less than 30 minutes after deplaning.
Feb 24, 2016, 9:58 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: OTP
Programs: AF/KL platinum, Turkish gold, QR gold
Posts: 1,572
Update from CPH:
The very welcoming check in lady at Athens, albeit being very friendly like all A3 personell in general is, said they can never check baggages through on a flight that is not 0n the same ticket, even not on any other Star Alliance carrier. Perhaps she just didnt know how to do it?
In Brussels however they had zero problems in interlining from SN onto the FI flight at all. The check in lady there did immediately understand my request, looked it up if it was possible, and swiftly managed to print the baggage tag all the way to KEF.
The very welcoming check in lady at Athens, albeit being very friendly like all A3 personell in general is, said they can never check baggages through on a flight that is not 0n the same ticket, even not on any other Star Alliance carrier. Perhaps she just didnt know how to do it?
In Brussels however they had zero problems in interlining from SN onto the FI flight at all. The check in lady there did immediately understand my request, looked it up if it was possible, and swiftly managed to print the baggage tag all the way to KEF.
Feb 24, 2016, 10:17 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: MAN,TLV
Programs: Silver:BA,VX,AB, QF. Gold:A3,RJ,AZ,GF, EY,SPG,Marriott,Choice, Carlson. Dia/Plat:HH,IHG,BW,Accor
Posts: 1,965
What if luggage gets mishandled when interlined - is there a risk that the airline would say: "We did you a favour to interline them, so don't expect us to reimburse when lost"?
Feb 24, 2016, 10:27 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
Update from CPH:
The very welcoming check in lady at Athens, albeit being very friendly like all A3 personell in general is, said they can never check baggages through on a flight that is not 0n the same ticket, even not on any other Star Alliance carrier. Perhaps she just didnt know how to do it?
In Brussels however they had zero problems in interlining from SN onto the FI flight at all. The check in lady there did immediately understand my request, looked it up if it was possible, and swiftly managed to print the baggage tag all the way to KEF.
The very welcoming check in lady at Athens, albeit being very friendly like all A3 personell in general is, said they can never check baggages through on a flight that is not 0n the same ticket, even not on any other Star Alliance carrier. Perhaps she just didnt know how to do it?
In Brussels however they had zero problems in interlining from SN onto the FI flight at all. The check in lady there did immediately understand my request, looked it up if it was possible, and swiftly managed to print the baggage tag all the way to KEF.
Feb 25, 2016, 12:12 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Programs: JetPrivilege Platinum, Star Alliance Gold, OW Enrich Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, Taj Innercircle Gold
Posts: 83
I am planning to fly from JTR-IST on A3 and IST-DEL on TK. These will be two separate PNRs obviously.
Can I expect A3 to through check-in to DEL as TK is *A partner?
More ambitiously, can I expect this if I leave one day stop-over in IST ??
Can I expect A3 to through check-in to DEL as TK is *A partner?
More ambitiously, can I expect this if I leave one day stop-over in IST ??
Feb 25, 2016, 7:15 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chilling with penguins
Posts: 13,043
They could and probably would. But since it's two PNRs, the question is more on how long your cnx is. If you're arriving in IST at say 0800 on Day 1 and your next flight leaves at 1700 on Day 2, they probably will not tag your bags all the way. If you're under 24 hours, they might. They certainly would tag if it's a same day cnx.
If it was the same ticket, it would be a different story because they would probably be entered into the system as a connection and would probably do it without any hesitation -- LH and OZ have printed bag tags for me that have spanned over three calendar days over two or three *A carriers on multiple cnxs on the same PNR.
If it was the same ticket, it would be a different story because they would probably be entered into the system as a connection and would probably do it without any hesitation -- LH and OZ have printed bag tags for me that have spanned over three calendar days over two or three *A carriers on multiple cnxs on the same PNR.
Feb 25, 2016, 10:08 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
Let me be a little less optimistic than YOWkid, although I'm the one who wrote before that they can/should do it: Are you sure that they'll accept luggage to be stored at IST for longer than 24 hours with the present situation (several bombing incidents)?
Feb 25, 2016, 6:03 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chilling with penguins
Posts: 13,043
Truth be told, my sense is that anything over 24 hours they will not tag.
In my case where they tagged over the span of three calendar days, it was because each cnx was under 24 hours.
In my case where they tagged over the span of three calendar days, it was because each cnx was under 24 hours.
Feb 27, 2016, 12:44 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 26
AZ - A3 interlining
Hi all,
In a few days time I'll be flying AZ to ATH, continuing from there on A3 after a few hours. The flights are (obviously) on separate tickets.
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had experience of interlining between AZ and A3. Is there a remote chance to get my luggage tagged through my final destination? Or I shouldn't even bother to ask the check-in agent?
Many thanks!
In a few days time I'll be flying AZ to ATH, continuing from there on A3 after a few hours. The flights are (obviously) on separate tickets.
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had experience of interlining between AZ and A3. Is there a remote chance to get my luggage tagged through my final destination? Or I shouldn't even bother to ask the check-in agent?
Many thanks!