MSPpete

I am flying Air New Zealand YVR>NAN (stop), then NAN>AKL>SYD (destination) this November using UA MP miles for the trip. I have received Bus seats (UA lists fare bucket "I") for all the flights except the leg from NAN to AKL which is an all coach flight (Nov 23 NZ755, Depart NAN 20:20 arr AKL 00:25 Nov 24).

I will have 2 bags to check, bag1 = 19kg - bag2 = 14kg. Will I have to pay AUS120 baggage fee for the second bag for this leg? The connection in AKL for the flight to SYD is technically same day, but is a 12:20 layover. The flight AKL>SYD is in Bus ("I").

I *thought* I saw a posting on this board that when an "I" class reward maps to a NZ flight w/o any business seats, the flyer receives the business class luggage allowance, even though the fare class shows "Economy X".

Thanks in advance for any experiences or information you may have.

kaimanawa

Hmmm... the agents in NAN are very strict about baggage charges, and you're situation is quite unique. Since you have a lot of time, I'd do my best to enquire with Air NZ directly and get a written response from them via e-mail (go to "Contact Us" on airnz.co.nz).

Here's what you're after:

You either need to be booked as a "Works Deluxe" passenger for NAN-AKL (2 bags), or have the agent in NAN recognise your transit in Auckland as a transfer and award you the Business entitlement (3 bags).

Also, unless you're flying via AKL from YVR to NAN, note that your flight is operated by Air Pacific for the Transpac segment.

serfty

If this is on the one booking then you have two Journies.

The first is strait forward with the allowance being for Business on the operating carrier.

The second brings in MSC which would be the allowance of the operating carrier for NAN-AKL.

Note that if you booking had commenced in the USA then the allowance would be that for USA-NAN and apply for the entire booking.

MSPpete

Thanks to you both for your answers. I think I will take kaimanawa's suggestion and email NZ with my question and if the answer is 2 bags, bring a print out with me to the NAN airport.

Clarification: my outbound route is actually MSP>ORD>YVR>AKL>NAN and I will get 3 free bags because I check-in with United at MSP. My return is SYD>SFO>PHX>MSP and since first flight is UA, will also get 3 free bags. It is just the NAN>AKL>SYD portion where I might get hit with bag fees.

I could have taken a shorter route with paid flights, MSP>LAX>NAN, but where is the fun in that?

Thanks again

serfty

Is this all on the one ticket?

If so, then the last sentence in my previous post applies (due to the USA DOT exception). This is in relation to the non elite allowance for the "marketing carrier" in the class booked of either your YVR-AKL leg or MSP-YVR leg - this can be at the whim of UA in MSP.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ata-302-a.html

Top of climb

Not if AKL-SYD is also on NZ (which I assume it is given the lack of any other *A carrier on this route) - IATA302/MSC applies only to interline journeys, and my understanding is that an interline only occurs when Airline A operating leg A is shunting the bags off to Airline B operating leg B. If the OP is in J on AKL-SYD then doesn't he get the three bag allowance for that flight applied to his first NAN-AKL journey as per NZ's "highest allowance applies" rule?

serfty

Under 302 and the USA DOT exception the allowance selected at the commencement of the travel on the PNR apples to ALL travel on that PNR.


Also with the USA DOT exception, it relies on the actual flight numbers - not the operating carrier.

Please check the link I made upthread as well as the following:

http://www.atpco.net/atpco/products/glossary_m.shtml

http://www.lan.com/en_au/sitio_perso...info_iata.html

In reality, unless the OP provides the actual flight numbers of the first segment to NAN, we cannot know the allowance for certain.

*A Flyer

My understanding in this case is that if the baggage allowance for the first leg is 3 bags at (whatever) then the allowance for all legs is the same. The actual flights numbers are (somewhat) academic given that the baggage allowance for the check-in leg would be determined by that anyway.

Top of climb

Correct insofar that the entire journey is on one ticket. But if (a) NAN-AKL-SYD is on a separate ticket; and (b) both NAN-AKL and AKL-SYD are both on Air NZ then 302 simply doesn't apply because there is no interline. NZ applies the higher allowance at NAN check-in as per its own rules.

serfty

In post one the OP did not include the USA origin.

They made it clearer in post #4 which changed the answer(s) somewhat. They still have not specifically answered the question about travel being on the one PNR.

I have taken the OP as meaning the whole journey is booked on the one ticket.

I'm not sure the OP is aware of how important their answer to the "one ticket" question is. Until they answer that, much of what we can provide is in specific case "what if" scenarios.

Trumpkin

Is there a difference here between a single PNR and two linked PNRs?

serfty

I believe so ...

MSPpete

It is all on one ticket/PNR

MSP>ORD>YVR on UA First & Bus (O & I)
YVR>AKL>NAN on NZ Bus(I) *stopover
NAN>AKL (all coach (X))>SYD (Bus(I)) on NZ *destination
SYD>SFO (Bus (I)) on UA
SFO>PHX>MSP (first (O) on US

120K MP miles and ~$250 in taxes and fees

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis. With this info I can contact NZ and get a written confirmation that I can bring to NAN when I check-in.

im-headed-west

Let me know how it goes if you don't mind. I'm on a UA *A F award this Fall, all on one PNR of course:
IAD-LAX-SYD(stopover)-ZQN(dest/openjaw)-CHC-SYD-SFO-IAD
O - O - X - X- O -I

and would definitely like to take something with me in case I run into problems at check-in.

I called ANZ 1-800 number a few weeks ago and asked what my bag allowance was and the agent said, "I don't know, ask United".

MSPpete

Copy of my email to NZ submitted via their website is below. I will post the reply.

Customer - 06/06/2012 07:51 AM
I would like information on my baggage allowance for an itinerary booked through United Airlines with segments on Air New Zealand.
UA PNR xxxxx
NZ PNR xxxxx

Routing is:
MSP-ORD on UA
ORD-YVR on UA
YVR-AKL-NAN on NZ
*Stopover in NAN

NAN-AKL-SYD on NZ
*Destination is SYD

SYD-SFO-DEN-MSP on UA

My understanding per US DOT rule 14 CFR 399.87 that my baggage allowance for the entire trip is governed by the operating carrier of the first segment of my journey, which is United Airlines.

My concern is the baggage allowance on the segment from NAN-AKL (NZ755) on Friday November 23. I will likely have 3 bags to check, all under 50 pounds in weight.

Per US DOT rule 14 CFR 399.8 OR because I am connecting to an Air New Zealand flight in business class for the AKL-SYD segment: will I be able to check 3 bags without a baggage fee when I check-in for my flight NAN-AKL?

Thanks in advance for this clarification of the baggage fees I will pay.