India-based Airlines - baggage requirement: Jet and AA combo

I have a ticket MAA-JFK_ORD rountrip with jet airways from MM-JFK and American airlines from JFK - ORD.
Jet Airways allows 2 free bags while AA charges you for bags.. The ticket will be issued on Jet stock and there will be no charge for baggage check-in at MAA airport (onward journey). The bags will be checked through to ORD

On the return journey is where my question is....
I will be checking in at ORD at AA counter. They will charge me for baggage. The question is

will they charge me domestic flight rate ($20 for first bag, $30 for second) or charge me international rate ($50 for second piece) since they will check my bags till MAA?

Jet airways told me its $50 per piece while I think they will charge the domestic rate since AA is not carrying my bags beyond JFK?

Any insights from someone who has flown will help...

It's $50 in any case (domestic or international rules) if you are checking two bags.

Jet is wrong if they told you $50/piece.

If you are checking only 1 bag, then I don't think you will be charged because you are on an international itinerary (to India). 1 free bag applies.

I've had lots of experience with this. As per policy AA is supposed to honor the baggage allowance of the issuing carrier. For example on a flight from JFK-LAX on AA, I got the agent to call the "rate" desk, who confirmed that I didn't have to pay the overweight baggage fee of $50 since I was flying on a CX document.
I suggest you call AA international and get them to put a comment in you reservation, which I now do - this helps avoid charges.
Ofcourse I assume you are on a through ticket issued by 9W and not two seperate documents in which case this wouldn't apply.
Hope that helps.

I've had lots of experience with this. As per policy AA is supposed to honor the baggage allowance of the issuing carrier. For example on a flight from JFK-LAX on AA, I got the agent to call the "rate" desk, who confirmed that I didn't have to pay the overweight baggage fee of $50 since I was flying on a CX document.
I suggest you call AA international and get them to put a comment in you reservation, which I now do - this helps avoid charges.
Ofcourse I assume you are on a through ticket issued by 9W and not two seperate documents in which case this wouldn't apply.
Hope that helps.

What policy? Normally, operating carrier (of the first leg) baggage allowance applies.

Do have a link/reference to this policy? Thanks.

EDIT: This may be an exception, but I do remember that 9W said they would honor AA's luggage allowance since I had booked a 9W flight as an AA code. Maybe there is some agreement between AA and 9W. In that case, it might be helpful to know whether the OP is flying on a 9W code or AA code on ORD-JFK.

EDIT2: Also, you're the first person I know with status on AI. Well done :D

What policy? Normally, operating carrier (of the first leg) baggage allowance applies.

Do have a link/reference to this policy? Thanks.

EDIT: This may be an exception, but I do remember that 9W said they would honor AA's luggage allowance since I had booked a 9W flight as an AA code. Maybe there is some agreement between AA and 9W. In that case, it might be helpful to know whether the OP is flying on a 9W code or AA code on ORD-JFK.

EDIT2: Also, you're the first person I know with status on AI. Well done :D


Since the OP mentioned he was flying JFK-MAA-JFK on 9W with ORD-JFK-ORD on AA, its the baggage allowance of the international/issuing carrier that counts. There is no formal policy but I have spoken to AA desk about this numerous times, and they always verify with rate desk and put a comment on my booking to avoid check-in issues. I do this preemptively since I've had run ins with check in staff on AA before.
Code of ORD-JFK-ORD shouldn't matter as long as it is a through ticket issued by 9W.

sorry for the delay.. was travelling...
the ticket will be issued by 9W but the ord-jfk is not a codeshare flight on 9W... I will call AA rate desk and check if this will be allowed under Jet airways baggage policy

Since the OP mentioned he was flying JFK-MAA-JFK on 9W with ORD-JFK-ORD on AA, its the baggage allowance of the international/issuing carrier that counts. There is no formal policy but I have spoken to AA desk about this numerous times, and they always verify with rate desk and put a comment on my booking to avoid check-in issues. I do this preemptively since I've had run ins with check in staff on AA before.
Code of ORD-JFK-ORD shouldn't matter as long as it is a through ticket issued by 9W.

avm2806.. just called AA and they clearly told me that I will have to pay baggage fees. maybe the rules have changed after new year...

Here is an excerpt form a DOT notice whihc seems to imply that that the baggage policy of the ticketing airline should apply in codeshare arrangements.


GUIDANCE ON AIRLINE BAGGAGE LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CODE-SHARE PARTNERS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL ITINERARIES

NOTICE

This notice is intended to give guidance to U.S. and foreign air carriers on two tariff matters: first, tariffs relating to liability for lost, stolen, delayed or damaged baggage carried on international itineraries; and second, tariffs that appear to assign responsibility, in code-share service, to the operating carrier rather than the selling carrier (i.e., the carrier shown on the ticket).
------

A second issue of concern stems from airline tariffs related to code-share service. As a condition for approval of international code-share services, the Department has as a matter of policy required that "the carrier selling such transportation (i.e., the carrier shown on the ticket) accept responsibility for the entirety of the code-share journey for all obligations established in the contract of carriage with the passenger; and that the passenger liability of the operating carrier be unaffected.” (Order 2008-5-19, OST-2008-0064). Notwithstanding this clear language, several carriers have filed tariff provisions that purport to apply the terms and conditions of the operating carrier’s contract of carriage generally, or in certain areas such as check-in time limits, unaccompanied minors, carriage of animals, refusal to transport, oxygen service, irregular operations, denied boarding compensation, and baggage acceptance, allowance and liability. Others state that passengers on code-share flights “may be subject” to the operating carrier’s baggage charges. A number of carriers have no clear tariff rule on the subject. The intent of this DOT code-share approval provision may not be circumvented by tariff provisions attempting to allocate responsibility and contract of carriage provisions in different ways by the carriers involved, or by silence on the subject. As with the exclusionary provisions cited above, carriers should review their tariffs and practices and make revisions, if necessary, to reflect the conditions imposed in the Department’s orders approving code-share service.---

I was in a similar situation where I was told by Jet Airways that a $50 charge would apply for a second bag if the first flight was an AA flight, and AA would not confirm anything. I filed a complaint with the DOT and as a follow up, received an email message from AA assuring me that there would be no charge for the second bag and the baggage rules of the issuing/governing airline (Jet Airways) would apply.
If you are in a similar situation, it would be best to get a written confirmation from the airline about its policy. Not enough to get a verbal assurance.