Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer - Check-in with SQ in JFK and check baggage onto next Lufthansa flight with second PNR?

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to plan a trip to Italy, and after a good bit of research I've found that the cheapest way for me to do so is on Singapore Airlines from JFK to FRA (business class), then on Lufthansa from FRA to FCO in economy (2 separate tickets). Booking these segments on the same PNR for some reason drives the cost up by an additional $10,000, so I'd obviously like to book them separately. My question is, if I book these two segments separately, can I check my luggage thru on both flights when I arrive at JFK? I called Singapore Airlines to ask but the agent didn't seem to understand what I was asking and told me "probably no". Anyone have a more definitive answer?

Thanks!

(Side note... is 1.5 hrs connection in FRA enough time to transfer from Singapore Airlines to Lufthansa? Any difference if I am able to check my luggage thru or not? I am arriving on Singapore Airlines in Business class and I am also Star Gold. Thanks again!)

Yes..you may do so by giving flight# at the time of check-in. If you have the itinerary printed out, you can show them as well. I have done this so many times with a separate reservation. You should be fine. again...give the connecting flight#.

Yes, no problems with checking your bags through, but I would personally be more comfortable with a 2.5 hour connection as you need to get from T1B to T1A, clear immigration, as well as stop by the transfer desk.

If the supervisor at JFK goes by the book as she interprets as in my experience, she will not check in anything other than what is exactly shown in your PNR. I wanted to check in my luggage to the point of stopover, she insisted I couldn't.

Later clarification from SQ said I actually could have tagged luggage to an intermediate stop over. The sup at JFK has a simple interpretation and can't stretch her mind to do anything other than what is printed at your PNR.

I would be interested to know if she allow checking in another PNR not departing from her station. I had similar difficulty trying to convince TG staff in Jakarta to transfer my luggage to Istanbul and Sao Paulo at Bangkok airport (separate PNRs). She first insisted to check in only for her portion. the sup had to be called , then I got the luggage tagged through to GRU.

My suggestion: allow enough time in case you need to take out and re-check in. If you can check through all at JFK, consider a bonus. Anyway, Well, hope that particular sup I encountered at JFK has her time off on that day. Or has already got demoted due to my complaint :cool:

If the supervisor at JFK goes by the book as she interprets as in my experience, she will not check in anything other than what is exactly shown in your PNR. I wanted to check in my luggage to the point of stopover, she insisted I couldn't.

This is a different situation. Sometimes this can be issue (not saying it is with SQ) as sometimes it is cheaper to pay for a ticket A-B-C than it is from A-B, and discard the B-C sector. It is what it is to some, obviously including the supervisor you encountered.

Anyway, Well, hope that particular sup I encountered at JFK has her time off on that day. Or has already got demoted due to my complaint :cool:

By supervisor, do you mean the DM (those wearing SQ uniform)? If so, that's surprising as the DMs that I have spoken to at SQ's European destinations are very knowledgeable IME.

By supervisor, do you mean the DM (those wearing SQ uniform)? If so, that's surprising as the DMs that I have spoken to at SQ's European destinations are very knowledgeable IME.

Can't remember the uniform - I don't think so.
In a row of check-in agents, there will be a supervisor. She was sitting amongst them all and wore the same thing as them all.

We had an unusual request, our check-in agent seemed new and was unsure what to do. She intervened and not so politely told us impossible. We asked to speak to the station manager. She proudly announced she was the supervisor. Was too late for the flight so decided to just do what she wanted us to do and offloaded the luggage in Singapore (which was eventually done with no fuss). Saw the station manager (male) just before boarding the flight. So she is not a DM, I guess. And upon complaint, SQ admitted that I could have got what I had requested for and apologized.

The European ones were more flexible. Milan did the exact same thing I wanted to do at JFK without any fuss. Barcelona issued a fresh boarding pass for my partial Sao Paulo-issued so I could get through security again. We broke the transit rule by entering Spain to sort out our tax refund issues from a previous trip and couldn't get back to the secure zone with a half BP from GRU. The DM there was accommodating.

I suspect check-in agents at JFK are contracted from the airport, not SQ's own staff.

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to plan a trip to Italy, and after a good bit of research I've found that the cheapest way for me to do so is on Singapore Airlines from JFK to FRA (business class), then on Lufthansa from FRA to FCO in economy (2 separate tickets). Booking these segments on the same PNR for some reason drives the cost up by an additional $10,000, so I'd obviously like to book them separately. My question is, if I book these two segments separately, can I check my luggage thru on both flights when I arrive at JFK? I called Singapore Airlines to ask but the agent didn't seem to understand what I was asking and told me "probably no". Anyone have a more definitive answer?

Thanks!

(Side note... is 1.5 hrs connection in FRA enough time to transfer from Singapore Airlines to Lufthansa? Any difference if I am able to check my luggage thru or not? I am arriving on Singapore Airlines in Business class and I am also Star Gold. Thanks again!)

I was assured several times by SQ that because Lufthansa is *A, there are absolutely no problems checking luggage straight through. I just need to remind the agent at JFK of this and it will be done.

1.5 hours should be more than enough time to transfer your bags through.

When are you flying? I'd love to know if it is as seamless in reality as it sounded over the phone.

Can't remember the uniform - I don't think so.
In a row of check-in agents, there will be a supervisor. She was sitting amongst them all and wore the same thing as them all.

We had an unusual request, our check-in agent seemed new and was unsure what to do. She intervened and not so politely told us impossible. We asked to speak to the station manager. She proudly announced she was the supervisor. Was too late for the flight so decided to just do what she wanted us to do and offloaded the luggage in Singapore (which was eventually done with no fuss). Saw the station manager (male) just before boarding the flight. So she is not a DM, I guess. And upon complaint, SQ admitted that I could have got what I had requested for and apologized.

The European ones were more flexible. Milan did the exact same thing I wanted to do at JFK without any fuss. Barcelona issued a fresh boarding pass for my partial Sao Paulo-issued so I could get through security again. We broke the transit rule by entering Spain to sort out our tax refund issues from a previous trip and couldn't get back to the secure zone with a half BP from GRU. The DM there was accommodating.

I suspect check-in agents at JFK are contracted from the airport, not SQ's own staff.

Ah, if she was not in SQ uniform then perhaps she is just a "senior check-in agent" because SQ requires every flight to be handled by their own DMs (in uniforms).

SQ's SMs, on the other hand, don't wear uniforms so you might or might not have gotten the right person. They don't usually turn up at the gate/check-in area to handle pax except during IRROPs so asking for an SM will usually only get you a DM at most. Nevertheless, the SM at JFK is highly incompetent :td:.