Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Onward connection from CX to AA to be hit by new weight restrictions!

This is a cross-post. But effectively I think it will affect people coming in from Asia on any flight and connecting with AA.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/021212/airlines_american_baggage_1.html


So leave your woks and frying pans at home. AA will charge you irrespective if CX permits your luggage over 50lbs! Basically there is no way to avoid this as you have to take your bags out and recheck them after customs at international gateways where an AA agent will advise you that you will be affected.

Why do you think so? AA has not changed the international baggage allowance, and surely a CX/AA connection is on an international ticket? It does affect those using a separate domestic US ticket from the gateway, but that isn't very common, is it? It isn't the CX/AA connection that is affected, but AA originating baggage that is not international.

This is not accurate GB - as #6 points out, it is strictly international. I had an EXTENSIVE discussion on this last week on a GRU-MIA-LAX itinerary and was told that if you have ANY international segments in your itinerary you will be spared the limit even on solely domestic sectors.

In any case, Int. limits are sage for now.

Just today I flew SIN-HKG-LAX on CX, then transferred to AA for the final leg (LAX-DFW). I had a 58 pound bag and was not charged for excess weight by AA.

The press release was abundantly clear. The new weight restrictions apply to domestic flights only.

Yes it's domestic. Isn't HKG-LAX-DFW. Yes it's international on CX. But isn't LAX-DFW domestic?

I guess we can argue till the cows come home. But I am sure that AA will apply that rule on the LAX-DFW sector for example, as it is a domestic flight.

We shall see....at least you have been warned.

I think it depends on your check-in agent.

If you encounter under-knowledged agents, they will insist that it's a "domestic flight" and restriction will be enforced.

If you encounter professional and properly trained agents, it should be clear to them that a connecting flight (even domestic sector) from an international flight will be given the international baggage allowances.

BUT, if your connecting domestic flight falls on the different date from the date of an international arrival, this might be subject to domestic allowances. (I'm not so sure)

So if you are unlucky, speak to Station manager.

[This message has been edited by fakecd (edited 12-13-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fakecd:
...So if you are unlucky, speak to Station manager.

[This message has been edited by fakecd (edited 12-13-2002).]</font>


Typical, American response: "He's busy".

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:

Typical, American response: "He's busy".</font>

Typical, Asian response:

"Well, you don't know what you are doing, so I need to speak to your boss who knows more than you. I've got time to wait for him, but got no time to waste with you. You go away andserve that dork over there, I'm sure he knows just as little as you"

Make sure you speak in professional (?) manner. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
Yes it's domestic. Isn't HKG-LAX-DFW. Yes it's international on CX. But isn't LAX-DFW domestic? </font>

Under the Warsaw Convention, a journey is considered to be international in its entirety if any part of the unbroken journey involves an international segment, regardless of the carriers involved.

It isn't a question of interpretation. It is the law.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
Yes it's domestic. Isn't HKG-LAX-DFW. Yes it's international on CX. But isn't LAX-DFW domestic?

I guess we can argue till the cows come home. But I am sure that AA will apply that rule on the LAX-DFW sector for example, as it is a domestic flight.

We shall see....at least you have been warned.</font>

Just give it up GB - your reading was wrong - now get over it! As I already said elsewhere, the AA gang at GIG, the FL lounge at MIA, the T3 AA club at LAX and LAS ALL UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY last week - do you really think they just said this to suck me in so they can get me next time?!

I am not arguing the fact that I am correct on this matter. Hardly the case. I am simply stating the fact that people coming in from Asia might be faced with agents who don't know the rules and may impose such surcharges to the unknowing traveller. Such situations will arise when one stops over in a city while carrying the same amount of luggage from say, HKG. Only when that person continues travel will he be subjected to such regulations, which is not very standarised.

And to think about it.... AA usually gives at least 6 months notice on such changes. Why the sudden change with X'mas around the corner. Surly they know that not many people will know of this regulation and that people will be travelling with bags full of gifts.

In reality, this is all academic anyway. In the past when I've had to connect to an onward AA domestic flight coming from a CX inbound, the "rechecking in" of luggage isn't even really that. Basically, after Customs inspection, you just drop your bags to a conveyor belt. No weigh-in actually takes place. If there's any AA personnel at all, they're there to facilitate (they're not even really AA employees, just contractors) and are certainly in no position to take payments for excess weight. This has been my experience at LAX and SFO.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
Such situations will arise when one stops over in a city while carrying the same amount of luggage from say, HKG. Only when that person continues travel will he be subjected to such regulations, which is not very standarised.

</font>

To me this is the key point - I OFTEN will travel from say HKG to LAX, spend 2 days there and continue on to ORD. This is where the problem will kick in and I have (shock of shock) not gotten a straight answer from AA on this subject.

GB also makes a fascinating point on the suspect timing of this move - even if this is the plan, there is no reason to engage it prior to the holiday other than to trap unsuspecting and unsophisticated travelers - this is rather a sad move for AA I think - why not wait until January if you were intent on this strategy.

Well, if one is AAPlat originating on an overseas oneworld flight in Y, at the US gateway, one can use the Admirals Club when continuing onward into the US even though on strictly NAmerican flights, one would not be permitted to use the Club. I would expect this to be analogous to being able to continue onto your US domestic flight with the same baggage weight as you started on your international segment. As others have noted, when international connecting travel is involved, the international rules take precidence over the domestic ones. It is only common sense, otherwise AA would require people to repack their bags after clearing customs/INS to remove the extra weight that was permitted on their flight into the US, but no longer permitted on their domestic leg.

One would hope and expect common sense to prevail.

"You're in the USA now and this is what our policy is. You can either comply or not fly at all."

Sound familiar?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Shareholder:
I would expect this to be analogous to being able to continue onto your US domestic flight with the same baggage weight as you started on your international segment. As others have noted, when international connecting travel is involved, the international rules take precidence over the domestic ones. It is only common sense, otherwise AA would require people to repack their bags after clearing customs/INS to remove the extra weight that was permitted on their flight into the US, but no longer permitted on their domestic leg.

One would hope and expect common sense to prevail.</font>

I don’t think that anyone is questioning the ability to recheck after customs at the gateway city. The problem will arise if you overnight at the gateway city and then continue your travel the next day. At this point, I suspect you will be treated as a domestic PAX and not a connecting international PAX - which would be the same system for AC and FL access.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Guy Betsy:
"You're in the USA now and this is what our policy is. You can either comply or not fly at all."

Sound familiar?</font>

I would comply, fly and SUE. The Warsaw Convention is quite clear, is a treaty of the United States and overrides contract law.

Well it seems that some AA stations are already sensitive to, or at least attempting to enforce, the new conditions.

I'm currently in the middle of an OW RTW. I departed ABQ on the 18th on the following itenarary: ABQ-STL-EWR (on AA) continuing on CX889 eventually to AKL.

The Agent at the desk in ABQ specifically mentioned the new weight restrictions. I commented that I was on an international itenarary. Her comment back was that as far as AA was concerned, the ABQ-STL-EWR legs were domestic. I would have argued the point except that by some miracle both my bags weighed in at 49.5lbs.

I guess the message is: If you're travelling with heavy baggage starting or ending with AA, be prepared to have to have a heart-to-heart with the station manager.

[This message has been edited by michswiss (edited 12-19-2002).]

Michswiss, it looks like you have 2 separate itineraries/tickets. If that's the case I can understand why they would have imposed the domestic weight restrictions.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bp888:
Michswiss, it looks like you have 2 separate itineraries/tickets. If that's the case I can understand why they would have imposed the domestic weight restrictions.</font>

This is all a part of the same AONE RTW PNR with a ground transfer between EWR and JFK. I was clearly continuing on the same ticket through to AKL and the Agent acknowledged this. Again, I didn't take the time to discuss the finer points with her as I lucked out on my packing technique. But, her point was that since I would have to retrieve my baggage at EWR and recheck it at JFK, the bags and the respective conditions would be handled as domestic segments irrespective of continuing internationally.

So did you have to fork out the $ or repack?

The Sharper Image (http://www.sharperimage.com) sells a compact helium canister. Put it in your suitcase and activate it just before checking in, and the suitcase will be 5-6 lbs. lighter for about 15 minutes.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wideman:
The Sharper Image (http://www.sharperimage.com) sells a compact helium canister.</font>

I can't find any evidence that it does, so please could you either post a direct link or withdraw what I suspect to be a not-very-subtle advertising link.

And when it goes through security , won't it show up as a 'dangerous' item?

Can't find the helium canister anywhere, but wonder how much it cost.

If you have a large enough suitcase with very little weight, maybe it starts floating.. Wow, that's when you will really be questioned tough!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fakecd:
If you have a large enough suitcase with very little weight, maybe it starts floating.. Wow, that's when you will really be questioned tough!</font>

Actually, the airlines don't mind, because the helium canisters increase lift and can save (an admittedly small amount of) fuel on takeoff.

Note to christep: I have no connection to or financial interest in The Sharper Image. I am here only to serve my brethren and sistren on FlyerTalk.

--Wideman

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wideman:
[Note to christep: I have no connection to or financial interest in The Sharper Image. I am here only to serve my brethren and sistren on FlyerTalk.

--Wideman
</font>

My apologies, but I am clearly not the only one who can't find any reference to a helium or gas canister at the site you mentioned.

Oh dear, a humour alert on the CX forum, what next? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

One should always remember, I suppose, that humor travels poorly across cultures. Still, this typist did get an unexpected smile from his fellow posters' consternation.

Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres, as a contented crow told me after finishing off the remains of a road-kill squirrel.