Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Check luggage through or re-check in LAX ?

Greetings,

As my fabulous CX F award trip is coming up to HKG and JNB, I thought of another question for you CX gurus...

When checking in CMH, should I have the agent check my luggage all the way to HKG, or, should I pick it up in LAX and recheck with CX???

Benefits I can think of for rechecking, would be a CX F check-in experience, perhaps better handling and priority tagging.

Benefits of checking all the way through, I would be free to enjoy the new AA Flagship lounge (I think) as I wouldn’t have to leave the AA terminal until later in the evening to go over to Bradley.

Anything else I'm missing? Thoughts, considerations, advantages, disadvantages ??

Please advise.

Thanks,
Gene

My experience connecting to CX at LAX (and SFO also) from an originating domestic flight is that CX baggage staff automatically attaches the FC priority tags on your luggage. So if this is what you meant by FC check-in experience, there is no need to re-check your bags. Of course you might want to check-in again at LAX CX check-in (minus your bags) in case of last-minute changes to seat assignment and gate information. When you do mention your checked-through bags. The check-in staff will note your luggane claim numbers in the computer presumably so baggage handlers can search it out for re-tagging if necessary.

[This message has been edited by bp888 (edited Dec 09, 2003).]

By all means check your luggage through. CX will intercept it at LAX, attach their own First Class priority tags and make sure it is on the Flight to HKG.

Enjoy the FL at T4 and when you leave to go to Bradley you will want to check in at the CX First counter anyway, to make sure everything is in order and to get your invitation to CX's First Class lounge (which is going to be a letdown after the FL). CX will confirm to you at that time that your luggage has all been taken care of.

You won't find any fault with CX's First Class service. Enjoy the trip.

I agree with the others about checking your luggage all the way through. CX will take good care of them and be sure the priority tags are attached.

One thing that I would like to add is that you should leave PLENTY of time to go through security at Tom Bradley. In early November I left T4 90 minutes before scheduled departure of the midnight HKG flight. The security line was out the door and half way to T4! It ended up taking about 1 hour to get through security and by that time I ended up walking right onto the flight. All in all, the line kept moving so it wasn't that unpleasant, but it wasn't the way I had planned on spending that time.