Jul 8, 2016, 2:22 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
UPDATED FOR 15 NOVEMBER 2016: BA will no longer accept interlining on BA-BA separate tickets / PNRs.
From 1 June 2016, the oneworld policy on accepting customers travelling on separate tickets was changed. BA, along with some other oneworld partners, has implemented this change in policy which is as follows:
Only those customers that have separate tickets issued in the same PNR/booking will be accepted for through check-in. Furthermore all sectors must be BA / oneworld / other carrier, but BA to/fron Vueling is specifically NOT allowed even on the same ticket. Aer Lingus is not specified but some be covered by "other carrier".
A PNR is a wrapper, and it can have several tickets, and other items such as hotels, in one PNR, so long as it was built that way at the time of purchase. Another (new) ticket can be inserted into an existing PNR after purchase, it is easiest to do this at a BA airport, and there is a small fee for doing this (Ł15 in the UK). However you cannot merge 2 existing PNRs into one PNR - once a reservation has reached ticketed status it can't be moved. If you have 2 PNRs you need to allow time to collect and re-check any bags at the transfer airport.
There is one exception: BA to BA transfers, on 2 PNRs, are allowed. See post 643 for details.
___
From post 947. Select "do not have IATA number"
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/ch/reservations-ticketing/rulesregulations/separatetickets/
From 1 June 2016, the oneworld policy on accepting customers travelling on separate tickets was changed. BA, along with some other oneworld partners, has implemented this change in policy which is as follows:
Only those customers that have separate tickets issued in the same PNR/booking will be accepted for through check-in. Furthermore all sectors must be BA / oneworld / other carrier, but BA to/fron Vueling is specifically NOT allowed even on the same ticket. Aer Lingus is not specified but some be covered by "other carrier".
A PNR is a wrapper, and it can have several tickets, and other items such as hotels, in one PNR, so long as it was built that way at the time of purchase. Another (new) ticket can be inserted into an existing PNR after purchase, it is easiest to do this at a BA airport, and there is a small fee for doing this (Ł15 in the UK). However you cannot merge 2 existing PNRs into one PNR - once a reservation has reached ticketed status it can't be moved. If you have 2 PNRs you need to allow time to collect and re-check any bags at the transfer airport.
___
From post 947. Select "do not have IATA number"
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/ch/reservations-ticketing/rulesregulations/separatetickets/
BA no longer through checking baggage with separate tickets
May 22, 2016, 1:58 pm
#16
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,210
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/ch/rese...paratetickets/
That said, it is possible recent changes (if true) have not been captured by the speedbirdclub website.
Passengers holding separate tickets and how their baggage is being accepted, depending on the separate ticket type:
BA to oneworld member (i.e. oneworld carriers prefix, oneworld carriers paper and codeshare partners: Passengers and bags can be through-checked providing MCT (minimum connection times) are adhered to.
Going by the guidelines above, if the LHR-ARN was booked on the BA776, BA774, or BA778 then through checking should have been possible.BA to oneworld member (i.e. oneworld carriers prefix, oneworld carriers paper and codeshare partners: Passengers and bags can be through-checked providing MCT (minimum connection times) are adhered to.
That said, it is possible recent changes (if true) have not been captured by the speedbirdclub website.
May 22, 2016, 2:08 pm
#17
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Something for Twitter perhaps?
I find it difficult to believe on one level, but on another I don't think it makes much difference since if on separate tickets one would expect someone to book a fairly lengthy connection anyway, it's just a hassle factor, but at least reduces the risk of bags not being transferred over.
I find it difficult to believe on one level, but on another I don't think it makes much difference since if on separate tickets one would expect someone to book a fairly lengthy connection anyway, it's just a hassle factor, but at least reduces the risk of bags not being transferred over.
May 22, 2016, 2:18 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,422
The thread title probably needs a "?" in it ... one agents cluelessness does not confirm a policy change.
As long as the connection was safe from a MCT point of view then it doesn't matter if he was on two tickets so long as they are both OW.
May 22, 2016, 2:30 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Birmingham
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Posts: 400
Similar issue last week checking in at F for CE LHR-OSL, then OSL-DOH-SIN-SYD. Agent was adamant this was 'absolutely impossible' because they were on separate PNRs - and in addition "had never seen this done before"!
"Don't worry, I have. Lots. Would you mind calling your supervisor?"
After much harrumphing it got done. I checked at each leg the bag was in the system and all was fine until SIN where I was joining BA15 (all on one QR-issued ticket). "Computer says no..." They located it in the system and did whatever they do to check it through to SYD but all most odd.
On Friday I'm doing the reverse routing but QF on the SIN-SYD leg. I have a 55min connection at OSL and was considering not checking a bag but might give it a go just to see if I can!
All very odd indeed...
"Don't worry, I have. Lots. Would you mind calling your supervisor?"
After much harrumphing it got done. I checked at each leg the bag was in the system and all was fine until SIN where I was joining BA15 (all on one QR-issued ticket). "Computer says no..." They located it in the system and did whatever they do to check it through to SYD but all most odd.
On Friday I'm doing the reverse routing but QF on the SIN-SYD leg. I have a 55min connection at OSL and was considering not checking a bag but might give it a go just to see if I can!
All very odd indeed...
May 22, 2016, 3:28 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
I hope that this was just a staffing "issue" rather than a change in policy. I can, however, understand why BA wouldn't want to facilitate pax flying longhual on QR.
Did you check with the QR staff in ARN that they had your bag tags in their system? Very odd that one bag didn't even leave LHR (not so strange that one stayed in ARN). Did you double check the details that were entered on the bag tag? Every detail correct? I had an agent in Krabi working for Bangkok Air who "helpfully" tagged by bag through to LRH. Lucky I spotted it, and corrected it to LHR. When manually tagging a bag, it's very easy to make a mistake.
However, when I arrived in BKK neither of my two bags had been forwarded from LHR. QR ground staff raised a case reference for missing bags. BA had already telexed BKK to inform them that one bag had never left LHR, the other has been sent to ARN!. QR staff initiated action to forward both bags to BKK.
May 22, 2016, 3:34 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 384
I hope that this was just a staffing "issue" rather than a change in policy. I can, however, understand why BA wouldn't want to facilitate pax flying longhual on QR.
Did you check with the QR staff in ARN that they had your bag tags in their system? Very odd that one bag didn't even leave LHR (not so strange that one stayed in ARN). Did you double check the details that were entered on the bag tag? Every detail correct? I had an agent in Krabi working for Bangkok Air who "helpfully" tagged by bag through to LRH. Lucky I spotted it, and corrected it to LHR. When manually tagging a bag, it's very easy to make a mistake.
Did you check with the QR staff in ARN that they had your bag tags in their system? Very odd that one bag didn't even leave LHR (not so strange that one stayed in ARN). Did you double check the details that were entered on the bag tag? Every detail correct? I had an agent in Krabi working for Bangkok Air who "helpfully" tagged by bag through to LRH. Lucky I spotted it, and corrected it to LHR. When manually tagging a bag, it's very easy to make a mistake.
Last edited by Prospero; May 22, 2016 at 4:15 pm Reason: Marry two posts: quote with reply
May 22, 2016, 3:39 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: UK
Programs: BA Bronze, IHG Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 31
Similar issue last week checking in at F for CE LHR-OSL, then OSL-DOH-SIN-SYD. Agent was adamant this was 'absolutely impossible' because they were on separate PNRs - and in addition "had never seen this done before"!
"Don't worry, I have. Lots. Would you mind calling your supervisor?"
After much harrumphing it got done. I checked at each leg the bag was in the system and all was fine until SIN where I was joining BA15 (all on one QR-issued ticket). "Computer says no..." They located it in the system and did whatever they do to check it through to SYD but all most odd.
On Friday I'm doing the reverse routing but QF on the SIN-SYD leg. I have a 55min connection at OSL and was considering not checking a bag but might give it a go just to see if I can!
All very odd indeed...
"Don't worry, I have. Lots. Would you mind calling your supervisor?"
After much harrumphing it got done. I checked at each leg the bag was in the system and all was fine until SIN where I was joining BA15 (all on one QR-issued ticket). "Computer says no..." They located it in the system and did whatever they do to check it through to SYD but all most odd.
On Friday I'm doing the reverse routing but QF on the SIN-SYD leg. I have a 55min connection at OSL and was considering not checking a bag but might give it a go just to see if I can!
All very odd indeed...
Unfortunately it turns out she'd just entered the Osl-Doh leg flight number but had labelled it "SIN" so the luggage got stuck in Oslo. But QR service recovery got me 100SGD and both items delivered to my hotel the next day...far easier and cheaper than trying to get both in a taxi!
Maybe I'm the reason they may have decided interlining is more trouble than it's worth?
May 22, 2016, 4:17 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,226
Yes, I did check with QR in ARN and they confirmed that neither bag had been forwarded from LHR. At that point I knew things were going wrong but there was nothing I could do as I had already boarded the QR flight. I had checked in at Heathrow over 3 hours before BA flight departed but the most recent update I have from QR is that BA are not cooperating with their requests for information on lost baggage lending weight to LHR staff claim that interline agreement has been cancelled.
Weirdly there was a thread this morning about someone going (all BA) TXL-LHR-LAX on separate tickets and agent wouldn't check the bag through to LAX.
Could this have anything to do with FLY and agents just not knowing how to do it?
May 22, 2016, 7:24 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,194
I also heard the same thing from a lounge agent. The only exceptions being those in the transatlantic agreement (AA, Finnair and IB). Maybe it's worth a post on HFP just to see if it gets attention from BA.
May 22, 2016, 9:00 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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That said, interlining is indeed mostly bad for the last airline in an itinerary as they are the ones dealing with misconnects, which is expensive. They can of course try and charge back the first airline if the first airline was the obvious cause of the misconnect but such clear cut cases would be extremely rare and I doubt that airlines bother with the whole charge back game in practice.
As others have pointed out, if the policy is confirmed, it will clearly be a pain in the back.
May 22, 2016, 9:39 pm
#28
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Dubai
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 396
I posted this on the QR forum yesterday, no response there though.
I have a return LHR-DOH on BA, however the requirement for me to goto Dubai has come up the day before my DOH-LHR flight. It is a F ticket and was too expensive to change to fly back from DXB, therefore I have booked a seperate QR DOH-DWC return, leaving myself 3.5 hours connection in DOH.
My question is, has anyone had experience of conecting from QR to another Oneworld carrier in DOH on seperate tickets? I will have a checked bag and would really like to not have to pick it up in DOH (and go through immigration for that matter - although i am on a Dubai Shuttle fare). This is a Oneworld benefit, but I have read instances of QR not following this and making people pick their bags up and re-checkin, this information was from 2013 however, so don't know if they have changed their policies.
Obviously I will tell the check-in agent about my DOH-LHR ticket when I go to drop my bag in DWC.
I really hope they check my bag through, obviously will try and report back how it goes when it's the other way round QR - BA.
I have a return LHR-DOH on BA, however the requirement for me to goto Dubai has come up the day before my DOH-LHR flight. It is a F ticket and was too expensive to change to fly back from DXB, therefore I have booked a seperate QR DOH-DWC return, leaving myself 3.5 hours connection in DOH.
My question is, has anyone had experience of conecting from QR to another Oneworld carrier in DOH on seperate tickets? I will have a checked bag and would really like to not have to pick it up in DOH (and go through immigration for that matter - although i am on a Dubai Shuttle fare). This is a Oneworld benefit, but I have read instances of QR not following this and making people pick their bags up and re-checkin, this information was from 2013 however, so don't know if they have changed their policies.
Obviously I will tell the check-in agent about my DOH-LHR ticket when I go to drop my bag in DWC.
I really hope they check my bag through, obviously will try and report back how it goes when it's the other way round QR - BA.
May 22, 2016, 10:00 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: EBD, BAEC GGL/CCR, Alitalia AlataPlus, Club Carlson Gold, SPG Plat100, HHD
Posts: 654
Something for Twitter perhaps?
I find it difficult to believe on one level, but on another I don't think it makes much difference since if on separate tickets one would expect someone to book a fairly lengthy connection anyway, it's just a hassle factor, but at least reduces the risk of bags not being transferred over.
I find it difficult to believe on one level, but on another I don't think it makes much difference since if on separate tickets one would expect someone to book a fairly lengthy connection anyway, it's just a hassle factor, but at least reduces the risk of bags not being transferred over.
Making transit declarations in certain countries is very time consuming and difficult - may even require a broker.
May 22, 2016, 11:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,226
I posted this on the QR forum yesterday, no response there though.
I have a return LHR-DOH on BA, however the requirement for me to goto Dubai has come up the day before my DOH-LHR flight. It is a F ticket and was too expensive to change to fly back from DXB, therefore I have booked a seperate QR DOH-DWC return, leaving myself 3.5 hours connection in DOH.
My question is, has anyone had experience of conecting from QR to another Oneworld carrier in DOH on seperate tickets? I will have a checked bag and would really like to not have to pick it up in DOH (and go through immigration for that matter - although i am on a Dubai Shuttle fare). This is a Oneworld benefit, but I have read instances of QR not following this and making people pick their bags up and re-checkin, this information was from 2013 however, so don't know if they have changed their policies.
Obviously I will tell the check-in agent about my DOH-LHR ticket when I go to drop my bag in DWC.
I really hope they check my bag through, obviously will try and report back how it goes when it's the other way round QR - BA.
I have a return LHR-DOH on BA, however the requirement for me to goto Dubai has come up the day before my DOH-LHR flight. It is a F ticket and was too expensive to change to fly back from DXB, therefore I have booked a seperate QR DOH-DWC return, leaving myself 3.5 hours connection in DOH.
My question is, has anyone had experience of conecting from QR to another Oneworld carrier in DOH on seperate tickets? I will have a checked bag and would really like to not have to pick it up in DOH (and go through immigration for that matter - although i am on a Dubai Shuttle fare). This is a Oneworld benefit, but I have read instances of QR not following this and making people pick their bags up and re-checkin, this information was from 2013 however, so don't know if they have changed their policies.
Obviously I will tell the check-in agent about my DOH-LHR ticket when I go to drop my bag in DWC.
I really hope they check my bag through, obviously will try and report back how it goes when it's the other way round QR - BA.