DiverDave

So, Sunday I'm checking in at HSV for my flights to FAI. No Delta service into FAI this time of year, so the last leg is on AS.

Oddly enough, I am not offered any option to check more than two bags. This is both at on-line check-in, and at the kiosk. It seems odd, but maybe there are weight and balance issues on the CRJ to MEM. I'm only checking one bag, so it's no big deal, but it seems odd.

So I decide to e-mail Delta about this. The first response is of course the usual type where the CSR spent two seconds looking at my questions and picked a canned answer that did not address my question.

So I tried again. And I got this:

Because your flight from Seattle to Fairbanks was on our code share
operated by Alaska Airlines, the most restricted baggage allowance
applies. Alaska Airlines baggage allowances for Delta Medallions and
First Class is two bags free of charge weight 50 lbs or less. This is
why you were not offered three bags at no charge.

We are uncertain though as to why the kiosk and delta.com did not give
you the option to select more than two bags (even for paid bags). We
have forward your ticket to the appropriate desk for further review.
The kiosk and delta.com recognizes additional baggage fees for Delta,
not for our partner airlines. Alaska Airlines charges $20 for 3rd bag,
$50 for 4th+ bags when flying in the first. We are reviewing if the
reason the option was not available to you is because the kiosk and
delta.com does not have this information. Therefore, additional baggage
allowance collection can only be done at the ticket counter.

I thought that the standard at check-in has been that fees are collected according to the policies of the originating carrier. So in the past I've had 3 free 70 pound bags going to Alaska, and 2 free 50 pound bags coming back when the flight out of FAI is on AS.

Maybe this policy is only with AS, maybe it is going to become more widespread. I can see checking in for HSV-XXX-LAX-SBA and not getting any free bags, because LAX-SBA is on AAnother AAirline.

And of course would the fee be forwarded to AS or that other AAirline, or would it go straight to Delta's bottom line. Do I even need to ask.

Maybe this has always been the policy, and now the technology is in place to collect the fees. If somebody knows, I'd appreciate the update.

I e-mailed back and asked for confirmation and clarification, as well as a link to where this is disclosed.

David

3Cforme

The '3rd bag' benefit is limited to DL + DL Connection-operated flights.

http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...cked/index.jsp

Tide_from_PAE

I recently called AS to see if I would be charged for checking bags on DL that were over the free allowance for elites on my connecting AS flight and the agent confirmed that DL rules would apply. I haven't checked 50-70lb bags on such an itinerary before, but did pay the AS baggage fees when connecting from AS to DL as a non-elite. It my limited experience with baggage interlining, it seems to be more of a professional courtesy to accept any baggage transferred over from another airline, even if the airline accepting the airline accepting the baggage would normally charge the customer. For example, a Medallion connecting to UA from DL would not be charged for checking 2 bags weighing less than 70 lbs each since DL would be operating the first flight segment.