Programs: AA EXP/JL/CX EMD, UA 1K/NH/SQ *G, VS S, DL PM, Marriott PLT/ICH AMB PLT/HH/AMex PLT/Hertz PC
Posts: 1,394
Whose fault is that, my gf, DL, or CZ?
My gf was flying DTW-PEK-CAN a couple of days ago, and she just encountered an awfully strange problem. Bag was checked all the way to CAN, but it was stopped at PEK and it did not follow through the CZ flight to CAN. I understand that if there's no interline agreement between the partners, then the connecting partners will not pick up the baggage, but seriously, CZ? I understand that you will have to re-check the baggage at PVG, but I highly doubt if you have to do it in PEK for SkyTeam connections. I haven't tried it yet, so I wasn't sure. Turned out CZ claimed it would take five to seven days to retrieve the package, but my gf was there for only two weeks, so it's ridiculously unacceptable.
So the question is:
Who's fault is that? My gf double checked with DL to make sure it's tagged all the way to CAN, so there should be no way she has to re-check the bag. My guess was CZ who did not do their job at all and blamed my gf for not re-checking the bag. My gf will pick up the bag in a couple of hours, but guess what, I just checked the DL tag tracking status again 10 min ago, and it's still showed it's in PEK.
Is CZ really that not up to standard? I am planning to file a complaint against DL/CZ on behalf of my gf traveling on a BE international itinerary.
My gf was flying DTW-PEK-CAN a couple of days ago, and she just encountered an awfully strange problem. Bag was checked all the way to CAN, but it was stopped at PEK and it did not follow through the CZ flight to CAN. I understand that if there's no interline agreement between the partners, then the connecting partners will not pick up the baggage, but seriously, CZ? I understand that you will have to re-check the baggage at PVG, but I highly doubt if you have to do it in PEK for SkyTeam connections. I haven't tried it yet, so I wasn't sure. Turned out CZ claimed it would take five to seven days to retrieve the package, but my gf was there for only two weeks, so it's ridiculously unacceptable.
So the question is:
Who's fault is that? My gf double checked with DL to make sure it's tagged all the way to CAN, so there should be no way she has to re-check the bag. My guess was CZ who did not do their job at all and blamed my gf for not re-checking the bag. My gf will pick up the bag in a couple of hours, but guess what, I just checked the DL tag tracking status again 10 min ago, and it's still showed it's in PEK.
Is CZ really that not up to standard? I am planning to file a complaint against DL/CZ on behalf of my gf traveling on a BE international itinerary.
Any inputs will be appreciated.
I rarely check bags, but if she cleared Chinese customs/immigration in PEK, as I would assume she would, then wouldn't she have had to pick up the bag to go through customs. And if she didn't, could that be why it didn't make it?
Programs: AA EXP/JL/CX EMD, UA 1K/NH/SQ *G, VS S, DL PM, Marriott PLT/ICH AMB PLT/HH/AMex PLT/Hertz PC
Posts: 1,394
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pharaoh
Wouldn't she have gone through immigration and customs in PEK? Thus necessitating bag recovery, running through customs and then recheck.
I ... highly doubt that. Here's the thing. I once I tried ALB-EWR-PEK-HKG, first two legs UA, while the last leg was CX codeshare operated by KA. Right, I didn't have bags, but I just had to go through the international connection and immigration, and because of that, I never saw the customs or had to recheck the bags at all. Could that be because PEK-CAN is considered domestic connection, and she kind of arrived at PEK, so it's similar to any country inbound to US via the immigration and customs before the domestic connection to CAN?
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,176
Exactly. For immigration and customs purposes, as well as for money, Hong Kong is treated like a separate country.
It's a bit like arriving in the USA. Even if the bag is checked through to your final destination, you must still walk it through customs before handing it back to the airline, even if it is already tagged to your final destination.
__________________
Check out the new External Miles and Points Resources forum.
Programs: AA EXP/JL/CX EMD, UA 1K/NH/SQ *G, VS S, DL PM, Marriott PLT/ICH AMB PLT/HH/AMex PLT/Hertz PC
Posts: 1,394
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Exactly. For immigration and customs purposes, as well as for money, Hong Kong is treated like a separate country.
It's a bit like arriving in the USA. Even if the bag is checked through to your final destination, you must still walk it through customs before handing it back to the airline, even if it is already tagged to your final destination.
However, here's the confusion.
Case of US:
Any country - US - Domestic (e.g. NRT-ORD-PHL), claim and re-check at ORD.
Any country - US - International (e.g. NRT-JFK-GIG), *still claim and re-check at JFK.
Case of PEK:
Any country - PEK - Domestic(e.g. AMS-PEK-CAN), claim and re-check at PEK. Any country - PEK - International, at least HKG, no claim or re-check.
I guess the last one was what confused my gf. I don't think the FAs in DL189 told her to re-check the bags at all either, so I think it's not entirely her fault.
This is also why I am bringing up the question to see whether it's CZ's fault because they are responsible for updating the information of where the bags go as well.
Any country - US - Domestic (e.g. NRT-ORD-PHL), claim and re-check at ORD.
Any country - US - Domestic (e.g. NRT-JFK-GIG), *still claim and re-check at JFK.
Case of PEK:
Any country - PEK - Domestic(e.g. AMS-PEK-CAN), claim and re-check at PEK. Any country - PEK - International, at least HKG, no claim or re-check.
I guess the last one was what confused my gf. I don't think the FAs in DL189 told her to re-check the bags at all either, so I think it's not entirely her fault.
This is also why I am bringing up the question to see whether it's CZ's fault because they are responsible for updating the information of where the bags go as well.
The problem with your example is most "transit" airports around the world have transit zones where passengers who are not entering the country can wait for their onward connection. They have not entered the transit country.
The US does not have such facilities that I know of, so if you transit ATL, you have to enter the US and hence pass through customs. This is not the case in most other countries.
Whoever told her not to get her bag in PEK was at fault. If no one said anything about getting her bag, then your girlfriend is at fault for not knowing the rules. And since you seem to be her adviser, you should shoulder the blame to so I recon it will cost you a few nice dinners!
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,176
Part of the reason the USA doesn't have separate transit zones in airports is that we don't segregate arriving and departing passengers the way many airports do. It's also not very common for someone to transit from one country to another via USA, perhaps because a visa would typically be required.
__________________
Check out the new External Miles and Points Resources forum.
Location: Pagus Bracbantensis, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Programs: DL (S)Plat, KLM Bump
Posts: 87
Tagging your luggage all the way through your final destination isn't the same as not having to re-checkking your lugagge at a first point of entry. Flying CZ, DL...doesn't make a difference. Guess your GF learned that the hard way.
It could be worse...you could be flying Delta or any US airline to the US.
Going through security...Answering same old questions during boarding Delta flight...
Waiting...answering same old questions during point of entry US.
Reclaim/recheck baggage and going through security again.
Boarding next Delta flight....
The US does not have such facilities that I know of, so if you transit ATL, you have to enter the US and hence pass through customs. This is not the case in most other countries.
The procedure for international to international connecting luggage in the US is confusing. Some airports support luggage transfer without customs, others don't. Sometimes it depends on the airline. But I think ATL is one of the few airports that does support international luggage transfers without collection and customs.
As for the OP, my experience is that luggage must be collected and rechecked at the point of entry into mainland China, just as in any country (such as the US) where domestic airports don't universally have customs. Cabin crew sometimes announce this on board, sometimes not.
