docbert

Which is interesting, as it implies that you should be able to interline if that informational segment is there in advance. So, if a QF phone rep/TA/other airline can add it, then we might be good to go...

1K-SFO

I unfortunately got bit by this yesterday.

I have one UA ticket SFO-NRT and a second QF ticket (AA J award, FWIW) NRT-PER.

On the outbound, with a four-hour NRT connection, UA unquestioningly tagged my bag SFO-NRT-PER. On check-in at NRT, I gave the QF rep my UA bag tag numbers and all was well.

At PER, on the other hand... agent informed me no interline checking outside of Oneworld or if on separate PNRs. She said that if I'd been on AA out of NRT (even on different PNR) it would have been acceptable -- but not in my case with UA.

I had 8 hours at NRT anyway and had planned to check into a Hilton NRT day-room, so going to baggage claim first wasn't that big a deal, though I found the whole thing disappointing.

To QF's credit, my priority-tagged bags were two of the first four off the belt and there was *no* wait at baggage claim -- they popped right up.

But still: in an era of degenerating air travel, interlining always felt to me like a nod to the olden days and airlines working together. Not so much anymore.

Dave Noble

To be fair, they are not saying that they won't interline, but if you decide to try and save money with separate tickets on a non OW alliance carrier, then you have to take the drawbacks too; no more having your cake and eating it

Book tickets that allow end-on-end ticketing and book it as a through journey and you get the benefits that that gives including protection against delays and checked through luggage even on QF to UA

Dave

wandering_fred

While it is probably theoretically possible - combining an award ticket with a paid ticket on the same PNR is probably beyond the power of most airlines reservation systems. Someone please correct me.



Fred

Dave Noble

I would say that is going to be the case. Book a DL award from SYD-LAX and if wanting to fly QF from MEL to catch it and they will be 2 discrete bookings

If the award onwards is on OW, QF will still do it, but why would there be an expectation that they would do it for a flight on an airline such as DL ?

Guy Betsy

The check in agent cannot add an info segment to your booking.. only the reservations dept can. Check in agents cannot touch your reservation other than checking you in and seeing your e-ticket information.

DownUnderFlyer

Interesting thought. I wonder whether a TA could add this?

number_6

If the TA is the owner of the booking, then yes (until closer to flight time when the booking is locked by the airline). Not practical in practice.

thadocta

Theoretically possible - but the airline issuing the award ticket would have to do (and they would have to want to do it).

Dave

mattm199

I had great issues with QF today.
I had a connecting QF flight BNE-SYD, to BA SYD-LHR-CPH (F sale fare, booked by TA). The bookings were on different PNR's, but I didn't think there should be any problem through-checking as I have done before.
At BNE Domestic checking, the agent said they only could see the Domestic sector, and that new policy did not allow through-checking on different PNR's (I provided the BA booking details).
I debated the point with no success, and the bag was checked through to SYD domestic only.

When I got to the BNE J lounge, and asked the agent, he said they should have been able to through-check, but that as the bag was checked in could do nothing... He suggested trying to get the suitcase back through in SYD to get to the Transfer bus, which I though sounded unlikely.
(Sent heated email to Customer Care at this point asking that policy be clarified...)

At SYD, reclaimed bag, and eventually found a Customer Service rep at the back of bag drop (they seem hard to find in the new terminal layout), who suggested taking train to International terminal. When I insisted, he eventually walked off to talk to "supervisor" and came back with a Cabcharge for the transfer, muttering about how "Brisbane was making lots of trouble today"
I had to wait an hour for BA checkin to open in SYD, rather that having the bag go through, and being able to head Lounge-wards.
I wonder if I will get a useful response to my email, really just want them to make sure that policy if consistent, and that staff know what they are doing.
It really takes away one of the significant OneWorld benefits otherwise, and leaves no reason to stay loyal to QF and the Alliance.

number_6

You already have the answer to that: SYD staff told you that BNE made a mistake and should have interlined your bag (even some of the BNE agents knew that, just your bad luck to checkin with the wrong agent). QF gave you somewhat generous compensation (cabcharge for inter-terminal transfer, much nicer than the bus or train). Technically BA is responsible for the interlining of your bags, so you need to complain to BA that your F fare resulted in mishandled baggage. BA should offer some compensation (never mind that it is a QF problem, the wacky airline rules make it a BA problem). With a paid F fare, baggage problems are taken somewhat seriously and you'll get some compensation from it if you present your case well.

serfty

Oh well, it looks like another training opportinuty may arise in the future.

For now, I suggest all who intend to so something similar to mattm199, take a printed copy of the FAQ's:

Dave Noble

BA has no responsibility on whether Qantas elects to check bags from a QF booking to a QF booking

If QF had checked the bags through QF would have been responsible for the bags ( albeit that if they failed to arrive at destination that it would be handled by BA )

With 2 separate bookings it is definitely just down to policy and there is no entitlement to baggage checking so I can see zero chance that BA would compensate for it

number_6

I guess you don't know how interlining works. I don't personally agree with it, but legally BA has the responsibilty for any errors that QF makes (it would be more logical to be the other way around, but this is the way the airlines structured it). Technically the OP had a violation of BA's CoC and is entitled to compensation based upon that, fwiw. Whether that is worth pursuing is another matter. I wouldn't, but lets keep the facts and opinions separate.

Dave Noble

I do have an understanding. One of the reasons why BA ceased providing interline to other bookings was due to their responsibility for the onward baggage if they did check it through

BA's CoC make no provision for any benefit when checking in on a completely separate booking on another carrier. QF has a policy to check through to a OW carrier but there is no entitlement