Riverrat

I am trying ti find out what checked luggage rules apply to Star Alliance mileage ticket.

I will be using UA miles to get a ticket for Asia and I want to find out the checked baggage allowance in the following scenario.

1) What will be the free checked baggage allowance if the entire trip is flown on an airline that has a 2 piece free policy.

2) what will be the free checked baggage allowance if the trip starts with an airline that has a 2 piece policy and then connect with an UA flight which has a 1 piece allowance.

Thanks!

dvs7310

If starting in the US then it goes by DOT rules, so baggage rules of the first marketing carrier in most cases. That's supposed to apply for the entire trip as well, not just the outbound leg.

Just as an FYI, if the trip is entirely outside of the US then it typically goes by the baggage rules of the MSC which may be different than the originating carrier.

THEsocalledfan

Did not want to start a new thread, and hoping someone can help me out.

As a Delta Diamond, I don't fly United much, so don't know the rules. I got a status match to TK Miles and Smiles Gold. I am flying my entire family to Hawaii in November using Singapore miles on United. We are all on the same reservation.

So, can I get a free checked bag for just me, or the entire family? Do I just show my TK card at the airport?

vbroucek

It is you card, not family card. So it will get you to the lounge, not your family and will give you free bag, but not each member of your family.

dvs7310

To add to what vbroucek said: For lounge, a non-UA *G card allows yourself plus 1 guest (it's not just you and you alone as vbroucek eluded). I don't know how young your family members are, but there are creative ways to skirt this to a point. Lounges in the US typically don't allow under 21 yrs old unaccompanied though so if by family you mean young kids then you'll either have to forgo the lounge or buy day passes for excess members ($50 each at retail), if everyone is an adult then you could try some lounge hopping techniques to get everyone in, though not together.

As for luggage, my gut feeling is that you're going to get a total of 1 free bag unless you're originating from certain international points. Having said that, in the past UA allowed passengers on the same PNR to inherit your luggage allowance, I'm assuming that was only for UA Premier members, not for *G but I never tested it with non-UA status. I take no one else could qualify for a status match?

THEsocalledfan

No, and thank you for the detailed response. A big reason I am asking is I have an Amex Gold card that just got that new $100 benefit. I had planned on banking a couple $50 Delta gift cards with that, but now I think I may pick united as my airline and use it to pay my baggage fees.

Duke787

Debating the merits of an award (UA or potentially Avianca).

The award in question would be BRU - WAW - ATH - JTR with BRU - WAW on LOT and the rest on A3 (all the same day - no overnight so bag would be checked at BRU all the way to JTR).

LOT does not charge a bag fee for the 1st checked bag but A3 does. Since LOT is the first carrier, would the bag be checked to JTR by them with no bag fee applied since they don't charge one?

The other option is to buy two separate tickets. One BRU - WAW (on LOT) and the 2nd on A3 for WAW - ATH - JTR (A3 the whole way doesn't work on the day in question because it requires an overnight in ATH). If purchased as 2 separate tickets, I assume they would interline because both *A but same question remains whether LOT would check it the whole way to JTR and not charge a fee or if A3 would collect something at WAW for the latter flights.