US Airways to Qantas Transfer in LAX w/Checked Bags

I need some advice here. My wife-to-be and I are departing for Australia a week from tomorrow. We're flying ERI-PIT-LAX on US Airways in First, and then from LAX to SYD on Qantas in Business. My question is what to do with our checked bag.

My fiancée has her award booked with US miles--one ticket from ERI all the way to SYD. My ticket is booked with a combination of US and QF miles--one ticket from ERI to LAX and another from LAX to SYD. We need to check one bag. Who should check it?

On the one hand, if my fiancée checks the bag, then we need to rely on US Airways to successfully deliver the bag to Qantas in LAX at a different terminal. On the other hand, if I check the bag, then I can claim it in LAX and make sure that Qantas gets it. The drawback there is that if the bag doesn't make it to LAX on our flight, then it is likely stuck there, since they wouldn't know I was travelling onward to SYD on a seperate ticket.

So, what should we do? Trust US to get the bag to QF automatically? Or do it ourselves??

I would call US and see what they say. Typically, major airlines have interline baggage agreements with almost all other major carriers. If that is the case, you will simply have to show your continuing tickets on QF in order to have US Air check your bags all the way thru to SYD. Airlines typically are surprisingly good at doing this.

If you go to the US Airways website you will see that Quantas and US Airways have a marketing agreement of some sort.

Yes your bags will get transferred.

T

I've had thru-checked from PIT all the way to SYD (via LAX) with no problems.

I've done the same from DCA. Assuming your connect time in LAX isn't wickedly brief, I'd not worry.

Besides, it's nice to see "SYD" on your luggage with a Priority Tag (which in my case worked as my bag was the very first to roll down the chute in SYD).

I have checked my bags at PHL they even made it onto the Qantas flight. You can show your ticket and the agent in Pit can check them through under your name. Or if it makes you more comfortable you can check them under the single ticket and all will still be OK.
I do not think I would want to wait for bags at LAX they are not too quick. And then you have to take them down 2 or 3 terminals to Qantas (walking) so I would not like that.

Have your fiance check it in at the first airport and forget about it until Customs in OZ. The only airline Qantas can't get baggage from is Southwest (Qantas USA's website gives that info in the luggage section). The prority tags get your bags there everytime (even if you don't make a connection . The last thing you need to do is go to a baggage claim and haul that bag down to Terminal 4 (unless that flight is out of TBI which is *much* worse).

We do that all the time and there's never been a problem. Though when you land in OZ, be prepared for a pretty intense customs routine that you don't see in North America/Europe. On a bad day (a grand convergence offour 747's landing in BNE at the same time) it's taken me more than 2 hours to get the bags (the hold is 'bug bombed' before the luggage removed) and go through immigration/customs.

OZ and NZ are very strict and run your bags through scanners looking for biological material and the food/drug sniffing dogs will make their rounds while you wait for the bags. I'm still feeling burned for Quarantine Australia emptying out the buckwheat hulls from my bucky neck pillow and handing me back the empty cover saying "At least you'll have the most important part!".

Hope you have a great trip!