yonatan

If I get two separate tickets, one on US BOS-PHL-(somewhere in Europe) and on on LY from Europe to TLV, will USAir be able & willing to check the bags through all the way from BOS to TLV?

Yonatan

AZ Travels the World

(For the others like me who don't know the LY airline code off the top of your head, it's for El Al.)

As El Al is not a Star Alliance partner or otherwise a partner with US, I think it's doubtful that you'll get an agent to check your bags through on either end.

If, however, you buy a single through ticket, via an agency, your chances are much better. With two separate tickets, though, I think it is highly unlikely.

Jeff_in_phoenix

Many airlines have interline baggage agreements with other airlines. If an airline is a member of the star alliance, there is a good chance that US has an interline agreement with them. Show the US Airways agent the itinerary from the other airline upon checkin. They will attempt to enter it into the computer. You will then need to present the baggage tags to the other airline when you check in so that they can enter the bags on your record in their system.

I don't fly Intl through Boston but interlining through LAX saves a lot of time and hassle. Hopefully US and LY have an agreement.

Although the airlines have an agreement, it is still up to the ticket agent to know how to check the bags through. US agents in Phoenix are usually able to interline my bags to MNL on OZ but I have never gotten the OZ agents in MNL to do the opposite. It is not as critical coming back to the US because you have to retrieve the luggage for customs anyway.

sefrischling

My experience as been you must be traveling on one ticket, regardless of airline alliance, to have thru baggage.

I recently flew PVD - LHR on UA. I connected to BMI for an LHR - CDG flight. My bags could not be thru checked because I was traveling on two tickets not one. I figured it should not be a problem because both carriers are *A, but I guess I was wrong.

On another flight I flew HVN-PHL on US and PHL-ATL on DL, purchased on one ticket and my bag was thur checked without a problem.

Jeff_in_phoenix

You definitely do not have to be on the same ticket. I have had bags checked though on Asiana and Thai Airlines both. The US Ticket agent has to know how to do it but it appears reletively easy. The only problems I have had was when I take a flight out of LAX at 0030. Because it is the next day the agent had to "fool the computer" whatever that means. My bags have always arrived without a problem.

HomeToPit

Watch out if you have a connection with Southwest airlines. They DO NOT interline luggage.

I found this out the hard way a few years ago. Travelling OAK-LAX-PIT with the first flight being on Southwest and the LAX-PIT being a USAir redeye. When checking in at OAK, I asked them to check my bag all the way to PIT and they simply told me that they don't do that. I had to admit that was a first for me and what I had to do when we landed in LAX was to claim my bag and recheck it at the USAir counter.

This was post 9-11 and it was one of those horrible days where security stretched to the curb. I did make it to the USAir flight...they literally closed the door behind me.

And I've kept my promise to myself never to fly Southwest again.

kinglobjaw

I've flown US NZ connections twice and never had any problems. Both times it was seperate tickets from US and seperate from NZ. Once was ORD-DCA-PHL-LAX-CHC-SYD and they checked them all the way thru to SYD at ORD, and the other time was ORD-PIT-PHL-LAX-PPT and they checked them all the way thru to Papeete.

awaflyboy

You don't need to be on one ticket, but you do need to provide proof of passage, like a printed itinerary or acutal paper ticket. The agent can then add a bagtag segement into your reservation and then check the bag. Keep in mind you need to let them know as not all the time do travel agents put all segements into all carriers PNRs

Tritgr

I have also had bags checked through on many occasions, and have gotten the same comment that Jeff did about "fooling the computer."

My only caveat is that US does such a bad job of baggage handling that your bags may not make it onto your plane. This just happened to me at the end of December when, with nearly 2 hours between flights, mine didn't make it in LA to a China Airlines flight.

So be prepared with enough clothes in your carryon to make it through a day or two until the bags catch up with you.

USAflyer

You may also have an additional issue with through checking to El Al. They may not accept through checked bags as readilly as other legacy carriers.