Originally Posted by
epiding
hmmm, thanks for the note about making sure not to skip BOS-IAD. I'll have my travel agent try to book IAD-DXB directly without the BOS-IAD leg.
now the question is - even though i'll be booked BRU-IAD-BOS and IAD-DXB, can I ask Brussels agent to check my bag BRU-IAD-DXB then?
The short answer is yes you can ask the BRU agent to check your bag as BRU-IAD-DXB but you really don't want to. Let me explain why...
First, you should have your travel agent split your current IAD-BOS-DXB ticket into two tickets. So you will end up with the following three PNRs:
1. BRU-IAD-BOS
2. BOS-IAD
3. IAD-DXB
At BRU you will want to have the agent check your bag for all the flights across the three PNRs.
Even though your bags will be tagged for all the flights, when you land at IAD from BRU you will have to pickup your bags off the belts in the int'l arrivals area in order to clear customs. After that you just drop them on a belt about 10 yards past the customs agent and off they go to your next flight since they are already checked/tagged. There is no way around this, but it actually works to your advantage...
When you are waiting for your bags at IAD you will be able to determine if you are going to continue on to BOS or skip those legs and just wait to take the IAD-DXB flight.
If you do decide to go to BOS then your bags will already be checked/tagged appropriately so you will take them thru customs, drop them on the belt, and away you go.
But if you decide to skip the BOS legs there is a United customer service desk in the int'l arrivals baggage area, so you can have them change the routing of your bags to eliminate the BOS legs and just go IAD-DXB. They will re-tag them and then after you clear customs you drop them on the belt and they will be set for IAD-DXB.
As a side note, I am continually amazed at how well trained agents in random stations are about knowing how to check bags across PNRs, so assuming you get someone halfway competent in BRU you should be fine. I have had success with scenarios far more complex than yours with agents in places like Minot, ND and non-UA outsourced agents in DXB.
And worst case, if the BRU agent is incompetent than just have them check your bags thru to BOS on the ticket #1 (BRU-IAD-BOS) and when you pick them up at IAD you can go the cust serv desk I mentioned above and they can take care of checking/tagging them for tickets 2 and 3.
Hope that helps!