Originally Posted by
SpinzCity
THANKS for posting this. It sounds like IATA is dead, as is the true spirit of "interlining".
For interlined tickets, DL will continue to check your bags through. MITA governs multilateral interline traffic arrangements. It defines liabilities and responsibilities. Separate tickets do not have MITA protection.
Airlines checked your bags through to the final destinantion even if you were flying the final leg with a different airline using a different ticket, which was not conjuncted, as a courtesy. As its use grew beyond occasional incidences, it was destined to die.
This is something people should remeber. Excessive use of a courtesy or privilege can kill it. Or when every on tries to avail of a courtesy, it turns into a chaos.
Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
I just looked at the SkyTeam website and noticed that, while they talk about through check in and issueing partner boarding passes, the only mention of checking bags is the statement about elites getting free bags. Curious. I wonder whether this represents a recent change as I would have expected interlining of bags to be mentioned with the alliance check in advantages.
This announcement does not preclude through check-in, with boarding passes and luggage all the way to the end of your trip, as long as you have conjuncted or interlined tickets.
The main issue with issuing the entire reservation on one ticket is usually price. Two tickets is often MUCH cheaper than one ticket on multiple carriers. They won't even allow downline luggage check for two tickets within the same PNR (i.e. where they see the downline connections).
How true.
Quite right. Conjuncting two separate tickets increases the price. When only a few people knew this, airlines went ahead and accepted your bags. Thanks to FT and other such sites, the practice of using separate tickets has become very common. If your tickets are under one PNR, they are either conjuncted or interlined. You don't have to worry.
If the airline checks your bags for segments on another airline, it's accepting liability without any protetction.
Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
There are places where DL and SkyTeam do not go, such as the Greek islands. Or places where it isn't sensible or convenient to take DL/SkyTeam, such as for travel to NZ from the USA, which seems to require taking KE through ICN, which is quite far out-of-the way. Other examples would include Katmandu from Asia, or South Ameica to Africa or Australia, where trying to use DL/SkyTeam would greatly exceed MPM and/or there is not published fare.
You can buy a conjuncted ticket from Delta. If the other airline is not a member of MITA, why should/would Delta assume the liability for your bags to a destination it does not serve?
Originally Posted by
javabytes
Think the key there is "second ticket is presented for travel on another airline. A strict reading would indicate that 2 DL tickets would be accommodated.
There is a glitch in DL system (limit on the number of segments )that, according to some agents, doesn't allow them to through check a bag on two different DL:-issued DL coded and DL operated itineraries on two tickets. I ran into that in 2010. DCA-ATL-LAX and LAX-XXX-YYY-ZZZ. I was told, they couldn't print luggage tags with 5 transfers. The irony is that when I pointed out that I have had my luggage tagged through even when I was travelling on two different airlines, they said, they could, if I the second ticket were on on another carrier.
. I attributed it to an uncooperative agent. With some coaxing during my layover, I was able to get an LAX agent to issue new baggage tags and re-route my luggage.
Originally Posted by
Often1
Wrong.
The DOT rules apply to all US carriers operating anywhere in the world and to any itinerary originating or terminating in the USA, no matter where the carrier is based. Perfectly legal.
As to the problem DL & US have found and UA & AA will get around to, the DOT rule speaks about an "itinerary" not a "ticket". If DL accepts a bag on a multi-ticket "itinerary" the DOT rule provides for no more than the initial segment's bag fee for the remainder of the itinerary. But, if there are multiple tickets, there's no way for downstream carriers to know what the segment was without ranting customers insisting that the downstream carrier call DL to confirm.
This is yet another example of "be careful what you wish for." Just like the tarmac delay rules, customers wound up getting short-changed, not helped.
Since this won't be confined to DL, this will become a PITA for all US-based/destined pax within a short period of time.
Another misconception. Some rules apply and some rules do not. In case of a dispute on the validity of a ticket, U.S. DoT will not intervene, unless the ticket was purchased in the U.S.
Originally Posted by
jackplum
Isn't this a DOT reg that DL must follow? If so, those who decide not to fly DL because of the rule will still be faced with it on any other US airline.
DoT regulation does not say that DL or any other airlines CANNOT choose to through check baggage on separate tickets, but that it doesn't have to. DoT regulation is that the airline cannot deny through check-in on a single interlined ticket or conjuncted tickets. The announcement is in compliance with DoT. The regulations actually address baggage fees that could be different on another carrier. For example, you travel in Business class with three free bags to a destination DL flies. At the other end, you have a ticket from another carrier on which your allowance is 20Kg, bcause you bought an economy class ticket. When DL issues your ticket, it has no idea that you have other plans of travelling on another airline. There is no way in the world, it can tell you in advance what your baggage fees would be. DL could face penalties for not having disclosed baggage fees, that it had no way of knowing would be imposed by another airline.
This is an unintended consequences of all the complaints people filed with DoT regarding baggage fee surprises, when the tried to check their bags with the subsequent airline on the second ticket.
Originally Posted by
Jaimito Cartero
This will affect almost every single trip I make. Yes, let's let DL and others make it as difficult to transit as possible. Will we be required to load our own luggage on the plane, too?
Last month, I flew in on a late night flight from TPE. If I would have to check in luggage with the new airline, it's highly likely I would miss my connecting flight. So I'd be out a hotel, as well as lots of wasted time.
All U.S. airlines are required, by our very own DoT, that oeople love to complain to for every little issue, even when brought upon themselves by their own stupidity, to disclose all baggage fees when the ticket is purchased. No airline has the ability to predict which other airline you might choose to fly and what its baggage fees would be. By checking in your luggage through, the airline is accepting the liability of transporting your luggage to a destination it does nt serve, with no other charges. While the other airline may charge who knows what.
Too much whining leads to unexpected consequences.
Originally Posted by
TRAVELSIG
I purchase many tickets that combine carriers which are not part of the same alliance etc- there are filed fares that can be booked- or call DL or get your travel agent to book it- the restriction may be on the delta.com website however there is not a restriction booking IATA filed fares.
Conjuncting or interlining usually increases fares. People still have a choice of saving on the total fare by buying two separate tickets. Baggage fees might be less than the increase it fare due to interlining or conjuncting.
Originally Posted by
Jaimito Cartero
Where does it state in the OP that this applies to Skyteam members for interlining on separate tickets?
I'll take a wager that it will affect FTers way more than 1/10th of 1%. We don't fly vanilla fares that often.
I think you don't understand what interlining is. Traveling from A to B via some intermediate stopping points using two separate tickets, is NOT interlining.
Interlining is the ability of two ofr airlines to issue a single ticket.
Originally Posted by
TRAVELSIG
Exactly.
It is very rare that a one ticket itinerary cannot be booked and also there is no problem to combine multiple carriers. The only issue is with LCC- although in the USA I don't think this is nearly the issue it can be in Europe where we have Ryanair, Easyjet, Windjet, Wizzair, etc etc etc.
Exactly again. Most airlines can and do book you any itinerary involving one or more airlines. But the fare will not necessarily be the same as two separate tickets. People have been using this to save money, but also complained about when the other airline would not accept the baggage allowance of the first airline.
Originally Posted by
Ascii
Are you saying Delta phone reps will book tickets with segments on other carriers for flights that aren't code-shared? What about non-ST airlines? if I give them the info, will they really book me a ticket with a segment on US?
Yes. They might refer you to the international desk, but it can be done.