Originally Posted by
3Cforme
U.S. DOT rules declare that the first segment marketing carrier's allowance applies to your entire trip, at least when one has a U.S. origin, destination, or stopover.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The US has only specified, in order 2009-9-20, that whatever the airlines apply (i.e. the MSC concept) applies to the entire journey, i.e. both outbound and inbound, and that the marketing carrier, not the operating carrier's, rules apply.
IATA Resolution 302, "Baggage Provisions Selection Criteria", applies to
all tickets issued on or after 1 April 2011, and introduces the concept of the "Most Significant Carrier" (MSC) of the journey, indicating that
generally the allowances and fees of the MSC apply to the entire journey (and, under a U.S. exception (US DOT Order 2009-9-20 <05Oct09>), the entire ticket,
even if roundtrip and/or with stopovers).
The resolution is as follows:
unless otherwise agreed the following baggage provisions selection process should apply for interline journeys
1) Baggage provisions are defined as free baggage allowance rules and baggage charges
2) For the purposes of baggage provisions selection, the following 4 step process should
apply for interline journeys:
... a) Step 1: If the published baggage provisions among all participating carriers are the same; these provisions will apply.
... b) Step 2: Where the one or more published baggage provisions differ between participating carriers, apply any common provisions are where provisions differ the published baggage provisions of the Most Significant Carrier (MSC). (In case of code share flights this will be the Operating Carrier, unless that carrier publishes a rule stipulating that it will be the Marketing Carrier). [However, under US DOT Order 2009-9-20 <05Oct09>, in the case of code-share flights that include a point in the United States, the Most Significant Carrier (MSC) shall be the Marketing Carrier.]
... c) Step 3: If the MSC does not publish baggage provisions for the journey concerned apply the published baggage provisions of the carrier accepting the baggage at check-in.
... d) Step 4: If the carrier accepting the baggage at check-in does not publish baggage provisions for the interline journey concerned apply the published baggage provisions of each operating airline sector-by-sector.
MOST SIGNIFICAN CARRIER (MSC)
3) the MSC is.
... a) For travel between two or more IATA areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one area to another.
Exception: IATA area 123 only, the carrier providing carriage on the first sector that crosses between IATA area 1 and IATA area 2.
... b) For travel between IATA Tariff sub-areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one sub-area to another.
... c) For travel within a IATA Tariff sub-areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first international sector.
As a reminder, IATA defines the world into 3 areas (IATA area 1/2/3), and each area has sub-areas.
Western Hemisphere:
IATA Tariff Area 1
North America/South America/Hawaii etc.
The “IATA Tariff sub-areas” of “IATA Area 1” are:
- North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)
- Caribbean Islands
- Central America
- South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru etc.)
Eastern Hemisphere:
IATA Tariff Area 2
Europe/Middle East etc.
The “IATA Tariff sub-areas” of “IATA Area 2” are:
- Europe
- Middle East
- Africa
IATA Tariff Area 3
Japan/Korea/Thai/Singapore/Philippines/India/Guam etc.
The “IATA Tariff sub-areas” of “IATA Area 3” are:
- Japan/Korea (Japan and Korea)
- South East Asia (China, Singapore, Thai, Vietnam, Guam etc.)
- South India (India etc.)
- South East Pacific (Australia, New Zealand etc.)
Sources:
Incidentally, your ticket will now have a "bag" indicator. If whomever supplied it to you did not tell you what's in it, then inquire with them. Whatever is on that field is what automation (or the person at check-in) will apply to your trip; the rules above will allow you to check if it was set correctly.