Originally Posted by
Calchas
That is not the IATA rule.
The current rule in effect (for journeys not starting or ending in the US) is IATA Resolution 302.
The baggage allowance is determined by the most significant carrier ("MSC") separately on each baggage-journey (from bag drop to bag delivery).
The most significant carrier is the first carrier to cross an IATA tariff area; or if the journey is wholly within one IATA area, the first to cross an IATA sub-area; or if the journey is within one sub area, it is the carrier that first cross an international border.
Presumably if the journey is wholly domestic it is the first carrier.
The MSC's baggage allowances apply for the baggage journey, but need not be consistent on the next journey.
If the itinerary includes travel beginning or ending in the US, the IATA rule is preempted by a
DoT regulation.
However, in practise most airlines now do seem to apply the most generous provisions through the entire ticket. Any travel agent or airline phone/ticketing desk representative will be able to see the baggage allowance accruing on the PNR before the ticket is issued.
but that's a separate rule - the most significant carrier rule regulates which allowance is used in the context of multi-carrier itinerary. As I mentioned above, the purpose of this is to avoid people "tagging" a small premium class segment to a longer Y itinerary just to boost the luggage allowance. This is irrelevant here as the OP's itinerary is wholly AF-KL which have the exact same luggage allowance (by design) on long haul itineraries. The most generous allowance really is an old IATA rule which was already in place when I was a kid, which is a long time ago!
