Originally Posted by
chil
Because it will be up-to a BA gate agent in Buenos-Aires to decide whether to deny boarding for a passenger or not. BTW, I called LATAM (for a different reason) and asked them about it -- they say they don't care about anything but the valid passport when checking in for a LA-BA itinerary with a connection in Argentina
It's silly to overpay for a completely identical level of service, isn't it?
It is not an identical level of service
Firstly, if you book a through ticket, then there will be no issues with collecting bags enroute ; they will be checked through to the final destination
Secondly, if you miss the flight from London ( such as due to delay with flight to London ), the airline will rebook you onwards; with 2 tickets, you may find that the change fees and fare difference should you misconnect are much higher than the savings
Thridly, your destination from Santiago will be London and you may well be unable to board the flight to London unless you have any necessary visas to allow entry into the UK ; since your colleague does not have the required documentation for travel to London, he may well be denied travel
You chose to book separate tickets and that is fine, but you need to plan accordingly based on the benefits lost by doing so