Originally Posted by
seenitall
I don't understand the issue here. When you purchased the ticket (either from KE or UA), it had specified on it what your free baggage allowance is -- typically in terms of weight and/or size. If your bags were within the limit and you were charged extra, that's wrong and you are entitled to a refund. If they were not within the limit, then you owe the money -- regardless of whether KE might have ignored the limit when you first checked in.
Not with respect to the OP, but I am puzzled. People on FT seem to get very upset when they don't receive something from UA to which they may be entitled (e.g., PDB, appropriate placement on upgrade waitlist, etc.), but they also get upset when they don't receive something to which they are not entitled. They expect UA to stretch its rules to favor them, but not to stretch its rules to disfavor them.
The OP is not upset, did not rant, did not ask for a refund, nor did the OP state United sucks in any way whatsoever. He stated he understands rules are rules. He just said it looks weird from an optics perspective. Having no status on Korean Air and being able to check his bags for free. Then arriving in PVG and being charged $400 despite having some status with United.
The advice/point of the OP posting on this forum was to get some feedback, which he did. [MENTION=8598]jsloan[/MENTION] pointed out that the OP's bags could have possibly been interlined and the OP incorrectly charged by United. The OP will hopefully investigate this to see if this was the case. If anything, the OP treats this as a learning experience (PEK vs. PVG for transferring with checked bags) for when he books his next trip. He was not asking for a handout, just commenting on the 'optics' of the situation he experienced. He even said that United handed the situation very professionally!