Originally Posted by
surram
I am about to purchase two separate tickets on UA (1) IAH-ORD-IAH and connect it with (2) ORD-DEL-BLR-DEL-ORD as the fare difference is over $350 per person and I have 3 people in my party (for travel in May thru July 2021). I am a UA Prem Platinum and wife and child are not. The international itinerary shows the checked baggage allowance on UA stock as 2 bags free for ORD-BLR but for the return BLR-ORD it only shows first bag free and second bag as $100.
I need an urgent response please. The return from BLR-DEL on AI is about 5 hours layover in DEL, whereas with UK it will be 3 hours (although UK is a bit more expensive than AI).
Questions:
1) Will AI or UK combine my two separate tickets and help get my bags checked all the way through IAH (I understand I will clear customs in ORD).
1a) Or do I have to retrieve in ORD and recheck in ORD. Will 2 hours enough in ORD? If the latter, then 2 hours may not be enough, right?
2) If I chose UK will I get only 1 checked bag as in the itinerary while with AI I can get 2 because of *G?
3) And I am assuming my wife and child do not get extra *G even though they are on the same PNR...right?
1. AI & UK can through check your bags to IAH.
1a) You will have to retrieve your bags in ORD and hand them over to the connecting baggage agents just outside the customs hall. Takes seconds to do.
2. Yes - status bags will not count towards your luggage allowance on your return leg. So if your outbound on UA allows 1pc@23 kgs (without status), you will get 1 pc@23 kgs on UK and 1 pc@23kgs + 1 pc for being *G on AI.
3. UA does give MP status holder's family members/dependents some benefits of traveling with them on the same reservation - like baggage allowance, seat selection, upgrades etc. But check with the UA website for that. It's fairly straight forward. Note you will not get anything more than the 1pc extra baggage for yourself on AI and no extra anything with UK.