Originally Posted by sdsearch
The three hours time is for ORIGINAL check-in, and assuming you are checking bags (which itself can chew up one or two hours at some airports at some times, including in the US!).
Assuming your bags are checked through (or not checked at all), it would thus not apply to connections.
On both trips -- Europe and Brazil -- they are independent connection trips. I may have to hoof it on the Brazil trip.
About a year ago, I went with the same people to Sydney and NZ. We (actually "I") booked award tickets to Sydney and NZ and then decided where we would go. In NZ because we had nine days there, we spent five days in Auckland and four days in Queenstown. I thought I was being smart in booking the Queenstown to Auckland flight on Qantas because, I ASSumed that QA would have checked our bags from AKL to LAX because that was on QA too. WRONG ANSWER. Not only did we have to checkin, but we (again "I") had to shlep all these bags from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. That was not an easy feat.
So you can see why I want to know what I'm dealing with before I leave.
ThAAnks.
David