One day mileage run - risk to take checked baggage?
May 22, 2016, 6:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: CPH, HAJ, MUC
Programs: A3*G, BAEC Gold, M&M FTL
Posts: 7
One day mileage run - risk to take checked baggage?
Hi everyone,
I have read a lot on here already and finally I have registered. Please apologise if this question should have been posted elsewhere and let me know.
I have booked a mileage run on A3 in June with the following flights (all on one day):
A3 499 CPH-HER 9.50am-2.10pm (local times) in Y
A3 315 HER-ATH 3.25pm-4.15pm in Y
A3 126 ATH-SKG 7.00pm-7.55pm in C (used coupon)
A3 514 SKG-HAJ 11.20pm-1.10am in C (used coupon)
Given the number of connections and the lack of personal experience about the greek baggage handling especially in HER, would you say I could risk to take a checked bag (or 2
) with me or will it get lost on that itinerary almost for sure?
I have read a lot on here already and finally I have registered. Please apologise if this question should have been posted elsewhere and let me know.
I have booked a mileage run on A3 in June with the following flights (all on one day):
A3 499 CPH-HER 9.50am-2.10pm (local times) in Y
A3 315 HER-ATH 3.25pm-4.15pm in Y
A3 126 ATH-SKG 7.00pm-7.55pm in C (used coupon)
A3 514 SKG-HAJ 11.20pm-1.10am in C (used coupon)
Given the number of connections and the lack of personal experience about the greek baggage handling especially in HER, would you say I could risk to take a checked bag (or 2
) with me or will it get lost on that itinerary almost for sure?
May 22, 2016, 8:01 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
#1 rule of mileage run, do not check a bag regardless of carrier or connections. Why do you need to check bags in the first place its not like you will need anything that requires checking.
*edit* Then again this doesnt look like a mileage run to me. A MR does not involve leaving the airport. The more connections you have the more chances of your bag not making it.
*edit* Then again this doesnt look like a mileage run to me. A MR does not involve leaving the airport. The more connections you have the more chances of your bag not making it.
May 22, 2016, 8:27 am
#3
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,480
tysk.viking, welcome to FT and the A3 forum. I hope we'll see more of you now you've taken the plunge and joined us.
I assume you're staying in HAJ at the end of these flights, hence the need for checked luggage. I'm also making the leap that this is a single ticketed itinerary which you'll be entitled to through check on.
Now, I'm not an expert on how efficient the luggage system is at HER specifically, but there is nothing to suggest A3 and their handling agents are significant better or worse than any other airlines.
You have a decent amount of time between flights, so is everything runs to time then you shouldn't have any issues. The problem, as always, will come if flights are delayed and connection times cut as a result. The more sectors in the booking, the greater of chance of something conspiring against you.
That said, even if it does all you can do is put your details into the system, buy the necessary essentials, and wait for your luggage to be reunited with you whilst you get on with your life. Worst things could happen!
I assume you're staying in HAJ at the end of these flights, hence the need for checked luggage. I'm also making the leap that this is a single ticketed itinerary which you'll be entitled to through check on.
Now, I'm not an expert on how efficient the luggage system is at HER specifically, but there is nothing to suggest A3 and their handling agents are significant better or worse than any other airlines.
You have a decent amount of time between flights, so is everything runs to time then you shouldn't have any issues. The problem, as always, will come if flights are delayed and connection times cut as a result. The more sectors in the booking, the greater of chance of something conspiring against you.
That said, even if it does all you can do is put your details into the system, buy the necessary essentials, and wait for your luggage to be reunited with you whilst you get on with your life. Worst things could happen!
May 22, 2016, 9:14 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: CPH, HAJ, MUC
Programs: A3*G, BAEC Gold, M&M FTL
Posts: 7
Thanks very much for your warm welcome and I will certainly try to contribute where I can from now on. 
Yeah, maybe the term mileage run is a bit misleading, but for me a MR has always been a somewhat crazy trip with limited sense just for the sake of fulfilling some (re-)qualification criteria/earning extra points.
On my way I am not planning on leaving the airport (in Greece) but you could argue that it is more or less an open jaw which may not be typical for a MR and of course I will leave the airport in HAJ, which is exactly the reason why I was considering to check a bag or two, right, NWIFlyer.
You are also right that the whole trip is on one ticket, so checking through should be possible. I just wasn't sure if roughly an hour in HER may be sufficient or if that already screams "Your bag won't even make it to ATH with you, no matter what". For the following connections I would guess time will be more than enough, even tough time is of course not the only factor for losing bags on the way.
Yeah, maybe the term mileage run is a bit misleading, but for me a MR has always been a somewhat crazy trip with limited sense just for the sake of fulfilling some (re-)qualification criteria/earning extra points.
On my way I am not planning on leaving the airport (in Greece) but you could argue that it is more or less an open jaw which may not be typical for a MR and of course I will leave the airport in HAJ, which is exactly the reason why I was considering to check a bag or two, right, NWIFlyer.
You are also right that the whole trip is on one ticket, so checking through should be possible. I just wasn't sure if roughly an hour in HER may be sufficient or if that already screams "Your bag won't even make it to ATH with you, no matter what". For the following connections I would guess time will be more than enough, even tough time is of course not the only factor for losing bags on the way.
May 22, 2016, 9:35 am
#5
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,480
If you have a single ticket, all your connections will be legal - which means that not only would you be expected to make the next flight, but your checked bags would as well. In practice as well, I'd be astonished - given the size of the airport at HER - if 1h15 isn't ample for luggage to be transferred.
Me, I'd be more concerned about falling asleep in a lounge and missing my next flight on that itinerary than anything else!.
Me, I'd be more concerned about falling asleep in a lounge and missing my next flight on that itinerary than anything else!
.
May 22, 2016, 10:16 am
#7
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,480
May 22, 2016, 2:39 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: CPH, HAJ, MUC
Programs: A3*G, BAEC Gold, M&M FTL
Posts: 7
Thanks, that sounds like one can be quite confident about taking baggage on that trip.
Haha, yeah, it's going to be a tough day, I suppose. "Luckily" I will likely be a bit jet-lagged that week, so staying up (and enjoying the C flight to HAJ) shouldn't be such a challenge, I am more concerned about making it to the first flight, to be honest, but I bet a lot of alarms will do.
Again you are right, NWIFlyer, the Aegean hotline told me the CPH-HER service is Y-only when I requested upgrades for all the sectors. The one to HAJ cleared immediately (early May). On Friday they called me to confirm that my request for ATH-SKG could also be met if I still wished so (great service btw!!) and now I am waiting for HER-ATH to clear. Except for the flight to HAJ I just requested the Ups on a "use or lose"-basis, since I will most likely not fly another 2 sectors on A3 before the end of November anyway. I don't really expect it to make a huge difference.
Haha, yeah, it's going to be a tough day, I suppose. "Luckily" I will likely be a bit jet-lagged that week, so staying up (and enjoying the C flight to HAJ) shouldn't be such a challenge, I am more concerned about making it to the first flight, to be honest, but I bet a lot of alarms will do.
Again you are right, NWIFlyer, the Aegean hotline told me the CPH-HER service is Y-only when I requested upgrades for all the sectors. The one to HAJ cleared immediately (early May). On Friday they called me to confirm that my request for ATH-SKG could also be met if I still wished so (great service btw!!) and now I am waiting for HER-ATH to clear. Except for the flight to HAJ I just requested the Ups on a "use or lose"-basis, since I will most likely not fly another 2 sectors on A3 before the end of November anyway. I don't really expect it to make a huge difference.
Last edited by tysk.viking; May 22, 2016 at 4:57 pm
May 23, 2016, 2:54 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,567
Sorry for being late, but I'm on a small remote island in the Ionian Sea (no planes!) and I managed one hour ago to get a working connection...
Getting your luggage at HER usually takes a little longer than Athens, especially when there are many planes that have arrived at about the same time. Two things that you should do in case that your incoming flight is late : a) Unless you manage to check your luggage through at CPH (doubtful) try to get a red *A priority tag, which will make your bag be among the first ones to get there. b) If you see that there are too many people waiting, go to the A3 baggage desk (left of the exit door) and tell the agent there what you are about to do. She might call her colleagues and have them "wait" for you at the CI desk.
Getting your luggage at HER usually takes a little longer than Athens, especially when there are many planes that have arrived at about the same time. Two things that you should do in case that your incoming flight is late : a) Unless you manage to check your luggage through at CPH (doubtful) try to get a red *A priority tag, which will make your bag be among the first ones to get there. b) If you see that there are too many people waiting, go to the A3 baggage desk (left of the exit door) and tell the agent there what you are about to do. She might call her colleagues and have them "wait" for you at the CI desk.
Jun 11, 2016, 4:59 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: CPH, HAJ, MUC
Programs: A3*G, BAEC Gold, M&M FTL
Posts: 7
Thank you all very much for your kind replies, after an exciting day I wanted to report back to you.
I ended up with taking the risk... and got rewarded! Originally I planned to try checking the bag trough to Athens only, but at CPH the agent offered to check it through all the way to HAJ.
When I mentioned my concerns, he said it shouldn't be a problem and if I was worried I should just ask at the gate if they can see the status of my bag (is that technically even possible?). I still wasn't sure, but in the mean time he printed my bag tag(s) for HAJ, which were two due to the lack of space for four flights on one, so I followed his decision, even though he of course offered to print a new one in case I preferred to check-in at ATH again. So both options were absolutely possible and of course I got a priority tag as well as some (short?) transfer tag. I followed his advice in ATH only and asked at the gate. The agent didn't seem to understand my concern and told me everything would be fine without checking at first, then she asked to see my boarding pass. I am very sure she only pretended to check her system since she only typed very few letters (3-6max) and the booking code is not even shown on the passbook BP.
Nonetheless, in the end she was still right, although my bag lost all the tags but the one for HAJ (incl. the priority) it miraculously appeared on the belt. I suppose it was one of the last, but I couldn't care less.
I am seriously impressed, considering that bags in northern/western Europe keep getting lost on much easier itineraries, I was well prepared to receive it after quite some time or even never again.
As a general comment, let me add that I was generally surprised positively by Aegean and the greek airports. Except for some minor delays that were handled extremely professionally (frequent status announcements, apologies), this trip showed how smooth, high-quality, service-oriented, professional and friendly traveling nowadays can still be.
OK, I was quite happy to have only about one hour connection time in HER, that airport looked exactly the same as I remember it from 18 years ago - it could really use some make-over, but the overall experience was simply excellent.
So the only thing I would do differently next time is certainly to allow more time at each stop and make a real vacation out of the trip to enjoy all the wonderful things and places Greece has to offer, which I was finally reminded of impressively by this trip.
Luckily I haven't used all my coupons for the trip, if time allows I can very well see myself on some Aegean flight and a short vacation in Greece before November again - even if I wouldn't accrue a single mile for that or the upgrades wouldn't clear again.
If you are interested in any more details of the trip, please let me know, I will be happy to share.
I ended up with taking the risk... and got rewarded! Originally I planned to try checking the bag trough to Athens only, but at CPH the agent offered to check it through all the way to HAJ.
When I mentioned my concerns, he said it shouldn't be a problem and if I was worried I should just ask at the gate if they can see the status of my bag (is that technically even possible?). I still wasn't sure, but in the mean time he printed my bag tag(s) for HAJ, which were two due to the lack of space for four flights on one, so I followed his decision, even though he of course offered to print a new one in case I preferred to check-in at ATH again. So both options were absolutely possible and of course I got a priority tag as well as some (short?) transfer tag. I followed his advice in ATH only and asked at the gate. The agent didn't seem to understand my concern and told me everything would be fine without checking at first, then she asked to see my boarding pass. I am very sure she only pretended to check her system since she only typed very few letters (3-6max) and the booking code is not even shown on the passbook BP.
Nonetheless, in the end she was still right, although my bag lost all the tags but the one for HAJ (incl. the priority) it miraculously appeared on the belt. I suppose it was one of the last, but I couldn't care less.
I am seriously impressed, considering that bags in northern/western Europe keep getting lost on much easier itineraries, I was well prepared to receive it after quite some time or even never again.
As a general comment, let me add that I was generally surprised positively by Aegean and the greek airports. Except for some minor delays that were handled extremely professionally (frequent status announcements, apologies), this trip showed how smooth, high-quality, service-oriented, professional and friendly traveling nowadays can still be.
OK, I was quite happy to have only about one hour connection time in HER, that airport looked exactly the same as I remember it from 18 years ago - it could really use some make-over, but the overall experience was simply excellent.
So the only thing I would do differently next time is certainly to allow more time at each stop and make a real vacation out of the trip to enjoy all the wonderful things and places Greece has to offer, which I was finally reminded of impressively by this trip.
Luckily I haven't used all my coupons for the trip, if time allows I can very well see myself on some Aegean flight and a short vacation in Greece before November again - even if I wouldn't accrue a single mile for that or the upgrades wouldn't clear again.
If you are interested in any more details of the trip, please let me know, I will be happy to share.