wmz

Hi,

I'm a UA 1K (*A Gold) planning to fly from MXP-ATH (A3) and then ATH-JTR (OA) (separate tickets) with 5 other companions (all non-status). Would my companions get any of the same benefits (checked bag, priority security) if I booked us on the same PNR?

It seems that A3 and OA have carry-on weight limits of 8kg, which all of us are guaranteed to exceed with our carry-ons (that fit perfectly well in A320 bins). I'd like to avoid having to pay bag fees if we can. On the ticket purchase page, it seems like I would be the only one getting a free bag. Would agents recognzie this as an "unofficial" benefit and give us the allowance?

Thanks.

NWIFlyer

OA is not even a Star airline, so technically you don’t get any status benefits. When OA was first set up to operate domestic flights this was applied pretty rigidly, although more recent reports suggest that some things are being relaxed.

Trying it with four non-status companions though? I’d have thought well beyond unlikely.

However, it is extremely rare for baggage to be weighed, certainly at ATH, so assuming it meets the size requirement (not forgetting that European airlines tend to include wheels in their dimensions, whereas US airlines don’t) I would be inclined to just go to the gate with your carry-on.

DELLAS

Despite what anyone tells you the rules are the rules with regards to cabin baggage weight. If its over 8KG you may get away with it you may not. It can vary from flight to flight. Check in agent to Check in agent and indeed station to station. For example on my recent flights Swissport in DUB were weighing and tagging everyones hand luggage and this caused both delays and indeed disgruntled passengers. While most of the time you may get away with it there is always a chance that on your flight you may not.

NWIFlyer

I would say that the Dublin handling agents are notorious for applying rules strictly irrespective of airline - so for A3 you can also read BA. I’ve also seen bags weighed at LGW, and taken, but it didn’t appear any charge was made.

In ATH, it’s a vastly different situation. I think the OP is savvy enough to know nothing is guaranteed, but if the option is to pay a hefty fee when you’re almost certain to get to the gate if carry-on only then I’d certainly be taking the risk.

drgmobile

As has been pointed out by NWIFlyer, Aegean is playing games with Olympic Air flight codes to avoid having to honour Star obligations on these flights. Has me pretty sour on the upcoming flights I have booked with Aegean.....errrr "Olympic."

East_and_West

1. Checked bag: Is your onward flight to JTR on the same day as your MXP-ATH flight? If yes then you can try asking the check-in agent in Milan to have your luggage tagged and checked all the way to JTR. This should normally allow you to check one additional bag on top of the standard allowance of your ticket, and moreover spare you from going through security in ATH. No reason of course to expect that this benefit will carry over to your companions.

2. Priority security: I have attempted multiple times to get one non-*G companion through fast track in ATH. Success rate has been over 90%, even in rather busy days with quite long queues in the standard lanes. Yet trying this with five companions sounds to me as way too optimistic. You can give it a shot, but my guess is that your companions would be (justifiably) turned down and redirected to the standard lanes. Note though that you can purchase fast track in ATH for a fairly decent price (something like €3-4 I think).

3. Overweight carry-ons: Totally agree with what @NWIFlyer wrote above. Being a regular traveller to/from ATH the past 4-5 years, I have never so far had my carry-on weighted at the gate when boarding an A3/OA flight. There is always the risk that the storage bins are full by the time you board, so you may be asked to check them in, but even in that case it’s rather unlikely that you will need to pay extra. It's the T&C of your ticket that are binding of course, and not "usual practice", so nothing is to be taken for granted, and the usual disclaimer is attached to my points here. Yet this is a risk I would be willing to take, and mind that I am a quite risk-averse traveller. And as usually, being among the first to board minimizes the probability of this scenario.

Dover2Golf

In fairness it's not just Aegean doing this.

Lufthansa - Eurowings
Swiss - Helvetic and Edelweiss
Singapore and Silk Air & Scoot although Silk Air is to become mainline next year.
Thai and Thai Smile

And there are others. You just need to look carefully at what you book. It is particularly irritating though when you don't have a choice to book anything else.

Knobbgb

It's absolutely not the same thing. I'm yet to board an actual Lufthansa aircraft - one of their mainline ones with LUFTHANSA painted on the side and be told by Lufthansa crew in Lufthansa uniform "This flight is operated by Eurowings". The same goes for the other examples.

lhrpete

Then you need to get out more because exactly that has happened to me.

Knobbgb

Well fair enough, I apologise unreservedly - I genuinely didn't know they were doing that! I thought Eurowings and the others mentioned only operated flights on their own metal.

DELLAS

Indeed they are not but what also interests me is that people have claimed that it is to deny *G benefits but have the quoted members who are stating this as fact ever posted a reliable source that this is indeed the case? Maybe someone can quote a press release or link to a document to clarify?

tobiashenry

Just a side question, if I were to purchase a Go& Light fare, do I get baggage allowance for me as a star alliance gold? I presume if my parents travelling with me in the same PNR would not get it as well...

KLouis

You gave the correct answers to your own questions!

ISTFlyer

As KLouis mentioned, you would be the only one getting the +1 baggage allowance. So yes, you have answered your own question.

trooper

I share your cynicism about that being the reason …. I suspect A3 saves far more money through some OTHER benefit of OA coding than simply avoiding paying for lounge access for *G... Are OA staff uniformed as A3 but paid differently??