Cape Town
 

I'm just about to book two Business Class, Reward tickets from AMS for the overnight flight to Cape Town. We are going to connect in AMS using 'Free' AirMiles on BA out of Gatwick. This is saving a not inconsiderable amount of £'s as far as UK taxes are concerned. It would be ideal to somehow, get the bookings joined together in order to get our luggage checked all the way through from Gatwick, but unless there is a way around this, seems we'll have to pick it up in AMS and recheck...not the end of the world, but any other ideas ? Or more to the point, anything I have forgotten ? I believe my travel insurance would kick in with any BA confirmed delay etc. Thanks. Mike.

I am pretty sure BA and KLM have an interline agreement but I remember reading that BA is not keen on checking luggage through if the flights are not on one ticket.
It might be worth asking this question on the BA board. If you want me to move your post there, let me know.

Gajan

BA will not interline baggage to a non One-World carrier on separate tickets as a matter of commercial policy.

Just a side comment: there's no overnight flight from AMS to CPT... You probably mean the daylight flight, right?

Could you try a >24 hour stopover in AMS?

If it's allowed, you'd (a) pay lower UK APD, (b) use the same number of FB miles and retain the (BA) Airmiles and (c) hopefully have the bags stored en route at AMS. Of course, that would mean an overnight in Amsterdam.

I've asked a similar question in the Award booking Issues thread but have had no response.

I don't recall any airline doing that as a matter of fact.

Once, I was connecting in YUL from a domestic AC flight to AF (separate tickts), and AC refused also to interline bags to CDG :mad:

Correct....my mistake, sorry...I was confusing the return journey.

I hadn't thought of that as an option....I suppose a call to the infamous helpdesk as I'm not sure you can do that on the standard reward booking engine.

My conclusion, too. I guess the call centre will charge an offline fee.

BTW, I refuse to use the outrageous ripoff 0871 number. I call 'Paris' on +33 1 5868 6868 (much cheaper), select English from the menu and am invariably connected to a helpful person in The Netherlands.

I have not had a problem with AF on the three occasions I asked them (AF to a non-SkyTeam carrier on separate tickets). I hope they will still do it occasionnally.

@CDG ?

Twice at CDG.

AF is pretty good for interlining with other carriers on separate tickets. I did it multiple times. In fact, the only time I had a problem was last december for an interlining AF with ... DL :rolleyes:. In practice, it has not been a problem as you have to claim your bag at your 1st entry point in the US but it's always disappointing to see that some things seems easier outside Skyteam...

Actually, you can...
 

Just tried again, and when booking, if you select 'Evening' as departure, then you would get an overnight in AMS....now I need to find my calculator to see if the taxes are indeed, lower, or the same as if starting from AMS...at first glance, appears to be the same similar high price but I may be wrong.
By the way, should the taxes/charges element mirror a 'paid' ticket ?

But...
 

Interestingly, I have never noticed that if you want to purchase a ticket, on line, you don't get the 'Morning/Afternoon/Evening' option like you do with an award ticket...so I can't seem to book the same type of Evening flight to connect the next morning as with an award....it only shows and assumes that you want to connect the same day .... ?