AS refused to check my bags through despite policy on website
May 23, 2019, 9:35 am
#31
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As a summary, I'm not trying be all pedantic here. We've got website language for the general public that was reasonably interpreted by the OP, and the airline check-in staff even believe it applied. The OP is more than an occasional flyer (although perhaps not a frequent luggage-checker). He thought he understood the rules. The check-in staff agreed. The computer was programmed to disagree.
May 23, 2019, 9:48 am
#32
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Travel that includes multiple flights
If your trip includes more than one flight on Alaska Airlines and/or one of our airline partners, we will check your bags to the final destination on your ticket as long as there are fewer than 12 hours between flights.If you will be in the connecting city for 12 hours or longer, you will need to claim and re-check your baggage. Additional baggage fees may apply.
If your trip includes more than one flight on Alaska Airlines and/or one of our airline partners, we will check your bags to the final destination on your ticket as long as there are fewer than 12 hours between flights.If you will be in the connecting city for 12 hours or longer, you will need to claim and re-check your baggage. Additional baggage fees may apply.
On second thought, I'd send the bill and complaint to an executive, as you're likely to get a response as meaningful as a canned reply to a PDB issue from Customer Care.
Could "your trip" be interpreted to mean one PNR?
May 23, 2019, 9:51 am
#33
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When making international connections on a separate ticket to other airlines within twelve (12) hours of arriving in the connection city, you may follow the baggage allowance and weight restrictions of the international airline - provided a ticketing and baggage agreement is in place between Alaska Airlines and the other carrier.
May 23, 2019, 9:56 am
#34
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I believe you mean (most likely) definitionally on a single PNR. A single PNR can have multiple (up to 4?) e-tickets with a total of 16(?) segments. And you can have multiple ticket issuance within a PNR (i.e., typically it is because of 5+ segments, but it can also be, i.e., segments 1 and 4 on 1 ticket and segments 2 and 3 on another - rare, but possible).
I am well aware that a PNR may have more than one e-ticket in it, but that does not turn the transfer between e-tickets into a "connection."
It may well be that many carriers do protect across tickets in the same PNR, but that does not make the transfer a "connection".
May 23, 2019, 10:03 am
#35
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In fairness, the agents were REALLY good.
One agent was really friendly and trying to do it but she wasn't quite sure. She called over another agent to help. He seemed a bit more knowledgable and got all 4 segments up on the computer but the computer was flagging the JFK connection as invalid. He went and talked to a supervisor for about 5 min before coming back with the bad news. They were definitely not making excuses -- the computer would not let them do it. No complaints at all about the agents -- they were friendly and really tried to make it work.
One agent was really friendly and trying to do it but she wasn't quite sure. She called over another agent to help. He seemed a bit more knowledgable and got all 4 segments up on the computer but the computer was flagging the JFK connection as invalid. He went and talked to a supervisor for about 5 min before coming back with the bad news. They were definitely not making excuses -- the computer would not let them do it. No complaints at all about the agents -- they were friendly and really tried to make it work.
May 23, 2019, 10:49 am
#36
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Step 1 Get to Manhattan.
Step 2 Find a decent hotel.
Step 3 Go to bellman and hand him your bags and a $20 bill.
Step 4 Receive your claim ticket.
Step 5 Return several hours later with claim ticket.
Step 6 Retrieve bags and return to airport.
Everyone wins.
Step 2 Find a decent hotel.
Step 3 Go to bellman and hand him your bags and a $20 bill.
Step 4 Receive your claim ticket.
Step 5 Return several hours later with claim ticket.
Step 6 Retrieve bags and return to airport.
Everyone wins.
May 23, 2019, 11:27 am
#37
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May 23, 2019, 11:42 am
#38
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Was the AS -> JL ticket stock part of an already flown itinerary? I can see where the system might not allow you to use the separate AS ticket as a connection, if you already have a inbound connection (stopover) flown on your JL ticket
May 23, 2019, 11:49 am
#39
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If I had booked my SFO-JFK round trip as two one-ways, do you think it would have solved the problem? That would be easy to do in the future.
May 23, 2019, 12:10 pm
#40
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once again showing that computers will do what we TELL them to, which is not necessarily what we WANT them to
May 23, 2019, 12:25 pm
#41
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Ohhhh, that might be it. Yeah, I have nested round trips. SFO-JFK round trip on AS stock, with JFK-SEA-NRT-BKK round trip nested inside.
If I had booked my SFO-JFK round trip as two one-ways, do you think it would have solved the problem? That would be easy to do in the future.
If I had booked my SFO-JFK round trip as two one-ways, do you think it would have solved the problem? That would be easy to do in the future.
If you want to PM the PNRs, I can have someone look into it, but on the whole, with nested tickets, you're probably better off rethinking your packing strategy
May 23, 2019, 12:49 pm
#42
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But SEA was not a fare break point. It can't be an open jaw or round trip... I can't stop in SEA.
Essentially I repositioned to JFK to take advantage of a good ex-JFK fare, and earn some miles in the process.
In the end, I was able to store the bag in JFK T8 for $10, and pay another $10 to store my backpack -- I'm happy with the outcome (maybe even happier than I would have been happy they checked it through, since I didn't end up lugging my backpack around Manhattan) I'm not trying to recover my $10... it's not enough to care about.
I'm more curious to know what will/won't work for the future, and share that information. It could be an issue with shorter connections -- once I was connecting AY->AY in HEL on separate tickets and they refused to check my bags through (apparently that is their policy). A huge bag check line in HEL (combined with no OW status) almost caused me to miss the bag check deadline.
Essentially I repositioned to JFK to take advantage of a good ex-JFK fare, and earn some miles in the process.
In the end, I was able to store the bag in JFK T8 for $10, and pay another $10 to store my backpack -- I'm happy with the outcome (maybe even happier than I would have been happy they checked it through, since I didn't end up lugging my backpack around Manhattan) I'm not trying to recover my $10... it's not enough to care about.
I'm more curious to know what will/won't work for the future, and share that information. It could be an issue with shorter connections -- once I was connecting AY->AY in HEL on separate tickets and they refused to check my bags through (apparently that is their policy). A huge bag check line in HEL (combined with no OW status) almost caused me to miss the bag check deadline.
May 23, 2019, 3:55 pm
#43
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But SEA was not a fare break point. It can't be an open jaw or round trip... I can't stop in SEA.
Essentially I repositioned to JFK to take advantage of a good ex-JFK fare, and earn some miles in the process.
In the end, I was able to store the bag in JFK T8 for $10, and pay another $10 to store my backpack -- I'm happy with the outcome (maybe even happier than I would have been happy they checked it through, since I didn't end up lugging my backpack around Manhattan) I'm not trying to recover my $10... it's not enough to care about.
I'm more curious to know what will/won't work for the future, and share that information. It could be an issue with shorter connections -- once I was connecting AY->AY in HEL on separate tickets and they refused to check my bags through (apparently that is their policy). A huge bag check line in HEL (combined with no OW status) almost caused me to miss the bag check deadline.
Essentially I repositioned to JFK to take advantage of a good ex-JFK fare, and earn some miles in the process.
In the end, I was able to store the bag in JFK T8 for $10, and pay another $10 to store my backpack -- I'm happy with the outcome (maybe even happier than I would have been happy they checked it through, since I didn't end up lugging my backpack around Manhattan) I'm not trying to recover my $10... it's not enough to care about.
I'm more curious to know what will/won't work for the future, and share that information. It could be an issue with shorter connections -- once I was connecting AY->AY in HEL on separate tickets and they refused to check my bags through (apparently that is their policy). A huge bag check line in HEL (combined with no OW status) almost caused me to miss the bag check deadline.
May 23, 2019, 10:05 pm
#44
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I believe its the overnight part that screws it up.
Flew HKG-LAX-SEA a few months ago, same ticket, the connection was less than 12 hours, but similar in that my connection was the next day. I was in first, they explained that because the connecting flight is the next day, they cannot check it though.
Flew HKG-LAX-SEA a few months ago, same ticket, the connection was less than 12 hours, but similar in that my connection was the next day. I was in first, they explained that because the connecting flight is the next day, they cannot check it though.
May 24, 2019, 12:40 am
#45
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AS' systems tend to not like connections in non-standard connection cities. Got a call in ABQ once about picking up my cooler when I was on a connection there... It was tagged thru, but made it to the baggage claim. They were able to redirect it back though TSA and to the aircraft in time thankfully. I don't think many folks connect there. Just like JFK- it's not the most common to fly SFO-JFK-SEA, but does sound like something I would try.