California Traveler

We are trying to plan a trip to Rome next year - using miles to LHR and then cash on BA to Rome. (don't ask) Will AA automatically transfer our bags to BA since they are a partner? I will be sure to allow enough time between flights to transfer the bags.

Is there an easy way to do this? I already checked AA for the BA flight and they want to charge 3X as much for the BA flight than I can get with BA or Expedia - whats up with that?

CT

flatlander

If you end up with two reservations (one to LHR then another LHR-FCO) then AA can interline your bags to the BA final destination. You just need to ask the AA checkin agent to do so, and maybe provide your BA flight reservation details. Last time I did this it went something like me saying (from SFO) "Hello, I am going to Amsterdam via London, connecting to British Airways, could you please interline my bags to Amsterdam?" and that worked fine. You don't have to claim and recheck bags in LHR if you are in transit to FCO, but you do have to transfer terminals using the bus service and re-clear security (so don't buy any large carry on liquids).

AA may know about your other flight even if it booked separately; they have connected up nominally separate reservations for me so they saw my ultimate destination on the second reservation. Note that you have, in theory, got less protection on two separate tickets than one single itinerary on two carriers in case of delay, but in practice, i think BA would be reasonable if you were late for the BA flight due to incoming late AA or extreme flight connection delay.

So go ahead and book two sets of flights if it's cheaper.

carlosdca

If you plan no stop-over in London and you are just continuing to Rome, why not get the LHR-FCO on the same ticket? I can't see any reason why you wouldn't want to be ticketed all the way to Rome for no additional miles.

Furthermore, by using your miles all the way through Rome, I think that you will avoid some taxes that are only charged when LHR is origin?

I know you said "don't ask", but really, if not stopover, I don't see why you would want to buy the ticket when it can be part of the award for free.


Anyway, to answer the question, YES, AA will check your baggage all the way through. Just show AA airport agent a printout of your BA ticket or BA boarding passes and they will take care of it if connection is legal.

Who knows about why AA sells more expensive tickets. I would buy directly with BA and not with Expedia, if I were you.

Homeboy

Yes, the bags will transfer to BA. You should just have to show the check-in agent proof of continuing flight. I did this last summer going to FCO via MAD.

jagoffee

I will not ask.
We just flew from ORD on AA to LHR and then LHR to BA and our bags were checked from ORD to FCO. We were on a single award.

California Traveler

Thank you all for your answers - I plan to book with BA the RT LHR/FCO leg.

Wish I could do the direct flight but are short on ff miles.
CT

scnzzz

You're booking with AA miles? Same cost in terms of miles whether you book to LHR or FCO

Apieinthesky

In theory, AA will protect as if it were one PNR. In practice, I'm not actually sure.

Dave Noble

It can be cheaper to buy separately esp in economy. Some of BA's base fares are so low ( just add taxes and charges ) that the US taxes saved are more than the BA base fare

carlosdca

Perhaps...

Example for September 23, 2014:

SAN-DFW-LHR = 30,000 miles+ $5.00

SAN-DFW-LHR-FCO = 30,000 miles +$97.50

adding LHR-FCO to the aaward adds $92.50.

Can a LHR-FCO be found for $92.50? for those dates AirItalia quotes $120, BA $212.

Doing all the way through rome with miles sounds like a better choice: less cash, same ticket/PNR.

Apieinthesky

You two are assuming there is sAAver awards on those flights.

The UK APD can be avoided when connecting through LHR on separate PNRs, but it's a pain to do so.

Dave Noble

The lowest BA fare is $11 plus taxes and charges. It may not necessarily be cheapest , but there can be v small differences, plus does allow for an almost free stopover if desired. If not stopping over the benefits of paying for the flight do seem to be minimal

Going the other way, there is no benefit in not doing a through award ( unless needing to stopover in London )

eireman

[



The UK APD can be avoided when connecting through LHR on separate PNRs, but it's a pain to do so.[/QUOTE]

can you please detail the process? Are you saying that it is somem thing the pax can/has to do or the agent?

JHIN

I actually bought an AA ticket last year and used miles to upgrade to get to LHR and then switched to BA and again used miles 10K one way for a coach ticket to FCO.

Apieinthesky

I don't have first-hand experience, but I've read reports of it here. Here are a couple of examples.

See posts 48 and 50 here.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...nsiting-4.html

More recently, post 313 here.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post19265023

Some lengthy discussion here, starting at post 283.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post19024612

The bottom line is that it's quite difficult to achieve, but it is indeed possible, which was my point.