Dropbox123

Hi,
I'm a newbie. I tried searching but didn't find an answer to my questions. I was charged baggage fees on the first leg and on the second leg of my return itinerary, and I think this was in error. But I can't find any rules on this.

Earlier this week, I returned from my trip to Costa Rica, flying from LIB (Liberia, Costa Rica) - DFW - SFO itinerary, all on AA metal and on one ticket. The flight to DFW was scheduled and arrived at 7:05pm, with the connecting flight to SFO leaving the following morning at 7:55am.

Even though I have an AA Citibank MC, I knew I had to pay baggage fee at checkin at LIR for the first bag for me and for each of my two sons (3 bags total for $75) since the baggage fee waiver didn't cover international flights.
The AA agent at LIR said he could only check bags as far as DFW because the DFW-SFO leg was the following morning and my bags had to clear customs in DFW. He assured me I would not have to pay baggage fees again in DFW.

But when I checked in the following morning for my SFO flight, I was told I had to pay baggage fees again even though I had paid fees prior to the first leg. Plus, even though I had the AA Citibank MC, the agent said that the baggage fee waiver didn't apply according to his computer -- and he couldnt do anything about it.

Was I correct that I shouldn't have to pay baggage fees twice on this return iterinary since it was all on AA metal and on one ticket with legal connection in DFW? Also, shouldn't the AA credit card waive the fees?

Thanks!

Bill

JDiver

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

As American Airlines and US Airways are still operating as distinct airlines, this question is being moved to the appropriate pre-merger airline forum.

Once there, be sure to read the FAQ; you'll probably find some other threads of interest as well.

~Moderator

Dave Noble

Baggage fees are due each time the bags are checked in and will be based on the rate to which destination the bags are being checked in

Whether you should have been able to get the domestic legs free of charge due to the mastercard is something I would check with the card company

Larac

Do you have the Citi platinum or gold? The platinum would allow the first checked bag for you and each additional ticket as long as it is booked on the card and linked to your Advantage number. The gold does not.

Dave Noble

The passenger's destination was not a domestic one - the platinum Citi card benefit only applies for travel to domestic destinations

From https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/ad...electAAWorldMC

ericgdukie44

They charged him to check a bag between dfw and sfo. SFO is a domestic destination right?

Dave Noble

However it was just part of a trip to an international destination , so I would suggest contacting Citi to clarify whether it applies only to domestic itineraries or also to domestic portions of an international itinerary where bags are collected at a domestic point

The details as listed on the citi site would support that the charges are correct ( since the trip destination was not domestic, SFO was but a transit point ) so would suggest getting Citi to confirm exactly what is allowed

ericgdukie44

OP didn't specify a round trip ticket. If he was one way from LIB-SFO via dfw would you say that's a domestic destination?

Dave Noble

In reverse it is still an international trip and the same question applies. It makes no difference. Since DFW and SFO are not in the same country as LIB, then it is still not a domestic destination

If the domestic flight was a separately ticketed itinerary, then absolutely shoudl have been entitled to the free bag

ericgdukie44

T&C only reference destination. The destination is SFO. If he has a ticket from anywhere to SFO then as I read it the plain language says he's covered. Maybe that's not what they meant, but then whoever drafted it did a poor job.

Dave Noble

For a destination to be domestic it needs to be in the same country as the origin

A destination of San Francisco is not domestic when starting from Costa Rica

I still think that this is an issue best addressed by asking Citi to clarify whether , when checking in separately for a domestic leg of an international itinerary, the bag allowance should be applied and , if it is, hopefully Citi can get the system fixed such that AA classes it as allowed

wrp96

Just want to address the question of why you had to recheck at DFW. If your connection at DFW had been less than 12 hours (it wasn't because it was the following morning), the agent could have tagged the bags all the way through to SFO. You would've still been required to pick up the bags at DFW for customs but, because the bags would've been tagged through to SFO there wouldn't have been any opportunity to assess extra baggage fees.

Exec_Plat

OP- You'll get plenty of people who will rigourously defend the airlines action based on their microscopic knowledge of "how they work"

I tend to take more of a 'contract' view- Did they properly disclose the costs to you when you purchased whatever it is you purchased? All the airline policies and procedures in the world dont matter if you hold a document where they say "SFO-LIB round trip with stop in DFW form 50 minutes over 12 hours with $25 bag fee for each way" (or some such)... so do check all your documents, tickets, emails and see what they might have told you.

Lacking these details, you seem to have a ARGUABLE claim based on (1) the agent verbally assuring you there would be no additional fee and (2) you card covering the fee for "domestic flights" (note that again the folks arguing 'domestic verus international' have lost sight of the important bit: what is the ACTUAL LANGUAGE of your MC checked bag benefit? Does it say 'domestic flights' or 'domestic itineraries'.

These things are all contract issues- what the contract says defines how the charges should be assessed. Not "how the airline does it"- unless they told you in advance that was how they would do it.

I think the easiest path will be with the credit card company- "I was on a domestic flight, the card benefit covers bags on domestic flights, I was charged, I want it refunded". But again the SPECIFIC language of the card benefit would need to be provided.

Welcome to FT. Do report back the resolution,

Often1

Presuming that OP was on one ticket (he say's it's a "return itinerary" so I am presuming he flew SFO-DFW-LIB-DFW-SFO)), the baggage allowance for the marketing carrier of the first segment is the same for all remaining segment. Again, presuming that the first segment was SFO-DFW, whatever it is that AA provides OP for that segment should be charged for the remainder.

Two pieces of information needed:

1. What was OP's actual ticket routing?

2. What does OP's e-ticket receipt show for baggage fees?

As to what the AA agent at LIB told OP, that's a he said/she said which OP can raise if he wishes.

Dropbox123

Thank you for everyone's replies. this was the return itinerary for my trip. On outbound, I flew UA metal on UA ticket from SFO-IAH-LIR. Like on return, I was told I couldn't check bags all way thru to ultimate destination (here, LIr) because my connecting flight was the following morning (less than 12 hrs). but unlike return, my baggage waiver from holding a UA credit card applied to both segments of the outbound (when I originally checked in bags at SfoSat and when I rechecked them in IAH).

My ticket routing on return was

American
1631 LIBERIA DALLAS FT WORTH
WED 20AUG
2:05 PM
7:05 PM Y

American
23 DALLAS FT WORTH SAN FRANCISCO
THU 21AUG
7:55 AM
9:35 AM

Here's the baggage fee info from my e ticket.

Baggage charges for your itinerary will be governed by American Airlines BAG ALLOWANCE -LIRSFO-No free checked bags/ American Airlines 1STCHECKED BAG FEE-LIRSFO-USD25.00/ American Airlines /UP TO 50 LB/23 KG AND UP TO 62 LINEAR IN/158 LINEAR CM** 2NDCHECKED BAG FEE-LIRSFO-USD40.00/ American Airlines /UP TO 50 LB/23 KG AND UP TO 62 LINEAR IN/158 LINEAR CM** **BAG FEES APPLY AT EACH CHECK IN LOCATION ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES AND/OR DISCOUNTS MAY APPLY


So I guess based on last sentence, I have to pay again since didn't check bags all the way thru but agent at LIR said she couldn't do that since connecting flight was after customs and for following morning.

Was LIR agent correct since technically connecting flight was more than 12 hours from when i arrived in DFW?