Eric Albert

I booked a summer trip on AS codeshare with DL. Trip looks like this:

PIT ORD AA2903 6:00:00 AM 6:30:00 AM
ORD SEA AA2554 7:10:00 AM 9:39:00 AM
SEA FAI AL123 2:05:00 PM 4:52:00 PM

So my first two legs are on AA (Gold status). I booked the SEA/FAI on Delta to maximize some credit card benefits. With the DL/AS relationship dissolving in a few days, can I move the AL PNR to AA? It would be great if I would not need to collect and recheck bags in SEA. Thanks!

xliioper

AS and DL still have an interline agreement. AA and DL no longer have one. In the end, what matters here is the operating carrier and since AA and DL don't have an interline agreement, you will not be able to check the bags through.

http://news.delta.com/delta-and-amer...line-agreement

stephem

Interesting, U class on AS credits to Aadvantage. Sometimes U class indicates a complementary upgrade from economy to first with a paid economy fare. Of course sometimes it also indicates a paid upgrade at check-in, on pretty much any economy class ticket (hint, hint).

Eric Albert

I was really wishing for something creative, not for the sake of the AA Gold benefits (since we know AA Gold is really just US Air Silver, or worse), but for the bags through to the final. I have plenty of time at SEA to fetch the bags and recheck, but that will, of course, be at a cost. With my Delta credit card, I could have checked for free. My real goal is to check bags through or recheck for free. If anyone can think of a way... forever in your debt, instead of the airline.

ashill

By AL123, I assume you mean AS123? How is DL involved? Did you purchase a DL-marketed, AS-operated flight? That's an AS-operated flight. If it's AS-marketed, AS-operated on one ticket, you'll have no trouble checking bags through to AA. In fact, as an AA Gold, you'll get two, not just one, free checked bags when you check in with AS in FAI.

How did you purchase the ticket? I assume it must be an AS (027) ticket because DL can't issue a ticket that involved AA flights. Or are there two tickets involved?

You say you have a DL credit card and AA elite status. That means you should get a free checked bag when you check in with DL and a free checked bag when you check in with AA. So what's the issue? The only trick is you'll have to ensure that your DL frequent flyer number is in DL's record and the AA frequent flyer number is in AA's record. I don't know if that will be a problem, but I'd certainly be prepared to have to change frequent flyer numbers each time you check in.

The waived check bag fee is one of the few reliable benefits of AA Gold status.

As noted, since AA and DL no longer have an interline agreement, I'm pretty sure there's no way to check the bags through. (AA and DL can only be on the same ticket because it's an AS ticket; the AS/DL and AS/AA interline agreements aren't affected by the end of the AS/DL frequent flyer partnership.)

But with the information you've provided, I really can't parse the question or the issue.

It does? What makes you say that? U is not listed on the AS partner page on AA.com. As you say, U is the upgrade bucket on AS; you earn according to the purchased economy fare.

Eric Albert

You are correct. The first two legs are AA booked on AA. The AS123 flight was booked as a code share through DL. So there are two PNR. (Thanks for the clarification. AS123, not AL123!)

Thanks for helping me understand there is no real challenge with bag fees. AA status gets bags to SEA for free. But when it comes time to check in with Delta for the AS123 leg (SEA-FAI), do I still do check in with Delta, or directly with Alaskan?

Digging deeper it looks like regardless of the interline agreements, since we are traveling on two different PNR, I can't through check to my final. Oh well. We have plenty of time in SEA to boomerang the bags.

1. Do I check in wth DL for the DL marketed flight known as AS123? (Flight in July)
2. Should I add my AA advantage number to the DL PNR so when I do check the bags in SEA I reap the AA benefits? I don't think I can add a One World number to the DL PNR. 0r....
3. Do I use my AA Gold when checking the bags in SEA?

I have given up on through checking so the goal is to save money on bag fees.

Thanks!!!!

ashill

You always, always, always check in with the operating carrier of the flight departing the airport you are checking in at. So if you have an AA ticket/PNR with AA-operated flights from PIT-SEA, you check in with AA in PIT and, on the return, in SEA. On the separate DL ticket/PNR with AS-operated flights from SEA-FAI and return, you check in with AS in both SEA and FAI. (If you had a single ticket PIT-ORD-SEA-FAI, you would be able to get all your boarding passes from AA in PIT; because you don't, you'll have to check in with AS in SEA on the outbound in addition to checking in with AA in PIT.)

It sounds like your SEA-FAI ticket is a DL ticket that is entirely on AS metal? I assume this has been reticketed to have AS flight numbers only, since the DL*/AS flights won't exist after Sunday? If so, you should have no problem: put your AA frequent flyer number into the AS PNR (through the AS web site), and AS should recognize your AA Gold status for two free checked bags.

When you check in with AS at FAI, I'd definitely ask them about checking your bags through to PIT, having your AA eticket receipt handy. They may or may not be able willing to, but since DL won't operate or market any of the flights, it's at least possible. I don't know how finnicky AS is these days about checking bags through to a different ticket; certainly in the past, it was totally routine. I would expect AA to be less willing to check through to AS, but it's worth asking in PIT.

If you do succeed in checking your bags through from FAI-PIT, you'll still have to check in with AA; with the separate PNRs, AS almost certainly won't be able to issue you boarding passes for the AA segments. But you can check in online with AA or, at worst, go to the AA gate in SEA to get your boarding passes (ie no need to go landside if your bags are checked through).

formeraa

When reading the Elite benefits, it appears that AS MVP's get access to Preferred seats on AA BUT AA Golds do NOT get access to preferred seating on AS. As far as I'm concerned, the two levels are equivalent. I wonder why the discrepancy (since I'm an AA Gold who does fly AS a few times per year and would love to have Preferred seating on AS).

Am I correct in my interpretation (and I apologize if someone has asked this question before, I read through the past 100 posts and didn't see anything)?

Eric Albert

You helped me with the most pressing question. Yes, AS123 is on AS metal. I'll see about adding my AA Gold to the AS PNR next week once the DL relationship evaporates. How do I get the equivalent record locator for AS? Call DL?

The return legs are all on DL (JNU-SEA-DTW-PIT). The return is infinitely easier to deal with.

While I was really concerned with saving a few dollars, possibly hundreds, my larger concern was stranded bags in SEA. AA changed our flight times from what I originally booked, which has created a very tight connection in ORD (40min) and a really long time in SEA. So we are hopeful the trip out goes well.

But since I have your attention. What would happen to stranded bags?

ashill

I'm pretty sure you are correct, and it's weird because in most cases other than upgrades AA gives AS MVPs what AA Golds get and vice versa. (Eg AA Golds get two free checked bags on AS, just like MVPs, rather than the one that AA Golds and MVPs get on AA.)

AS MVPs also get discounted access to MCE on AA (like AA Golds), but no AA elites get discounted or complimentary access to AS's equivalent (Premium Cabin) because AS treats it as an upgrade rather than a seat assignment.

One can hope that AS will change their policy once DL elites lose preferred seat access on Monday. Emphasis on hope.

ashill

Yes, call or Tweet (direct message) DL, or AS can probably find it for you too.

Can you tell if the ticket has been reissued with AS123 ticketed as just AS? I might be concerned that DL will try to force you onto their metal, since it sounds like it's their ticket.

No idea in this case. The biggest thing you can do to improve your chances is try to convince AA to check your bags through to AS from PIT (or try to travel carry-on only). If you or your bags miss your connection in ORD, you may well be in trouble; that's the risk of separate tickets on different airlines.

Eric Albert

Quick update. DL gave me the AS PNR over the phone. A quick call to AS secured my AA FF number to the AS leg. (YES!) Since the AA/AS interline agreement appears to be intact, I should be able to check bags through to our final.

The only issue I see is a long layover in SEA. The AS rep told me I would be fine as long as the layover is less than four hours. Well... 4:26hrs is what I'm anticipating in SEA. Would the counter agent in PIT see this and prohibit through checking to the final? With my AA Gold attached to the AS leg, I can breath easy on the bag fees. And honestly, four hours is enough time to collect and recheck with AS. But boy would it be nice if I didn't need to.

ashill

For an AS-AS connection, they will check your bag through if the layover is less than 12 hours. I don't know about an AA-AS connection.

bzcat

Is the conventional wisdom still that if you are AA elite, you should credit all AS flying to AA?

I have a couple of AS and VX trips coming up soon but I won't have enough to reach elite status on AS. So I should just credit to AA... right?

ashill

Depends entirely on your circumstances, how much you need AA EQMs and EQDs, how much you value AA miles, how much you value AS miles (which is probably at least partly a function of whether you have enough AS miles to do anything useful with), and how many AA and AS miles you would earn. For discount coach fares, the AS Mileage Plan earning table is much more generous for AS flights than the AAdvantage earning table is. Also, if you care about waived check bag fees and preferred seat assignments, it's certainly easier if your AA number is in the reservation. (It may or may not be possible to get preferred seat assignments and waived check bag fees with your AS number in the reservation.) Priority boarding is marginally easier with the AA number in the reservation because your boarding pass will say "Priority", but it's no problem to board early by flashing your AA elite card if they even bother to enforce priority boarding.

Of course, VX flights can't credit to AA at all, so you definitely want to credit VX flights to AS or another VX partner.