wrp96

AA does have a waiver in place but it's currently only through the 15th.

Geauxtigers

Thank you for the link, they must've posted this after I started this thread ^. It's frustrating that AA didn't have an advisory up earlier today as that's when operations re-started here at BTR. All flights yesterday and Friday (excluding Friday morning) were cancelled so I'm not sure why they took so long. Really upset a lot of people around here, don't think the flooding will subside for a few days either

JDiver

We have merged your new q Urey into the existing thread; the Wikipst contains links and resources. We always suggest searching for existing threads prior to starting new ones on recurring topics. /Moderator

chinafish

Hello all,

I'm at RIC waiting to board my flight AA3325 to ORD, scheduled departure 1503, scheduled arrival 1617. (Booked using avios on BA site)

I have a later flight ORD LHR AA46 at 1920, in business class. I have already checked in online. (Separate reservation, booked using etihad miles on the phone)

1. At bag drop I asked the agent to check my suitcase through. This was refused. I had no other options than to check it to ORD and reclaim it then check it again for the later flight.
(Should I have insisted the bag to be checked through?)

2. The incoming plane is now expected to arrive at 1452. So I think my "on time" departure of 1503 highly unlikely.

Can anyone advise what my game plan should be on arrival at ORD? It will obviously depend on the actual arrival time into ORD...

On arrival at ORD, I would need to go to baggage reclaim. By doing that I would need to leave airside and go to landside, right?

Is it then a mad dash to get to an AA check in counter to get my bag checked and through security again? Would I have enough time? Would any AA agents give me assistance? Or am I pretty much on my own?

There is a later AA flight (AA98), and a BA296 that goes from ORD to LHR. Am I within my rights to request to go on either flights if I miss my flight? I know that because I am flying on separate tickets I'm not technically on a connection...

Any advise will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Fish

ACA321

Ouch...

Currently flightaware says this:

Chicago O'Hare Intl (KORD) is currently experiencing:

inbound flights delayed at their origin an average of 1 hours 33 minutes due to thunderstorms

Flight 3325 is not set to leave until 4:41, arriving at 5:30, although that is subject to change. Best bet would be making a mad dash for baggage claim and recheck. This is a classic example of why it's a bad idea to book separate tickets with a connection that tight, on a summer afternoon through a hub that is notorious for bad weather...

Given no delays, you'd be fine with the amount of time you originally had. Today, your onward connection may likely be delayed as well. Unfortunately, that does not change the baggage drop cut-off time for you.

Really not sure what AA could/would do for you in ORD...guessing changing to a later flight depends on finding a sympathetic agent if you do end up misconnecting. I don't think you have an automatic right to being rebooked given the separate tickets.

Best of luck!

rjw242

I wouldn't call a 3-hour connection "tight" by any means; to me that's leaving a perfectly reasonable (even slightly long) cushion for delays. It's ridiculous that the agent wouldn't check the bag through, considering both flights are on AA. According to this thread, through-checking and protection on separate tickets should be available:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...d-tickets.html

SpammersAreScum

For now, at least, AA policy is to through-check and protect on separate tickets.

Yes, you'll need to go down to baggage claim at ORD and then schlepp the suitcase back up to checkin. The fact that you're flying Business should help with the checkin time needed.

Your originally-expected stopover was 3:03. So even if that gets cut by a half an hour I don't think panic is in order; a full hour, and it could get hairy. I don't think AA is going to help you get through Security faster; TSA Precheck, if you have it, would.

You should probably head to the AA ORD thread for their expert advice.

ACA321

True, but this became tight since OP has to claim/recheck baggage and with seemingly significant weather delays. My personal safety margin for irrops is wider- I prefer extra time in the lounge getting caught up on work etc. if nothing goes wrong, over the risk of something like this.

I'm with you though- I do think the agent should have been able to through-check the bag. Last month a colleague of mine was able to check his bag through CLT-MAD-FRA, when the MAD-FRA was on a separately purchased Iberia ticket.

ACA321

AA3325 is now scheduled to arrive at 5:30, meaning OP's connect time is cut by 1:30. This is according to flightaware though...currently AA.com has not updated the delay.

EDIT: newly adjusted time has it arriving at 4:12...only slightly delayed. Hopefully this sticks...OP should be fine.

rjw242

Most importantly, this could cause OP to miss the 60-minute cutoff for checking in luggage on international flights.

Unfortunately, assuming there's no way to reroute the bag to the final destination now that it's checked in, OP's best course of action is to head straight for the business class check-in desk the minute the bag comes off the belt (or even to curbside check-in if there's no line and it's still more than 60 minutes to departure), and ask to be rebooked onto the later flight if s/he is past the cutoff time.

chinafish

Thanks! I'll do that exactly.

SpammersAreScum

... based on an expected departure of 3:23, which has just passed and been changed to 3:33.

And FlightAware has also slid AA46 departure slightly to 7:30. Not that that helps with the baggage checkin cutoff.

chinafish, has the plane actually arrived yet? Or are you in the hell of rolling "10/15-minute" delays?

Edit: Yup, they just slipped it another 10.

chinafish

The incoming plane got here at around 2:50 I think. And yes they are doing the rolling 10min delay.

We're all queuing up to the 1 poor gate agent to enquire about connections etc. There's people here who have been repeatedly rescheduled from last night to this morning to this afternoon.

It's not looking good...

There's also separate intel coming from staff that the airport have closed the long runway to repaint and therefore things are getting backed up.

Why on earth do they not paint / do maintenance when there are no flights running?!

discoverCSG

And when, precisely, would that be?

chinafish

At night?