Jul 8, 2016, 2:22 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
UPDATED FOR 15 NOVEMBER 2016: BA will no longer accept interlining on BA-BA separate tickets / PNRs.
From 1 June 2016, the oneworld policy on accepting customers travelling on separate tickets was changed. BA, along with some other oneworld partners, has implemented this change in policy which is as follows:
Only those customers that have separate tickets issued in the same PNR/booking will be accepted for through check-in. Furthermore all sectors must be BA / oneworld / other carrier, but BA to/fron Vueling is specifically NOT allowed even on the same ticket. Aer Lingus is not specified but some be covered by "other carrier".
A PNR is a wrapper, and it can have several tickets, and other items such as hotels, in one PNR, so long as it was built that way at the time of purchase. Another (new) ticket can be inserted into an existing PNR after purchase, it is easiest to do this at a BA airport, and there is a small fee for doing this (£15 in the UK). However you cannot merge 2 existing PNRs into one PNR - once a reservation has reached ticketed status it can't be moved. If you have 2 PNRs you need to allow time to collect and re-check any bags at the transfer airport.
There is one exception: BA to BA transfers, on 2 PNRs, are allowed. See post 643 for details.
___
From post 947. Select "do not have IATA number"
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/ch/reservations-ticketing/rulesregulations/separatetickets/
From 1 June 2016, the oneworld policy on accepting customers travelling on separate tickets was changed. BA, along with some other oneworld partners, has implemented this change in policy which is as follows:
Only those customers that have separate tickets issued in the same PNR/booking will be accepted for through check-in. Furthermore all sectors must be BA / oneworld / other carrier, but BA to/fron Vueling is specifically NOT allowed even on the same ticket. Aer Lingus is not specified but some be covered by "other carrier".
A PNR is a wrapper, and it can have several tickets, and other items such as hotels, in one PNR, so long as it was built that way at the time of purchase. Another (new) ticket can be inserted into an existing PNR after purchase, it is easiest to do this at a BA airport, and there is a small fee for doing this (£15 in the UK). However you cannot merge 2 existing PNRs into one PNR - once a reservation has reached ticketed status it can't be moved. If you have 2 PNRs you need to allow time to collect and re-check any bags at the transfer airport.
___
From post 947. Select "do not have IATA number"
http://www.speedbirdclub.com/ch/reservations-ticketing/rulesregulations/separatetickets/
BA no longer through checking baggage with separate tickets
Apr 18, 2018, 6:39 am
#1711
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Do you apply this to people who wish to make avios bookings or use a 2 for 1 voucher and cant can avios the entire way as no seats released? Or wish to connect to another OneWorld carrier after their Avios flight? Personally to me it is a shocking policy which has meant I have flown BA considerably less in the last 36 months!
I mean, in this case, I believe the family was just completely caught aback and had no idea about the no through checking policy. Now, through being extra gossipy and listening in, they had said it would have been several thousand dollars more. We all assess our own risk tolerance, and I'm all for pricing in the difference, but those prices need to be reasonable.
I do think the best decision would be to offer it as a paid service. It would seem like £50 for a through check would be a reasonable amount or something along those lines and then compensates BA for taking on the additional risk. I don't believe that unloading a bag to the carousel and then having to have staff to recheck it in is less work than than routing it through the normal connections path, so any additional cost is purely a risk for misconnect rather than a direct cost.
I do think the best decision would be to offer it as a paid service. It would seem like £50 for a through check would be a reasonable amount or something along those lines and then compensates BA for taking on the additional risk. I don't believe that unloading a bag to the carousel and then having to have staff to recheck it in is less work than than routing it through the normal connections path, so any additional cost is purely a risk for misconnect rather than a direct cost.
Apr 18, 2018, 7:12 am
#1712
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Apr 18, 2018, 7:27 am
#1713
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This is and remains a customer unfriendly policy solely for the purpose of removing BA's risk and transferring it to the passenger. It is one less reason to use OneWorld carriers. The argument that the alliance works because you can buy a through ticket does not apply, since you can also buy a through ticket to non-alliance carriers and check bags too. In reality, most agents also consider it a dumb policy and on the few occasions I have asked, through checking on separate tickets has been granted. Far less refusals than for short-checking bags anyway.
If BA at LHR would get better at baggage handling, there would have been no need for this policy anyway. This is really a case of stopping the facility rather than making it work.
If BA at LHR would get better at baggage handling, there would have been no need for this policy anyway. This is really a case of stopping the facility rather than making it work.
Apr 18, 2018, 7:29 am
#1714
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BWI the other day.... . I had a paid BWI-LHR ticket and a seperate avois LHR-VIE ticket. First I was surprised that they queried my final destination - which I said was LHR since that is what I was checking in for (they 'corrected' me - VIE... .) and then produced a BWI-LHR-VIE luggage label.
Apr 18, 2018, 7:39 am
#1715
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There will always be a few people affected, however I would expect that those using separate tickets are a small percentage of overall travellers, and those on Avios or 2 for 1 a relatively small subset of a small subset.
But Oneworld does connect on one ticket?
Exactly my point. They saved thousands of dollars on separate tickets but expected the benefits that come with the single ticket. If it was that easy then everyone would do it. I agree about the additional fee though. Could be an option.
But Oneworld does connect on one ticket?
Exactly my point. They saved thousands of dollars on separate tickets but expected the benefits that come with the single ticket. If it was that easy then everyone would do it. I agree about the additional fee though. Could be an option.
For interlining from BA to another carrier I can see why they might stop it, but stopping it BA to BA surely doesn't save money for BA, it just makes things worse for their customers
Apr 18, 2018, 7:42 am
#1716
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Seems to me we are still on the for and against arguments of the first 5 pages of this thread!
Apr 18, 2018, 11:39 am
#1718
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I don't really agree. Through tickets are available in 99% of cases for those passengers wanting to be able to check their bags through and retain protection in the event of delays. I would anticipate that the number of journeys where a through ticket/interlining is not available are relatively few.
I do understand that people argue that they have busy lives and itineraries subject to change: well changeable tickets are available for such circumstances.
What doesn't really work is for people to expect to gain from the savings that exist on many separate tickets whilst retaining the benefits of buying one.
I do understand that people argue that they have busy lives and itineraries subject to change: well changeable tickets are available for such circumstances.
What doesn't really work is for people to expect to gain from the savings that exist on many separate tickets whilst retaining the benefits of buying one.
but again BA is notorious for making terrible decisions regarding the way the handle customer.
IMO BA can send the luggage to the final destination by asking the customer to sign a release of responsibility
Apr 18, 2018, 12:03 pm
#1719
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That's notwithstanding the fact that I agree with you that it is a bad policy, but your argument is simply inaccurate.
Apr 18, 2018, 12:08 pm
#1720
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
I do totally disagree with your statement, it is the only airline in the world to refuse to send luggage to the final destination furthermore it is a bad policy and a terrible customer approach.
but again BA is notorious for making terrible decisions regarding the way the handle customer.
IMO BA can send the luggage to the final destination by asking the customer to sign a release of responsibility
Apr 18, 2018, 3:37 pm
#1721
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I got my luggage to the final destination.
Apr 18, 2018, 3:45 pm
#1722
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My last experience with BA on 2 separate tickets on J the ground staff refuse to send the luggage to the final destination, Needed to talk to the supervisor at the Gallery first class lounge LHR- T5 in order to combine the luggage in to a single ticket ( the impression I got was that this a recurrent problem that the team at Gallery First has do deal with every day)
In any event, BA is not the only airline in the world to refuse to through-check bags across two separate tickets. Stating this repeatedly doesn't make it any less untrue than it was the first time.
Apr 18, 2018, 3:46 pm
#1723
Join Date: Nov 2016
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there are other ways to address the issue in a customer oriented way, e.g. Limited release agreement, a nominal fee etc.... not just refusing to deal it with it.... Still a bad policy that the BA management has to correct.
Apr 18, 2018, 3:55 pm
#1724
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Why was this any surprise to you? No through-checking has been BA's policy for a long time now. What makes you so special that you deserve an exception from the rule that applies to all the rest of us?
In any event, BA is not the only airline in the world to refuse to through-check bags across two separate tickets. Stating this repeatedly doesn't make it any less untrue than it was the first time.
In any event, BA is not the only airline in the world to refuse to through-check bags across two separate tickets. Stating this repeatedly doesn't make it any less untrue than it was the first time.
My travel experiences are not only limited to BA. most OW, *A and skyteam airlines send the luggage to the traveler final destination ( as posted in their website). maybe you should try another airline and see the difference.
Apr 18, 2018, 3:56 pm
#1725
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you have a ludicrous statement. people are free to buy as many as tickets they want. It is absurd for the same airline to refuse to send the luggage in their own plans to the final destination of the traveler.
there are other ways to address the issue in a customer oriented way, e.g. Limited release agreement, a nominal fee etc.... not just refusing to deal it with it.... Still a bad policy that the BA management has to correct.
there are other ways to address the issue in a customer oriented way, e.g. Limited release agreement, a nominal fee etc.... not just refusing to deal it with it.... Still a bad policy that the BA management has to correct.
If wanting to book A-C via B and have benefits of booking A-C via B, then book it as a through itinerary