Advice sought on this waitlisting situation
Mar 19, 2007 | 7:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,184
Advice sought on this waitlisting situation
Can some guru please shed light on this.
A family of 3 is traveling IAD-LAX-HKG. The IAD-LAX will be on Alaska Air and LAX-HKG will be on CX. This should mean that all bags can be checked in at IAD so that they will only be transitting at LAX with only hand luggage.
The thing is 2 of them are confirmed on CX883 leaving at 11.50 pm and the 3rd is confirmed on CX 881 leaving at 1.50 am, 2 hours later. The reason is that there are not enough seats on one flight for them all to travel together. They are cross-waitlisting for each others flights in the hope that they can travel together.
It is quite likely that there will be empty seats on both flights so that they can travel together. But I do not think Alaska Air at IAD will clear the waitlist and let them travel together. This will mean they will most likely confirm at LAX.
However, by the time they get to LAX, their luggage would already have been checked in (previously at IAD) for 2 different CX flights. I can well understand the CX staff at LAX might agreefor them to travel together if convenient. But will they be able to fish out luggage from one flight to go on the next? Or will it be too much trouble so that they will not allow the family to fly together?
Thanks.
Incy.
A family of 3 is traveling IAD-LAX-HKG. The IAD-LAX will be on Alaska Air and LAX-HKG will be on CX. This should mean that all bags can be checked in at IAD so that they will only be transitting at LAX with only hand luggage.
The thing is 2 of them are confirmed on CX883 leaving at 11.50 pm and the 3rd is confirmed on CX 881 leaving at 1.50 am, 2 hours later. The reason is that there are not enough seats on one flight for them all to travel together. They are cross-waitlisting for each others flights in the hope that they can travel together.
It is quite likely that there will be empty seats on both flights so that they can travel together. But I do not think Alaska Air at IAD will clear the waitlist and let them travel together. This will mean they will most likely confirm at LAX.
However, by the time they get to LAX, their luggage would already have been checked in (previously at IAD) for 2 different CX flights. I can well understand the CX staff at LAX might agreefor them to travel together if convenient. But will they be able to fish out luggage from one flight to go on the next? Or will it be too much trouble so that they will not allow the family to fly together?
Thanks.
Incy.
Mar 19, 2007 | 8:09 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
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Posts: 26,017
Check everyone's luggage under the two people travelling together on CX 883. So that the other person travelling on CX 881 has no luggage to deal with should his flight clear by the time everyone gets to LAX. It will be much easier for him / her to change BPs than for CX to hunt down the bags. The alternate is to check the bags only to LAX, and then take the bags to TBIT yourself.. but given the loooooong security line-ups at TBIT involving international flights, that may be troublesome.
Mar 19, 2007 | 8:41 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,184
Check everyone's luggage under the two people travelling together on CX 883. So that the other person travelling on CX 881 has no luggage to deal with should his flight clear by the time everyone gets to LAX. It will be much easier for him / her to change BPs than for CX to hunt down the bags.
First of all, many thanks, Guy Betsy.
Yes, agree this is one good option. However, the little snag is that at the moment, there shows more availability on the later flight CX881 than the earlier one (they are on upgrades).
The important thing is this - I reckon you agree that if there is seat(s) available, the CX staff are likely to allow the waitlist to confirm by issuing new BP, but unlikely to do so if it means hunting down and re-organizing luggage. Yes?