Checking baggage through on 2 different CO itins
Dec 18, 2006 | 7:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,676
Checking baggage through on 2 different CO itins
Mrs. Catbert10 and I are traveling to LGW for a quick post Christmas vacation. I snagged a couple of reward tickets for IAH – LGW a few months ago. I was unable to get anything out of AUS because of the AUS - IAH segment. Earlier this month, we decided that instead of driving to IAH from Austin, we would fly instead. Mrs. Catbert10 also needs a few more miles to qualify as Silver. We purchased a round-trip AUS-IAH to bookend our IAH-LGW trip. My question regards baggage. Since both itins are on CO, will we be able to check baggage in AUS all the way through to LGW?
TIA
TIA
Dec 18, 2006 | 8:18 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: CLE
Posts: 9,816
Yes, this shouldn't be a problem though make sure you have documentation for both flights available for the agent at check-in.
Dec 18, 2006 | 12:52 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Rewards Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,406
I have had agents tell me at check-in "We're not supposed to do this, but since you're Platinum..."
I think you won't have a problem.
I think you won't have a problem.
Dec 18, 2006 | 1:03 pm
#4
Company Representative, United Airlines
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
As for our policy when transferring bags between a Continental itinerary and an itinerary operated by another airline, technically our policy is to only allow it when the connecting airline's flight is in the same reservation. That said, this is something we frequently override, especially for Elites and especially with international itineraries.
Dec 18, 2006 | 1:10 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
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CO Insider,
Thanks for the info. I didn't think it would be a problem, but I wanted to make sure.
Thanks for the info. I didn't think it would be a problem, but I wanted to make sure.
Last edited by Catbert10; Dec 18, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Dec 22, 2006 | 10:34 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: CO Gold, SPG Gold, AMX Plat
Posts: 108
I have the same thing coming up myself. When I called to have the two itineraries combined because I wanted to avoid any problems I was told that they couldn't combine them, but that their policy states that they can check the luggage through so long as you have proof of the ongoing/connecting flight (a copy of the itinerary should suffice). They should also be able to print your connecting boarding pass for you when you check in (assuming you weren't able to online).
Dec 22, 2006 | 11:11 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: Alas, the Gravy Train Hath Ended...just happy to be an OW Sapphire and a ST Ivory...whatever
Posts: 4,389
I did this a few months ago at LAS. I used the kiosk, but when I went to give the ticketing agent my bags, she asked that, in the future, don't use the kiosk (OLCI is okay) to print out the baggage tags, let them do it because they have to combine your itin's manually.
Dec 22, 2006 | 12:09 pm
#8
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theblakefish, did the counter agent magic on the outbound affect the return at all? Did the return still show as 2 different itins?
Jan 1, 2007 | 12:02 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
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Here's what happened.
On the outbound, the ticket counter agent printed the baggage tag for the IAH-LGW segment, then hand wrote the AUS-IAH information. The baggage made the trip without incident.
On the return, the LGW agent took about 10 minutes to hand write the LGW-IAH-AUS information on green baggage tags. At IAH, the baggage handler told us we had to go to the baggage desk inside the Intl baggage claim area to have the IAH-AUS information re-printed. Made me wonder why the LGW agent even bothered.
But everything made it there with little fuss, so things worked out.
On the outbound, the ticket counter agent printed the baggage tag for the IAH-LGW segment, then hand wrote the AUS-IAH information. The baggage made the trip without incident.
On the return, the LGW agent took about 10 minutes to hand write the LGW-IAH-AUS information on green baggage tags. At IAH, the baggage handler told us we had to go to the baggage desk inside the Intl baggage claim area to have the IAH-AUS information re-printed. Made me wonder why the LGW agent even bothered.
But everything made it there with little fuss, so things worked out.
Jan 1, 2007 | 3:32 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Surprised they had to hand-write the whole thing.
They should be able to simply mirror the other segments in your first PNR and check the bags straight through. This would also be preferred because if your connection is delayed, they may better be able to help you out.
Do this all the time with multiple same-airline tickets, and more often with tickets of alliance partners or other airlines where an interline baggage agreement is extant. From CO to CO should be a no-brainer.
They should be able to simply mirror the other segments in your first PNR and check the bags straight through. This would also be preferred because if your connection is delayed, they may better be able to help you out.
Do this all the time with multiple same-airline tickets, and more often with tickets of alliance partners or other airlines where an interline baggage agreement is extant. From CO to CO should be a no-brainer.
Jan 1, 2007 | 7:23 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Here there everywhere
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When connecting bags between two separate Continental itineraries - should not be a problem at all.
As for our policy when transferring bags between a Continental itinerary and an itinerary operated by another airline, technically our policy is to only allow it when the connecting airline's flight is in the same reservation. That said, this is something we frequently override, especially for Elites and especially with international itineraries.
As for our policy when transferring bags between a Continental itinerary and an itinerary operated by another airline, technically our policy is to only allow it when the connecting airline's flight is in the same reservation. That said, this is something we frequently override, especially for Elites and especially with international itineraries.
Having an international itinerary with Continental and a seperate reservation with another skyteam partner (say KLM)?
Also you mentioned elites, does CO also extend this to other SkyTeam elite members or only OnePass?
Thanks ^
Jan 1, 2007 | 8:08 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: CRP
Programs: CO-Platinum; Amex Platinum; SPG-Gold; Peasant with AA, & WN, Hotels: PH, KC, OM, HH, MC, HI(IN) & JD
Posts: 402
I do this a lot. I've found booking CRP-IAH then IAH-lostofplaces results in fares hundreds of dollars cheaper.
The bags always get checked through, but I've found lots of ticket counter agents don't know how to do it on the computer and about 1/3 of the time they end up hand writing the tags. I always allow an extra 15 minutes at check-in when I do this, just in case.
The bags always get checked through, but I've found lots of ticket counter agents don't know how to do it on the computer and about 1/3 of the time they end up hand writing the tags. I always allow an extra 15 minutes at check-in when I do this, just in case.
May 26, 2007 | 4:15 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
Programs: CO Silver, HHonors Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 983
When connecting bags between two separate Continental itineraries - should not be a problem at all.
As for our policy when transferring bags between a Continental itinerary and an itinerary operated by another airline, technically our policy is to only allow it when the connecting airline's flight is in the same reservation. That said, this is something we frequently override, especially for Elites and especially with international itineraries.
As for our policy when transferring bags between a Continental itinerary and an itinerary operated by another airline, technically our policy is to only allow it when the connecting airline's flight is in the same reservation. That said, this is something we frequently override, especially for Elites and especially with international itineraries.
May 26, 2007 | 2:01 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSE
Programs: BA Silver, TK Elite, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 466
Back before I had *any* elite status at all, I had two separate itineraries, one from AUS-IAH-CDG, and a second on Air France - with a paper ticket on that AF one, even - from CDG-BIO. The agent at AUS checked me in for all three segments and checked my bag right through to BIO. Although, since I entered Schengen at CDG, I think I may have had to walk my bag through some kind of customs and then re-drop it for the CDG-BIO leg, I don't remember though.
May 26, 2007 | 2:25 pm
#15
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Flying on a CO RTW reward ticket I was able to have the agent in ROR check my bag to MNL and then on to a TG flight to BKK. The ROR agent didn't seem to be phased by it at all. I'm not surprised that the EWR agents aren't keen on doing this for PAX, and I suppose they've got an out since it is within the spec according to CO Insider, but it seems like CO has all these inter-line agreements with carriers so it shouldn't be such a problem. And yet it is. Go figure.