US beat DL to this by several months. There are some complications from DOT rules on baggage fees that are somewhat driving this.

I suspect that UA and AA will follow in short order.

 

The main issue with issuing the entire reservation on one ticket is usually price. Two tickets is often MUCH cheaper than one ticket on multiple carriers. They won't even allow downline luggage check for two tickets within the same PNR (i.e. where they see the downline connections).

How true.

 

It does. It is often impossible to book some flights or airlines together with others, as the ticketing source can not ticket one of the airlines one is flying, or for example it's an award ticket where there is N/A for some connecting flight that is then a separate revenue ticket. There are a lot of examples where there is no option but as two separate tickets. Having to go out, clear immigration, pick up bags, recheck, clear immigration again and clear security is a major hassle. It also makes some connections impossible, such as at places like SVO where a visa is required to exit to the baggage claim. So, for example, this will make a connection now from DL to an SU international flight at SVO impossible, where one could be booked as an award and other couldn't be and has to be a revenue ticket, just to use one example (of countless many).

 

Lot of times you can't book a single ticket, e.g. booking on the DL website. This will be a killer for making connections because of TSA and especially on international where it means going through immigration once and sometimes twice.

Ridiculous!

 

wow - so if I fly DL over the pond and then by a sky team ticket - speparate to make a conection I have to collect my bags - go out and back through security internationaly - That SUCKS

Seems this is a journey logic issue to push higher fares

 

Hawaiian Airlines already put this rule into effect this past summer.

If you have multi tickets you will need to pick up bags and recheck them on the next airline.

Multi airlines on one ticket, bag checked to final destination.

All airlines will eventually change thier policies to match HA and DL due to new DOT rules enacted this year.

 

Air Canada tried this for about 2 years, and had to backpedal on the policy.

They wouldnt even check bags thru on two separate AC itineraries.

 

These will just drive a lot of booking to 3rd-party agencies and even the actual flying to other airlines.

In the near term, people can purchase tickets 11-12 months in advance but they're only giving 2.5 month notice of the change. How many misconnects will result from people have to exit security, reclaim their luggage, and check in again? How many customers will be subjected to a shakedown for rebookings at last-minute walkup fares? In overseas airports this will also result in extra trips through passport control & customs.

Most travelers will never be affected by this, but for those that are, it will be a major hassle.

 

So are you saying that if we book through an outside agency (e.g. Carlson Wagonlit) getting a single PNR with tickets for (I work with someone who does this occasionally ):

Minneapolis-Paris, Paris-Dubai, Dubai-Islamabad

... someone will still be forced to play the exit-claim-luggage-and-check-in game in Paris or Dubai?

When the announcement cited here refers to "ticket", is it referring to a PNR or to each separate ticket # within a PNR? If the latter, it's even more Draconian that one would think at first glance.

 

US DoT is just US, why should non-US airlines or even US airlines for international flights follow any such US DoT rules where US DoT has no authority?

 

I do give DL some credit for giving more notification about these rules than AC and not leaving us to find changes on their website.
(Although AC's website is easier to use and doesn't stalk you like DL.dumb)

 

I don't really understand it. Why the rules has been change? I have no absolutely idea.

 

Because airline companies are like that.

 

Hawaii was. HA stopped accepting OAL bags in separate tickets a LONG while ago.

 

What notice of the changes has DL given to its customers? We only know about this because it was posted on FT by someone who is not a DL employee AFAIK.