MCT for DL-MU connection at JFK is 1:40. OP seems to have booked two separate tickets to change in JFK for 1:57. It is very tight but doable if all goes well. As others posted, luggage can be checked through, the only issue is to go to MU check in desk to get boarding pass. MU doesn't allowed self-printed boarding pass from USA anyway. Even if OP were able to OLCI, he/she still need to go to MU check in desk.

:rolleyes:

It certainly does change that. He can't check in for the overwater leg until he gets to JFK. That's a very, very significant difference.

That's right. Having ATL-JFK-PVG on one ticket will allow thru check in which often, not always, works. However, that requires I fare and can easily double the costs.

Why is that a "very, very significant difference?" If luggage needed to be claimed and rechecked then, yes, it would be a big difference, but that's not the case. What's the big deal about checking in? Am I missing something?

I would expect that business class check in, when luggage is already checked, would take approximately 2 minutes, maybe 5 if there is a line. Other than that, everything else would be identical to traveling on one PNR, right?

It effectively shortens the connection time by an hour since there's a check-in cutoff.

The difference is that OP will be protected in case of flight delay/cancellation for ATL-JFK. Even with one thru ticket, OP may or may not be able to check in for MU flight at ATL. Checking in for partner operated flight is always hit-or-miss.:( Nevertheless, OP will be protected on one thru ticket if ATL-JFK is delayed or cancelled.

OK, that's a good point. But still, OP had an hour to make it just to check in. Apparently MU has this specific policy of not allowing advanced check in. I'm still not sure that this is something that the DL agent should have been expected to know.

Almost any time there are separate tickets and separate PNRs, I would assume unless I specifically know otherwise that I will need to check in twice. In fact, even if the rules say that through check in is allowed, I would be skeptical about whether a random DL agent will know this and/or be able to do it on the day of travel.

Well, if you were told you were being booked a separate reservation on a separate airlines on JFK-PVG, as the OP was, I'm not sure why you would think -- in the first place -- that you'd be able to check in for the JFK-PVG flight at ATL. And some basic research probably would have revealed that (apparently) you can't do OLCI either with MU. As I think someone mentioned, not sure why one would expect a DL agent to even know that. And that seems to be the bigger issue here than the baggage, which it sounds like they will check through. Caveat Emptor!

This is a prime example where a good travel agent would have saved the traveller lots of aggravation, time and money. Airline agents are supposed to sell flights marketed by the airline they are working for - whether it's the best deal for the passenger or not does not matter, since they are not in the business to sell tickets based on the fares filed by other airlines, including most alliance partners.

China Eastern is having a substantially better/cheaper fare structure between ATL and PVG, with the lowest published fare starting at 4920 USD plus taxes and fees, vs. Delta starting at 6440 USD plus taxes and fees. China Eastern allows interlining on the domestic flights to their LAX/SFO/NYC/ORD/YYZ/YVR gateways on many airlines - not just DL, but also AA, WS and AS - thus giving the traveller many more options.

With everything on one single ticket, odds are that through check-in should work - and in the event of a missed connection, the airline causing the misconnection would be obligated to re-route the passenger.

With one of the latest, if not the latest, update to the DL app, you are now able to check in for separate tickets that fly on the same day. Successfully did so a month ago.