DL - VS interlining checked in luggage
 

Hi DL experts,
One more question on my upcoming MSP - DEL trip. Background: traveling in C MSP-LHR on DL and LHR-DEL on VS, also in C. There's a 8 hour layover in LHR (deliberate choice so that arrival in DEL is in the am).

My question is, if I check a bag MSP-DEL, will DL interline it over? Also, with a 8 hour layover, is there any risk that the bag doesn't make it to the VS flight? It will get the yellow priority tag, but will that make any difference?

Appreciate any thoughts/advice.

Added after initial posting: One 006 ticket and its Delta and Virgin Atlantic

Delta should interline your bag to VS. If you are on the same ticket, it will happen automatically. If you are on separate tickets, you will have to show them your VS reservation at check-in.

An 8 hour layover is plenty of time for your bag to connect (at Heathrow it will actually go to a special storage facility for long-layover bags). If you do something like this in the future, note that on a 12+ hour layover, Delta requires you to pick up your bag at the baggage claim and re-check it. There's a thread about short-checked bags on DL around here that details that.

However 12 hour limit is only for DL to DL metal transfers.

FYI, Virgin Atlantic is "VS" not "VA". Not trying to be pedantic but it is an important clarification because VA is Virgin Australia and DL and Virgin Australia used to have a close relationship along with bag-interlining (including on separate tickets) but DL and VS dropped their partnership a while ago. Conversely, DL does have a tight partnership (including checking bags across separate tickets) with VS and conflating the two codes could cause confusion in the responses as from your thread title, I thought you were referring to Virgin Australia (VA) but upon reading your OP, could tell you were referring to Virgin Atlantic (VS).

To answer your question: yes, if these are separate tickets, DL can through check your bag to the LHR-DEL flight operated by VS. If on a separate ticket, have a paper printout of your LHR-DEL ticket and let the agent know you need to through check your bag across the second ticket. Verify yourself the bag tag actually shows DEL as the final and not LHR before the agent places the tag on the bag and puts it on the belt.

Ah, thank you for the clarification! I went and made the changes to the title and my initial message. Yes, its Virgin Atlantic and the entire trip is on one ticket 006 stock. The VS flight has a DL flight number DL5947 (VS 300).

Thank you everyone for your responses!

Update: VS lost a bag.

Interestingly, I noticed one of my bags on the T3 arrivals baggage carousal as I was heading to the Arrivals Lounge because of my long layover. Its a cardboard carton with souvenirs (personalized water bottles)

So I picked it up and walked over to the baggage office right across and asked the agent what it was doing on the belt when it was checked through to DEL. He verified that my other bag was in the system and that this must’ve been offloaded because it was irregular. Okaay…. its just a brown cardboard carton.

He said no worries, it’ll be on the flight with you. Well, it wasn’t. Its been 48 hrs and I got a generic response to my email saying they are still locating it. The second bag I checked (normal suitcase) made it to DEL.

At this point should I just give up? Is there someway to contact a live person? I sent them the details on Twitter, the Whatsapp number provided to me at DEL, and by email, but only get canned responses.

The reunion ends in a couple of days in JDH and then there’s no point in forwarding the bottles to the destination city.

Thoughts? I did post on the VS forum, but am posting here as well because I wanted to update everyone on this thread of this saga that I started a few days ago.

TY as always.