Yllanes

There are no customs or passport control when travelling from Italy to Spain, your only variable is the time it takes for the bag to appear on the belt. Since you are arriving at T4, rather than the satellite, it should not be too bad.

[On a separate note: there have been electronic passport scanners for years, it's just that currently they do not allow non-EU passports.]

FlyingFrZ

Bumping this to see if anyone has recent success through checking bags on two separate IB tickets.

Flying IB LAX to MAD and then MAD to ZRH two different PNRs

FlyingFrZ

Sorry to bump my own question, but my flight from LAX just moved two hours later and my 3hr 30min connection is now 1hr 30min.

I called Iberia and the rep mentioned he associated the two bookings in their system and the check in agent at LAX should see both bookings check my bags all the way to Zurich.

Any recent anecdotal evidence that IB will through check the bags?

craigthemif

I assume that you are making alternative plans for travelling HBO or for booking a different MAD-ZRH flight. And planning to arrive to LAX far earlier than usual.

Unless you speak excellent Spanish, you probably have been told a little white lie by the agent to get you off the phone. Words such as "linked", "associated", "merged" are nothing more than comments added to your PNR. (which may or may not have even been added properly) The check-in agent at LAX would be free to ignore them, as you still have 2 separate tickets.

FlyingFrZ

Can't go HBO so I'm hoping the check in agent will accommodate us. If not, we'll be spending two nights in Madrid instead of Zurich

Also going to the airport several hours early. Thank goodness for the Qantas lounge.

London Dude

As Craig stated, I think you're unlikely to be allowed a through check-in at LAX, but I hope I'm wrong.

Please be sure to keep us posted either way, it will be useful to know the outcome. Good luck and safe travels!

FlyingFrZ

Thank you

I was mostly curious if anyone has succeeded in having the check in agent through check bags. I know it is unlikely, but I wanted to know if it was even something the Iberia check in agents had the power to do.

London Dude

It used to be possible, then oneworld changed the rules about 6-7 years ago:
https://www.executivetraveller.com/d...of-a-nightmare

I fell foul of the new rules myself shortly after they were introduced.I was flying ORD-MAD-FCO on two separate tickets on IB. I attempted to do a through check-in at ORD and the computer said "no". I said that it must be an error as I'd been able to do the same at ORD in the past. The IB check-in lady double-checked on the computer and then made a phone call, and she infomed me that they they were no longer allowed to do that for passengers on separate tickets.

In the end it wasn't a big deal for me, as I had a 4-hour layover at MAD and I wasn't worried. My bag was already waiting for me when I arrived at the luggage carousel at MAD T4S, which I found impressive. Dropping off the luggage for my MAD-FCO flight at the T4 check-in also took no time. I reckon I walked into T4's Dali lounge within 30-40 minutes of disembarking from the ORD-MAD fliight.

FlyingFrZ

Can report back now.

As mentioned by many, I was also met with a hard no at check in.

The flight was an unusual one in that it departed at 10:25PM and was the second IB flight out of LAX that day.

Apparently, there was a special flight to bring the Real Madrid team to LA and we were the planes return flight to MAD.

As a result, the situation was a mess at check in where they didn't even have check in counters set up properly. Had to use a manager terminal to check everyone in with only one line and it was a mess. Suffice to say the agents were pretty frustrated so I didn't push back much on through checking.

Real shame One World airlines no longer allow this. Just two months ago I did the exact same thing with Asiana and they didn't even blink an eye.
​
On a positive note, Madrid airport was empty and immigration had no line at all. We were able to catch our flight to ZRH with plenty of time to spare

London Dude

Thanks for the update.

Madrid is a great airport for catching a connectiing flight!

salut0

Any update on this?

Have an itinerary LIS-MAD-JFK on Sunday.

One traveler has a basic economy ticket on one PNR LIS-MAD-JFK (AA-coded and IB-operated flights) and is BA Bronze, which according to the AJB basic economy benefits thread either does (at the top) or doesn’t (at the bottom) get a free checked bag.

The other two travelers are BA Gold who are unambiguous in getting free checked bags on AA coded IB operated flights and on IB coded IB operated flights, but the tickets here are two separate PNRs — mileage redemption LIS-MAD followed by paid MAD-JFK.

connection time in MAD is short — 1h15 — so I won’t chance having to collect and recheck bags between itineraries.

Whats the likelihood they’ll say okay to checking the bag through for free for the BA Bronze (OW Ruby) member with the single ticket?

Or would they be more likely to okay the BA Gold travelers with two tickets and interline?

Or will they just say no to everything?

jonr405

Technically Yes to free checked bag for the basic economy ticket, as the marketing carrier is AA and traveller is Ruby. That said be prepared to fight at an outstation if the check-in agent isn't aware of the relevant rules. If it were Iberia marketed then the card holder would have to be specifically Iberia ruby level not just one world ruby level.

Hard NO on BA Golds through checking on separate PNRs I'm afraid.

Worst case scenario the basic economy pax has to pay for the bag, which with only 1hr 15m connection in MAD might not make the flight anyway... If it were me, I'd do hand baggage only

craigthemif

Your only realistic option is to have the BA Bronze member pay to check in as many bags as necessary.

But 1h 15m on separate tickets is lunacy. I'd be more worried about the humans making the long-haul flight at all rather than the bags...

Because of the cost of the bags, it might end up cheaper, and certainly safer, for one or both of the two BA Golds to book earlier flights to MAD.

salut0

Thank goodness this worked out okay. Having the BA Bronze member the bag was fine and surprisingly the check in agent at LIS put it through without asking for extra payment, when I’d steeled myself for a fight and saved an image of the helpful table from the AJB Basic economy thread on the BA board to show if necessary as proof.

Headed off the check in agent trying to force us to check wheeled bags instead of taking them as carry on for LIS-MAD which would have been a disaster if it couldn’t be checked through. I refused, told him I couldn’t, said I’d do it at the gate, but he only relented when I pointed out that two of us were BA Gold.

Fight to use fast track in LIS which didn’t work but allowed through a faster line since we were traveling with a child

Lovely lounge in LIS.

Horrible connection in MAD. 1h15 is way too short. Flight was late, ran all the way, only just made it. So unrelaxing. Next time I’d only book a minimum 3hr connection in MAD…

Happily the checked bag did actually turn up at JFK!