Hi All,

Not quite sure if this is the best forum for a multi-airline thread, so feel free to move it...

I'm looking at booking an international ticket through a site like Orbitz that involves traveling on two non-allied carriers. I realize its not a great idea to do this, but the cost factor is pretty significant here.

So some questions...

0. Interline agreement exists between the airlines, so I assume bags can be checked all the way through, boarding passes obtained, etc.

1. Who exactly is responsible for me during a multi-airline international itinerary? I assume I'm guaranteed travel to my destination... but who is doing the guaranteeing? Orbitz? The initial carrier? The "primary" carrier? The carrier whose ticket stock is used?

2. What are my options/rights during a misconnect between the two airlines on the same ticket? Should I easily be accommodated on next space available, or will I have to fight to get the second airline to reaccomodate me?

3. What are my options if one airline goes bankrupt? Does the issue then go back to the agency where I bought it?

4. I assume if you miss any segment of the ticket, regardless of the airline, all segments cancel?

Thanks!

Generally, yes. TK is known for not checking through for TK domestic continuing to other carrier international, but generally you should be OK.

It all comes from the contract of carriage. For CO, for example, if you are "delivered" late then the carrier delivering you is responsible. The company selling the ticket (Orbitz in your example) is certainly not the responsible party.

See above and the CoC of the various carriers involved.

Back to the ticketing carrier at that point.

Generally, yes.

Though I would be extremely careful in missing a segment unless it is the last segment of your itinerary, often if you have two carriers who use totally different reservation systems, it is possible that if you miss a segment with the first airline, the flights on the second airline won't be canceled. But the return flights on the first airline would be canceled. For example, if one ticket had:

MSP-DTW NW
DTW-IAD UA
IAD-DTW UA
DTW-MSP NW

If you miss the MSP-DTW flight, your UA flights might not be canceled, but your DTW-MSP flight would be.

John