Hello,

On 3 March 2013 I have a flight from BRU-MAD ( 12:00 - 14:30).
In MAD I have a flight with destination HNL (layover in JFK and LAX) that leaves at 16:35 in MAD.

The flights are within the Oneworld Alliance: BRU-MAD and MAD-JFK are with Iberia and the other flights with AA.
I talked to Iberia on Facebook and they said I would have to recheck my baggage in MAD since I have 2 reservations. Since I only have 2h5min I was wondering if this is sufficient time.

I have never been to MAD airport so I don't know how smooth things work there. In my mind I had the best case scenario that my flight arrives on time and that I get my luggage by 15:00. That leaves me 35 min(since checkin and luggage need to be completed 1 hour before take off) to check my luggage. I will check in online beforehand though.

-Do able?
-Can't they make some changes that my luggage is auto checked to HNL? Maybe merge reservations?
-MAD overall experience?

Here are the replies I got from Iberia yesterday on Facebook:
"Hello Frank, this is possible only when the whole flight is under the same reservation. We apologize for the inconvenience but you'll have to check-in your luggage again in MAD. Regards."

"If your tickets are already bought, then no, it's not possible, Frank. As for the time between flights, it does not leave much margin for retrieving your luggage and checking in for an international flight. If you've not yet bought your tickets, you may wish to leave a bit more margin. Best regards."

"Hello Frank, we just spoke with our colleagues about the case. There's a possibility that showing your ticket for the MAD-HNL flight your luggage might be checked to your final destination since AA is member of the oneworld alliance. We can't guarantee this, but you'll have to tell our colleague at the counter in BRU that you are having another flight from MAD to HNL with AA and she might be able to help. Kind regards."

Thanks.

Without being able to answer your question, I do think it is extraordinary that you have managed to get three email responses to your question(s). And those answers attempt to answer your question rather than give some useless form response.

I must say I was suprised as well. I sent them questions through Facebook. Don't know where that person was located, but I received answers at midnight my time ( gmt +1), so I assume it were Americans.

I do hope that I can find a good solution though, if I miss that flight my vacation is not off to a good start..
*edit: is it actually not possible to have them merge the 2 reservations? I asked but they said it wasn't possible. I don't really see why?

This is the best and most accurate answer. If the BRU check-in people can see the onward reservation, they may be able to include those flights on the bag tag. Or, they may have a strict policy NOT to do so. I've had it go both ways.

Because the two reservations are more than just your name. They include separate tariff and tax conditions, change and cancellation rules, fare classes, and many more types of data that can't be "merged." The counter people can put a comment or notation on the "PNR" (passenger name record - the actual "reservation") for the first flight that mentions the onward reservation/PNR, but they can't merge them.

Iberia have an earlier flight on that day. You might think about absorbing the change fee and moving to that flight to give you more of a cushion at MAD.

Not a way to know for sure if they could/would do it in BRU?
I checked the change fee yesterday evening. It was a whopping 157 euros to take an earlier flight. I paid 107 euros total for the round trip. It would be cheaper to cancel the whole roundtrip and just buy a new roundtrip.
Maybe they can help me out more by phone, maybe they can do it for free since it doesn't cost them anything probably.

It's just too bad I can't know *for sure* how the bags will go. I maybe could make it with the 2h5min, but it's risky. And the other option of an earlier flight leaves a 6 hour layover.

*edit: appearantly the price they show is the total price, it would cost me an extra 50 euros to have that earlier flight. Maybe I could have more luck doing it over the phone? If you tell them they can't check your bags for your following Iberia flight? The quotes from IB mainly said that the problems lie because there are also flights with AA. I'd be happy as well if they could check them to JFK(Iberia flight). I have a 2h30min layover there, but to a domestic flight. Gives me more space to recheck them there.

*edit2: for the return trip I have 2h25min layover. So need to get a domestic flight from MAD-BRU then. Would that be enough time? I see the fare change is €50 if I change 1 flight or 2 flights(weird...), but the next flight to BRU is at 16:00, and I come in from Boston at 06:20 ( now I have the 8:45 to BRU).

And what happens if I would only change the first flight, but I would miss the return flight. Would I have to pay again for them to put me on the next flight, probably so..

Could you make this trip with only hand luggage? Another option

You should be fine. I've never had problems through checking bags on a non-lcc european carrier with 2 reservations. That being said, even if you do, I've had a 2 hr connection and needed to re-check bags in MAD (ryanair to UA, so 2 separate terminals), and I had enough time.

for rechecking bags you don't have that much time, no? If you arrive at 2:30 and get your bags by 3:00, then you need to have them rechecked before 3:35. And hoping you don't have any wait at the check in desk. I also have to change 'terminals', 4 to 4S.

Seems a bit risky with about a 30 min window

It could be doable. It depends which terminals each flight is using.

I've had 2 connections through MAD. Both had baggage issues.
The first was FCO-MAD-LHR on the same ticket (IB>BA). When I checked in at FCO, they were able to give me boarding passes for all sectors (including connection past LHR), but baggage kept coming up as 'unable' past MAD. The IB agent at Rome kept trying for 20 minutes and called a few people but was never able to get the system to check the bag to the next flight, even doing a manual tag failed - the system wouldn't record the tag number. Had to recollect and recheck bags at MAD. Had 2.5 hours. Only made the drop in time because I had priority tags and the MAD agents were expecting me.
The other connection was BCN-MAD-LHR-DXB. BCN-MAD on a different ticket and IB to LHR. Had problems again and ended up doing a manual tag. They offered the pick up and recheck, but I only had 100 mins for the connection, which promoted the manual tag. The bag made it through MAD alright, then got misplaced at LHR. (I was only in DXB for the day. The bag came down on the next flight - which was the same aircraft I was going back to LHR on...)

I believe there is a contractual part of the oneworld agreements signed by all the member airlines that allows for interlining between oneworld carriers, even on separate tickets, as long as the tickets are on the stock of said oneworld carriers.

Having posted that - it is really up to the staff in BRU to do so - they may refuse for several reasons, including with an IB -> IB connection on separate tickets, it's up to IB, not oneworld whether they do so.

Hm, so your first case you made it because you had priority tags and an agent waiting. I also have to count in the extra time for security/pasport control for international flight.
I think my safest bet here is just to get the earlier flight.. For the return trip: I land at 6:20am and my flight to BRU leaves at 8:45am. Could this be doable? Don't know if I could ask in HNL for priority tags for the BOS-MAD part only? And how do these priority tags actually work? They put the bags in a seperate cart that comes first?
I could also change my return flight for the same amount of money, but that gives me a 10 hour layover.. So for the return I have 2h20min and the luggage has to be checked in 45min before departure. (also T4 and T4S)

In that case, I had to get from the gate to baggage claim, wait for bag, head up to BA check in (thankfully didn't have to deal with a line), hand over bags, confirm boarding pass to LHR, security and passport control. I don't recall if I had to deal with the 4-4S train on that trip as well. I had to on the second one.

You can't get priority tags simply by asking for them. You only get them if you are in a J or F cabin or have a high status level. I had the tags because I was in the business cabin and have oneworld Emerald status.

In theory, yes. Priority tagged baggage is meant to be the last on, so first off. In some parts of the world this almost always works, in others it almost never does and anywhere in between. When it works the way it is meant to, priority tags are wonderful, when it doesn't... well it's frustrating, but really, you're no worse off then anyone else on the plane.

Oh ok, though you had them issued because of the short layover in Madrid. Think it'll be the safest bet to get an earlier flight (in my case). If the bags aren't autochecked it's too much of a risk to miss the second flight.

*edit: in the return I have 2h25min. Would that be enough time to make it? It's to a EU flight though, so baggage has to be checked 45min beforehand. I do have to go from T4S to T4. From what I've read the baggage is to be picked up at T4 as well. If I pick a later flight there's a layover of 10 hours

Haven't changed my outbound flight out of BRU yet, but got another reply from Iberia:
"Hi Frank, being that your flight out of Madrid is also on Iberia, you will be able to check the bags through to JFK. Kind regards."

Even though it's 2 reservations.. In JFK I have about 2 and a half hours till my next(domestic) flight. I do have to switch terminals, 7 to 8.

In JFK it's probably do able I think, never had to wait more than 30min with immigration.
Just find it a bit weird they say it is 100% possible to check them in BRU til JFK. While their other message was 'maybe maybe'. ( maybe for the AA part or the fact that it were 2 reservations?)