I have booked a few separate OW tickets and I have had good luck with not missing connections. If I would miss a connection I would go to a representative and tell them. How much do airline employees know about this policy?

What policy?? :confused::confused:
No one has yet proved, with credible verifiable evidence, that OW miss connection policy on separate tickets/PNR's exists.
We are waiting for those who state it exists to show us and prove it!!!

This is sort of my problem here. Even if a policy exists, it's hardly unusual for an employee—let alone a contractor who doesn't really speak English—either not to have heard of it, or actually to make up some complete fiction about why it doesn't exist or cannot be executed.

So I am a little uncomfortable in advising anyone "oh don't worry, the S7 agent in PEK will take care of you" ... you need a back up plan.

I'm amused that you dissed my suggestion that a traveler might be prepared with a written document to guide that contractor, but accept that your contract employee is going to 'make up a complete fiction' to discomfort the traveler.

In any case, given the reality you describe, a traveler on separate bookings had better be prepared to pay the price for missing a connection, have timed it to allow for some level of irrops, and have already considered alternates for making a connection if he learns soon enough that e.g. the original flight will NOOP or be significantly late.

The agent(s) at the connection point may speak good English and be willing and authorized to solve the problem, but that should be considered a gift rather than a given.

Your suggestion was, I think, and please correct me if I am wrong, that a person should fabricate a document and fraudulently assert it was created by oneworld. The less said about this the better.

Yes - thanks

BA: SFO-LHR-MAD Seperate IB: MAD-LIS
 

I understand that only AA has a policy of getting you to your final destination when you have a separate OW ticket but BA does not appear to have the same policy.

I am flying on BA SFO-LHR-MAD (Business), unfortunately the SFO-LHR flight has a delay of about 3 hours which will make me misconnect at LHR. The next available flight to MAD gets me into Madrid around 10:30pm.

I have a separate ticket on IB from MAD-LIS (Economy) which departs at 10:45pm, which I will clearly miss. I just called BA and they would not help me with getting me to LIS even though its their delay that is causing all this disruption.

I wanted to get your advice/experience about the best way of handling this situation.

1. I called but they were no help. Would the ticket counter for BA at SFO be able to help? Would LHR be better?

2. If SFO can't help me and I have a bag to check, should I just check it to LHR and deal with trying to get to LIS at Heathrow? I tried to ask for a direct flight from LHR-LIS but they said its not their problem and that MAD is my final destination with BA.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Indeed , BA has no policy regarding offering protection on separate tickets

You may just have to purchase another ticket to LIS if IB will not move you free of charge. If you cannot make the connection, I would not think that the check in agent would be able to check bags through

You can ask at SFO if they can assist in getting to destination, but do not be surprised if you get referred to IB, What is the change policy on your IB ticket ? Can you change it now to a different fight

Thanks Dave for the info. The IB RT ticket is pretty restricted and doesn't allow changes or refunds.

If the flight has been delayed 3+ hours, then EC261 may apply and you could be due EUR300 compensation which should cover the cost. If delay reaches 4 hours then EUR600

Do keep an eye on actual delay to see whether you are due compensation

BA often refuses to help when a delay on their part causes a misconnect on the same ticket.

Dave - So, If the SFO-LHR is delayed in excess of 3+ hours, I can potentially receive 300 Euros?

EC261/2004 considers how late the arrival at MAD when compared with original itinerary; not arrival into LHR. If your actual arrival into MAD is 3+ hours or more then compensation is due assuming delay was caused by reasons within airline control.

I asked LAN about luggage check through for my FRA-MAD-BCN trip,
where MAD-BCN with IB, LAN says they will not check through my
luggage.

If MAD-BCN is on a different ticket to FRA-MAD , then there is no entitlement to through luggage checking . If the airline chooses not to offer it, you will just have to collect them in MAD