AA TAM baggage check through in GRU
 

Hi,

we are flying the route CDG->MIA->GRU on an AA ticket and want to buy a second ticket to continue travelling GRU to BSB (Brasil capital) with TAM.

As both belong to OneWorld does AA do baggage check through on two bookings?

I know it works fine with LH on *A flights even intercontinental

Thanks

At GRU AA arrives in Terminal 3 and TAM domestic departs from terminal 2. From an international flight to a domestic flight you must clear customs and immigration and take your baggage to TAM's baggage re-check/check-in at the arrivals floor of Terminal 3. After your baggage has been re-checked, walk via the connecting walkway or via the terminal transfer bus located outside arrivals to Terminal 2.

When you check in with AA, as long as you don't have an airport change in Sao Paulo (GRU->CGH), they generally will tag your bags all the way to your final destination, even on a separate ticket with TAM.

Though you still need to collect your bags and clear customs, there's a baggage-drop off area in T3 for onward domestic flights. Much less trouble than schlepping to T2.

In theory you can have a tag to the final destination but it's not a big deal since you are picking up bags at GRU. Turn left after exit and look for the TAM sign.

Also, since you are transiting the U.S. make sure they put the INT transfer tag on at CDG so you don't have to wait for bags in MIA.

Bag interlining issues and OW policy changes (Combined threads)
 

There are murmurs that as of 1 June, oneworld airlines are not interlining between themselves if you are travelling on separate tickets:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...l#post26731231

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...l#post26665171

Has anyone heard anything more substantive?

Just spoke to my friend at S7@DME about it,they did not receive any communication about this and continuing as normal.

Yep. Its true !
 

At LCY, I was told by BA, that the new ALTEA system that most Oneworld airlines use no longer allow thru check in on separate tickets.

I was on 3 tickets. BA from LCY to AMS, CX from AMS to HKG and KA from HKG to PEN. BA would only check it through to HKG - only after my insistence due to their delayed LCY-AMS. They said 'normally' it cannot be done and they won't do it. But since its their fault, they will do it - this one time but they can only do it through to HKG as the new system will not accept another connection. BA at LHR apparently still doing it as their airport systems have not been upgraded yet.

At AMS, CX told me the same thing that yes, due to the new system, that they can only check bags to what is stated on the ticket. No more separate connecting flights. Though he said that its easy with CX/KA transfers.

Yeah...

Further to that I asked my friends at RJ and AA and they have never been told anything about this either.

It sounds like BA is making up stuff,or there is some misunderstanding going on.

This new arrangement between oneworld airlines is now confirmed by oneworld:

http://www.ausbt.com.au/did-oneworld...of-a-nightmare

The "minimum requirement" no longer includes checking through baggage on itineraries on multiple PNRs

Yet noone at any of the airlines people have contacted know anything about it.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/did-oneworld...of-a-nightmare

It seems that the new policy is just a protection for the airlines,in the same way like they can refuse access to the lounge on "capacity restriction" basis/excuse,but it happens very rarely (appart from a few individual outstations).

But this makes it difficult to plan your trips. You now need to factor in a long transit JUST IN CASE one check in agent decides not to check your bags through.

Yeah,I agree,as a non EU passport holder,this will be a pain,because I often travel LHR-Schengen-AMM/HKG/Asia and I can't go landside. I don't often travel with checked baggage,but when I do there is a reason for that (eg:liquids).

I heard that in HKG you can ask the transit desk to re-tag your bag and someone will then pick up your bag from the carrousel and check it in again. Does that only happen in HKG,or is it common across the globe? Transit desks often ask me for my baggage tags when I travel on separate tickets,does that mean it's possible to re-tag your bag at the transit desk?

'They will only find out if their employer changes its policy -- which becomes more likely with this change...

Personally I think its a very retrograde step - as it will drive more people to book with travel agents who can combine individual segments into a single PNR and thus increase the amount of commissionable fares, after the airlines have spent years trying to drive us all to direct online channels

Certainly seen it at SIN but dont think its common as it involves manual intervention (and more staff/ cost) and I suspect adds risk for the bag making the connection

Given that it is (almost?) impossible to combine an award / points ticket with a cash ticket (at least end on end) even within a single OW carrier, I wonder what the final outcome will be.

At least the article (if I read it correctly elsewhere) refers to a single PNR rather than a single ticket with different carriers.

Happy wandering

Fred