Hey everyone, I have never had this issue before, but wanted to know if its normal or not.

I started a DONE4 in Australia, and as a Sapphire OW flyer, was allowed to take 3 checked bags out of the coutry on my Qantas flight.

So far, BA and IB have had no issues with this, but in the USA, I am getting charged $80 every flight I am making.

I was under the assumption, since the OW www site says

"When you are traveling on a oneworld itinerary* you will have the same allowance for checked baggage on all your flights and our staff will advise you of the applicable carry-on allowances for each sector of your journey before it becomes a hassle."

that the other alliance members would allow me to travel with the number of bags I was allowed to start with...

On this trip before, I have never had an issue.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Sounds like AA check in is getting confused with QF Gold which is OW Sapphire and AA Gold which is OW Ruby.

Has the OW status really something to do with the luggage allowance on a xONEx ticket?

I was under this impression that it's 2pcs max 32kg each for the whole ITN. That was the case with my last DONE, written on the ticket. If the person has the right the take 3pcs on a QF flight, based on his/her status, that doesn't tell anything about the allowance based on the ticket itself, nor is it something that AA should honour?

Luggage allowance is not a OW status benefit (atleast not throughout the alliance, that is...)....another issue is that will OW airlines take it up with top tiers travelling in premium cabins if there is not any major overweight...I would vote for AA being correct here.

I stand corrected. Hmmm extra baggage allowance is a *A elite standard benefit. Wonder why its not a OW elite standard benefit?

It is quite clear on the Qantas Web site that the additional luggage allowance of 1PC/10Kg for a Qantas Gold member is

"Valid only on Qantas-operated jet flights where you have a Qantas flight number on your ticket. " ( from http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/...atusPrivileges )

The ticketed allowance is 2PC and so AA is perfectly correct in charging for the additional piece

Dave

Some airlines will just let you get by with 3 pieces even though it clearly states that you are only allowed 2 pieces on your ticket. Oneworld partners do not have the extra baggage allowances that each particular FFP allows you in their own programme. As mentioned above for QF. The same goes for CX, Gold and Diamonds (Sapphire and Emeralds) are allowed one extra piece on CX transpacific flights only.

AA's Exec Plat does not even have this benefit, nor does BA I think. So if you have been able to get away with it so far, count yourself lucky. But you might be charged should an airline be a stickler and abide by the rules.

Thanks for the info. I eneded up getting charged for the 3rd peice on only 1 AA flight out of the 6 on my DONE4.

I did not get charged on BA, Iberia or obviously Qantas (I had 7 fligits with Iberia and BA)

Since I had been told by the person on the Qantas FF Phone line that I should not have been charged, and because I had never been charged before, I assumed I was correct.

I still think OW needs to change their WWW from the statement

I was under the assumption, since the OW www site says

"When you are traveling on a oneworld itinerary* you will have the same allowance for checked baggage on all your flights and our staff will advise you of the applicable carry-on allowances for each sector of your journey before it becomes a hassle."

It could be confusing, as my first 2 flights were with Qantas, allowing my 3 pieces (and only becuase I had USA on my itinerary), thats what you start your trip with, but from then on, it seems you have to lose one of those 3 bags, as other OW dont have to honour that...

I just thought it odd, as wasnt this what an alliance was supposed to help with? Feeling like you werent travelling on 5 different carriers, just one alliance, where it all worked well together

Anyway, live and learn... Thanks for the help.

Slightly different scenario but on the same line... I was recently charged excess baggage on my 2 pieces allowance for DONE4.

The weight of the two came in at 54kg on CX's scales. The check-in agent insisted I put both bags on the scales at once.

My ticket says 30kg, but the way I understood it was that because my itinerary included travel to North America I was allowed 2 pieces of 30kg each.

Had no trouble with the same 2 pieces, perhaps slightly under that weight on every other flight I've taken so far with QF, AA, BA and one earlier one on CX (checked thru by BA however).

According to Cathy rules, if you are not flying on that flight to, from, or via the USA, than you get 30kg in J class, regardless of how many bags you check in. Its a maximum of 30kg.

If that flight IS to, from or via the USA, then you get 2 x 32kg bags.

This is true on Cathy flights only, not if your itinerary is a OW itinerary.

On a DONE4, the OW WWW says "Two (2) pieces 32kg (70lbs) each piece with total dimensions 158cm (62ins) allowed for each piece."

There are a lot of exceptions to this rule though eg. If Econ ticket, and you have a BA segment, ALL flights are 23kg max bag.

Whomever issued your ticket made an error. It should have said "2 piece" and not 30kg (this is true for any OWE ticket that includes US or Canada). If your DONEx did not include flights in the US or Canada (hard to do, but possible), then the weight limit becomes 30kg (no matter how many continents you buy).

Actually the rules for the OWE fare ( unless changed ) do explictly state that the piece system applies , so even a ticket not including US or Canada should still have it

Dave

Are you sure Dave? I could be wrong, but after all my research on this (the start of this thread) and talking with OW, I was told that the weight system applied to all itineraries, except those to/ from/ via USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean & South America.

Also, see checkin baggage allowance

That is true for virtually "all itineraries". Nevertheless, special rules (i.e. piece system) apply to all RTW itineraries in both *O and *A, regardless of the routing.

Yes. The fare rules explicitly state that the baggage allowance for a OWE is the piece system

Dave

As long as any part of your itinerary touches those you mentioned above, the piece system applies. Even the in-between bits. ie HKG-TPE etc