Baggage Question

Old Jan 13, 2018, 5:25 pm
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Baggage Question

This may be a dumb question but hopefully someone can answer it for me, I am flying home to Australia from the USA, the ATL to DFW leg has a QF code and operated by American Airlines, then from DFW to SYD with Qantas. Does my international baggage allowance with Qantas (2 bags) also apply to the domestic leg with AA? Also will my bags be checked through from Atlanta to Sydney? Thanks
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Old Jan 13, 2018, 5:31 pm
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Yes
and Yes

Welcome to FT
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Old Jan 13, 2018, 5:37 pm
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Thankyou pandaperth!
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Old Jan 15, 2018, 9:44 am
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To the OP:
Please have some Vegemite on toast (with a cuppa) after you get home. Please
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Old Jan 15, 2018, 1:16 pm
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Lol tmac100, after 6 years living in the US that's exactly what I intend to do! And a few beers of course.
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Old Jan 16, 2018, 5:29 pm
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For completeness, the baggage allowance of the longest leg applies to all other legs on all airlines (under the IATA MSC rule); so it doesn't matter that it is a QF codeshare or on a Oneworld airline; you';d get the same flyihng DL ATL-DFW connecting to QF if on the same ticket, for example. The QFF status benefits of extra baggage allowance are separate and generally honoured by AA on connecting flights but that wouldn't apply for non-Oneworld airlines in general (a few exceptions such as AS which has some special arrangements with QF, though it changes every few years). Quite a valuable benefit, I once had 100kg of baggage on AA connecting to QF and it was free thanks to status.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 2:16 am
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Originally Posted by number_6
For completeness, the baggage allowance of the longest leg applies to all other legs on all airlines (under the IATA MSC rule); so it doesn't matter that it is a QF codeshare or on a Oneworld airline; you';d get the same flyihng DL ATL-DFW connecting to QF if on the same ticket, for example.
I don't know the answer to the specific question asked by the OP, but are you sure that this general description of the IATA rule is correct? I thought that it was based on criteria other than the lengths of the flights. While it is often the case that the Most Significant Carrier is the airline operating the longest sector of the journey, that is not necessarily so because the rule is actually based on criteria of first crossing of IATA zone or sub-zone boundaries.

I also thought that there was an exception for journeys departing from US points (or perhaps for US airlines), which by DoT regulations have to apply some variant of the IATA rule. But that is a hazy memory in the back of my mind, so it may be wrong.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 5:22 am
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To number_6 and globaliser, thankyou for your responses, both of which are what led me to ask the question in the first place. Although I have done quite a few long haul flights over the years I'm not much of a savvy flyer, and have usually travelled with just the one bag without giving it a second thought. But this time I have an accumulation of stuff to pack for the permanent move back home. Googling for the answer produced the same slightly confusing results as both your responses, which is what led me to ask the question on this forum for some clarification from more experienced flyers. The US does have its own seperate rules which just added to my confusion. I do feel like a bit of a dill asking these basic questions but I'm sure I'm not the only one confused by it. Or maybe I am, lol.
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Old Jan 17, 2018, 2:05 pm
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For the record, IATA 302 is based on the "Most Significant Carrier" for a journey which may or may not be the operator of the longest segment. It is more to do with those flights that cross IATA region/area boundaries.

Allowance is based on the Operating carrier of the defined MSC segment. The can be more than one "journey" in a booking and allowances can vary between journies within the one booking.

Note for travel to/from the USA there is a DOT exception where allowance is generally based on the Marketing carrier for the defined MSC segment and the first allowance applies to subsequent journies on the entire booking.

Last edited by serfty; Jan 17, 2018 at 2:12 pm
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Old Jan 18, 2018, 7:48 am
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Thankyou serty. So, according to the IATA rule AND the Dot exception, Qantas would be deemed to be both the MSC and the Marketing operator for my flight -- ATL to DFW (AA), DFW to SYD (QF), SYD to ADL (QF)?
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Old Jan 18, 2018, 2:09 pm
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It may not be MSC under IATA with the DOT exception!

While IATA 302 was supposed to clear things up, it has produced a whole set of new issues.

Here's a post with content IATA sent out regarding confused issues:
MSC IATA resolution 302 effect on QF

Last edited by serfty; Jan 18, 2018 at 2:19 pm
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Old Jan 18, 2018, 2:13 pm
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More details of the rule in general here:

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_A...ier-rules.html

All the below rules apply to the whole of North America, including the U.S. and Canada.
  • If your journey is to, from, or has the furthest checked point in the U.S. or Canada, you may use the rules of the first marketing carrier on the journey, provided that the first marketing carrier is specified on ATPCO’s (Airline Tariff Publishing Company) published lists of US DOT and CTA carriers. These are defined as carriers where general rules tariffs to/from the U.S. or Canada have been filed.
  • If the first marketing carrier is not specified on ATPCO’s published list of US DOT and CTA carriers, then the rules of the very next marketing carrier on the journey that is specified on ATPCO’s lists of US DOT and CTA carriers applies.
  • Once the first marketing carrier is identified (through steps 1 and 2 above), it is the first marketing carrier’s policy to opt for the rules of the most significant marketing carrier (MSC) for the journey or retain the first marketing carrier’s own baggage policy.

Last edited by serfty; Jan 18, 2018 at 2:19 pm
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Old Jan 20, 2018, 7:17 am
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Thanks serfty for the information and the links, very much appreciated. Just for info, I did contact Qantas and they confirmed my international allowance applied to the entire trip. As I am flying out very soon I will know for sure lol. I do appreciate everyones responds to my question, and will post the outcome on my return to Australia for the sake of anyone else that may have a similar concern.
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Old Jan 20, 2018, 12:25 pm
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Originally Posted by tillyroo
Thanks serfty for the information and the links, very much appreciated. Just for info, I did contact Qantas and they confirmed my international allowance applied to the entire trip. As I am flying out very soon I will know for sure lol. I do appreciate everyones responds to my question, and will post the outcome on my return to Australia for the sake of anyone else that may have a similar concern.
Since AA is the 1st marketing carrier in the itinerary, it is AA that gets to apply its policies or that of the most significant carrier

If it chooses its policies , then its allowances apply for the entire trip and what they are at the start stay the same
If it chooses the MSMC policies , then the MSMC 's allowances apply for the entire trip and what they are at the start stay the same

The thing should not be too much of an issue since part of DOT rules is that the allowances and fees for extra bags are required to be on the itinerary or eticket receipt.

If you have a look at the documents sent by whichever company sold you the ticket, the allowance will be detailed there

I believe that AA does defer to the MSC

In the end, if travelling economy, it doesn't matter since bot AA and QF allow 2 pieces free of charge on journeys between USA and Australia
If travelling 1st class both allow 3 pieces

The only case where allowances are different is in business class, where QF's allowance is 3 and AA's is 2
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