Cedar Jet

Help needed.
I have a tentative booking for a Christmas trip this year(fingers crossed).
I am utterly confused about baggage allowance.
For my internal USA/Canada itinerary J seats are available but timings are crazy and connection times are very tight so I have opted for 2 AA sectors in Y as they are direct flights (operated by AA Egle in ERJ's) The flights are no more than 1.5 hrs which is fine. The other two sectors are with Westjet also in Y(QF award rules don't allow Y+ selection with WS for whatever reason).

When I compile my itinerary it gives me "0 pieces" as luggage allowance but at the bottom of each of the 4 sectors in the prebooking stage I get the following spiel:

"American Airlines Baggage Allowance applies to your itinerary. Does not include any applicable additional allowances eg frequent flyer these will be shown on the confirmation page"

Is anyone able to confirm if that means I am still allowed 1x Piece at 32kgs(70lbs) as a QF plat/Emerald free?

The irony is Qantas' stupid algorithms will give 2 pieces for each sector if I book the J class connecting flights with AA, then the whole itinerary changes to "2 pieces" for each sector including the WS Y sectors?!

I called QF and the ladies while trying to be helpful but had no explanation nor could they find an explanation (after being placed on hold) for that anomaly. Nor were they familiar with or could see on their system the above speil?

I am fine in Y if I get the 1 x 32kgs free due to my status - but I'm a little nervous fronting up at a WS(or AA) check-in counter only to be told "compa says no!" by a WS dragon and that AA rules don't apply to them. If my status does indeed allow 1x 32kgs free, could I possibly seek a refund from customer care if I am charged baggage fees (by AA or WS) considering the above spiel I've relied upon to book my ticket?

So confused!
CJ

Dave Noble

There is no ticketed baggage allowance for an economy booking
The QF status bonus is applicable only on OW airlines - WS is not one where the additional allowance applies, so you should be charged for checked baggage on any check in where there is a sector on WS

Cedar Jet

OK thanks but I'm still confused if that OW allowance is 32kgs or 23 kgs as an emerald and if what you say is correct re WS why does the above spiel also appear for each WS sector telling me AA baggage rules apply?

Often1

The whole thing sounds incorrect (maybe).

Under US law, the baggage allowance for the marketing carrier of the first segment applies to all segments of the ticket in the case of tickets to, from (or within) the US. As QF is the marketing carrier, it is the QF allowance which applies. However, allowance under US law is the base allowance for the ticket, not any waivers for status.

Hence, the sole question is to determine what a QF ticket would provide for a domestic Y segment (with no status). That allowance will apply to AA and WS segments alike, US law requires that this be displayed per segment on the e-ticket receipt (which, of course, one does not receive until one purchases the ticket). If the e-ticket receipt is incorrect, important to have QF correct it sooner rather than later as that is the data the AA and WS agents will see at check-in.

seawolf

What is your routing? Easier to provide a response if we know routing.

Any free bags provided by OW status will not be legally required to be honored by WS.

seawolf

Clarification that the first marketing carrier gets to decide whether to apply it’s own baggage allowance or allowance of MSC. The allowance that was disclosed will apply to all segments within the itinerary.

My guess is the routing involves Australia and Canada via US. If US is merely a connection point, DoT rules doesn’t even apply here thus my prior post asking for routing.

Often1

Which is why I bracketed "maybe"

We really need the entire routing for the ticket(s) involving any US segments and whether those are connections or stopovers.

Dave Noble

AA's baggage allowances will apply - AA's baggage allowance is Zero which is what it says on the confirmation
The OW allowance of 1 extra piece only applies where the journey is completely on One World carriers. WestJet is not a one world carrier , so no additional allowance applies
Therefore you will be required to pay for baggage at the AA baggage rates which should also be listed on the confirmation

If you have booked a through itinerary from Australia in business class, then the business class allowance of Qantas would apply to the whole journey, which is 3 x 32 kg. Again , for any portion where checkin includes for WestJet, no additional allowance would apply

When you turn up with 1 x 32kg piece, you will be charged $30 for it being the 1st bag plus the overweight fee
If you split into 2 x 23 kg pieces then you will be charged $30 for 1st bag and $40 for 2nd bag for a total of $70

If you want to avoid the fees each way, then either get them rebooked into part of your international itinerary and get 3 x 32 Kg included or rebook the standalone itinerary into business class and get 2 x 32 included

Are the timings available for business class bad enough that the baggage fees are worth paying or is it better ti change to business class?

If you were to just add those economy flights into the international booking, then you would,again be able to get free baggage on the domestic flights.

Booking them separately was not the best idea - especially once the Qantas flight gets cancelled you will be entitled to refund the enitre booking free of charge whreas booked separately, the domestic US flights will probably be operating and not get a free refund

When you have paid them, then no, you will not be able to claim them back since they have been correctly charged

The whole thing seems moot anyway given that QF is not likely to be flying to USA this year

madrooster

The US DoT exception rule applies here if the furthest ticketed point is in CA/US. The first marketing carrier determines the allowance for the entire ticket. So, if it's AA and you have AA flights first in J, then AA's J policy determines the allowance for the rest of the itinerary.

WS will honour 2 pieces if the ticket shows 2 pieces. No argument - Sabre will see the 2 pieces.

Cedar Jet

You've assumed I'm flying QF but I'm actually flying Qatar Airways on a fully refundable J fare. The intra Nth American sectors are using QF points. I'm still not convinced I'd not receive some consideration for potential refunds due to the disclaimer that states under each sector " this itinerary follows AA baggage rules including FF status extras".

I may escalate with Qantas in any case.

Thanks
CJ

Cedar Jet

Hi and thanks
I tried booking the the first sector with AA in J and it gave me "2 pieces" for that sector and "2 pieces" for the first WS sector but the second WS sector gets "0 pieces" as does the last AA sector if I book in Y - when I book the last sector with AA in J it reverts to "2 pieces" for the whole itinerary?

The J sectors are legal but v short connections and one will require an overnight stay in NY. It's winter and risk of delays is already high which is why I'm avoiding them. The direct flights in Y on AA Eagle are quick, short and much less stressful. Could I possibly call QR to link the QF award portion and see if that will help at all?

Itinerary is:
JFK-YUL AA J connecting or Y direct
YUL-YHZ WS Y
YHZ-YYZ WS Y
YYZ-JFK AA J connecting or Y direct

seawolf

So it sounds like you are redeeming QF miles for US-Canada round trip. Unless you are booking QR on the same ticket, whatever allowance you get on QR flights are irrelevant.

AA allowance on 1st segment should apply across all 4 segments provided QF issue all four segments on a single ticket.

Cedar Jet

Hi I hear you but unfortunately on the ticket if I don't book both AA sectors in J I get "0 pieces" for entire itinerary, thus on the Qantas award booking site this is what it reads:
Option 1.
JFK-YUL AA Y 0 pieces
YUL-YHZ WS Y 0 pieces
YHZ-YYZ WS Y 0 pieces
YYZ-JFK AA Y 0 pieces

Option 2
JFK- YUL AA J 2 pieces
YUL-YHZ WS Y 2 pieces
YHZ-YYZ WS Y 0 pieces
YYZ-JFK AA Y 0 pieces

Option 3
JFK-YUL AA Y 0 pieces
YUL-YHZ WS Y 0 pieces
YHZ-YYZ WS Y 2 pieces
YYZ -JFK AA J 2 pieces

Option 4
JFK-YUL AA J 2 pieces
YUL-YHZ WS Y 2 pieces
YHZ-YYZ WS Y 2 pieces
YYZ-JFK AA J 2 pieces

So my questions are coupled with the Qantas disclaimer for each sector that AA rules apply for entire itinerary:
1. Even with option 1 all in Y will I still get my Emerald allowance of 1x 32kgs if AA first carrier rules apply as stated?
2. If I chose option 2 and with what I'm reading that first sector carrier rules apply, will I still get 2 x 32kgs pieces where it says 0 pieces?

Apologies for harping on but I'm still none the wiser.

Thanks!

Dave Noble

If you are checking in with WS , then you will get zero allowance

If you are checking in with AA for both AA and WS as a connection, then you will get zero allowance since you are travelling on a non OW carrier

If you are travelling on AA only, then you will get the extra allowance for holding OW Emerald status which is 3 x 50lb in economy or 3 x 70lb in business

You ONLY get the additional allowance when on OW flights;

How much would it cost to change the QR ticket to include the travel to Canada? QR does have fares to YHZ - if you are booked in a fully flexible J ticket, I suspect that the cost will be v low.Looking on EF , rhe J fares to YHZ are lower than JFK

You will not be able to link the bookings and it would make no difference. I still think that it is unlikly that the border restrictions will be lifted by then

Cedar Jet

Thats not what the Qantas ticket will read if I choose J; I WILL get 2 pieces with WS in that instance. On contacting Qantas again they did hint I could actually take it up with customer care on my return if I was charged - based the spiel included under each sector "itinerary follows AA luggage policy" which I showed them. That would imply 1 x 32 kg as per my platinum status allowance regardless WS not being ow because the spiel was there under both WS sectors. I was also told if it said 2 pieces on the ticket it would definitely be honoured by both AA and WS as per madroosters input. With regard to fare paid I'm actually on a super discounted J fare with QR(think QF W in price) I never pay higher than I or A for any fare. In this instance it's an R fare with QR-amazing, too good to pass up value, being well under 5K.