QR Interlining (Baggage)

Old Jan 5, 2018, 2:58 pm
  #151  
 
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Originally Posted by zat_dude
Sharing my experiences from the BKK-SOF return with a separate connection to LHR. The check-in staff in Thailand tagged my bags through to LHR without any issue.

After disembarking, and despite the signage for connecting passengers, we were herded together with arrival passengers through passport control. At this stage I got a funny feeling and decided to stick around near the baggage carousel for a few minutes and sure enough our bags were on there. Not seeing any official staff besides customs I decided to proceed to the arrivals/departures hall and re-check bags with BA.
That's interesting. This is despite the baggage tags saying DOH-SOF-LHR with the BA flight number on the LHR leg? On the two occasions I have tried to interline baggage (once BKK-DOH-OSL-LHR and another time HKT-DOH-HEL-LHR) it has failed to arrive despite the baggage being correctly tagged. However, on both occasions the bags got stuck at Doha rather than completing the Qatar sectors (or at least that's what I was told at LHR) and were delivered to me after less than 24 hours. I now only attempt interlining if there is nothing crucial in the baggage, and sometimes deliberately if they are heavy bags in the hope that they get delivered to my door instead for free rather than carrying them on the tube (albeit a little delayed!)
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 5:38 pm
  #152  
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Originally Posted by doctoravios
That's interesting. This is despite the baggage tags saying DOH-SOF-LHR with the BA flight number on the LHR leg?
It happens. I distinctly recall a few years ago at AA DFW bag claim seeing a bag on the floor at a carousel tagged XXX-DFW-YYY (and YYY was a Caribbean island/resort destination). I went to the baggage desk and pointed it out to the AA staffer sitting behind the desk (after distracting him from the video game he was playing on his phone). His response? "Yeah, OK." And he went back to his video game. That's someone's vacation ruined.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 6:34 pm
  #153  
 
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Originally Posted by zat_dude
Sharing my experiences from the BKK-SOF return with a separate connection to LHR. The check-in staff in Thailand tagged my bags through to LHR without any issue.

After disembarking, and despite the signage for connecting passengers, we were herded together with arrival passengers through passport control. At this stage I got a funny feeling and decided to stick around near the baggage carousel for a few minutes and sure enough our bags were on there. Not seeing any official staff besides customs I decided to proceed to the arrivals/departures hall and re-check bags with BA.
thanks zat_dude. Yea this is what I was concerned about. I know that there is specific clear examples previously from 2016-2017 about Qatar having confirmed they will interline. But now with their responses I am not sure if they have changed their stance.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 6:39 pm
  #154  
 
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Originally Posted by Professional Bum
My flight in May will be MNL-DOH-MAD on QR and then MAD-SVQ on IB (operated by Iberia Express). These two are on separate PNRs. I also have a 3 hour connection time in MAD. I tried to ask both QR and IB if I could through check my luggage to SVQ.

QR: As we have noted that you are holding reservations on 2 separate tickets, we strongly recommend that you liaise with the Qatar Airways local office at the point of embarkation way in advance. Our colleagues at the local airport office will be in a better position to advise you if your baggage can be through checked to your final destination.

IB: When dealing with different reservations, it will be necessary to pick up your suitcase in Madrid and re-pass control to board your flight to Seville.

thanks Professional Bum. The official response I got from Qatar was your luggage will be dropped off to the final destination in your ticket which is ARN.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 6:44 pm
  #155  
 
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Originally Posted by doctoravios
That's interesting. This is despite the baggage tags saying DOH-SOF-LHR with the BA flight number on the LHR leg? On the two occasions I have tried to interline baggage (once BKK-DOH-OSL-LHR and another time HKT-DOH-HEL-LHR) it has failed to arrive despite the baggage being correctly tagged. However, on both occasions the bags got stuck at Doha rather than completing the Qatar sectors (or at least that's what I was told at LHR) and were delivered to me after less than 24 hours. I now only attempt interlining if there is nothing crucial in the baggage, and sometimes deliberately if they are heavy bags in the hope that they get delivered to my door instead for free rather than carrying them on the tube (albeit a little delayed!)
thanks doctoravios I agree if it was tagged but didnt arrive, it will probably eventually arrive and as you said delivered late to your door. My concern is more if QR have officially changed their policy about interlining but done so quietly and their staff dont allow it to be tagged to LHR. Which means I need to plan to have enough time to do the whole in and out again thing at ARN.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 7:25 pm
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by doctoravios
I now only attempt interlining if there is nothing crucial in the baggage, and sometimes deliberately if they are heavy bags in the hope that they get delivered to my door instead for free rather than carrying them on the tube (albeit a little delayed!)
Ha! Gaming the system What a great idea, thanks for that tip.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 9:20 pm
  #157  
 
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Originally Posted by Professional Bum
My flight in May will be MNL-DOH-MAD on QR and then MAD-SVQ on IB (operated by Iberia Express). These two are on separate PNRs. I also have a 3 hour connection time in MAD. I tried to ask both QR and IB if I could through check my luggage to SVQ.

QR: As we have noted that you are holding reservations on 2 separate tickets, we strongly recommend that you liaise with the Qatar Airways local office at the point of embarkation way in advance. Our colleagues at the local airport office will be in a better position to advise you if your baggage can be through checked to your final destination.

IB: When dealing with different reservations, it will be necessary to pick up your suitcase in Madrid and re-pass control to board your flight to Seville.

Originally Posted by redkitty


thanks Professional Bum. The official response I got from Qatar was your luggage will be dropped off to the final destination in your ticket which is ARN.
I called the local office of Qatar Airways 5 minutes ago and I was told that they will not through check my luggage.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 10:45 pm
  #158  
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Originally Posted by doctoravios
That's interesting. This is despite the baggage tags saying DOH-SOF-LHR with the BA flight number on the LHR leg? On the two occasions I have tried to interline baggage (once BKK-DOH-OSL-LHR and another time HKT-DOH-HEL-LHR) it has failed to arrive despite the baggage being correctly tagged. However, on both occasions the bags got stuck at Doha rather than completing the Qatar sectors (or at least that's what I was told at LHR) and were delivered to me after less than 24 hours. I now only attempt interlining if there is nothing crucial in the baggage, and sometimes deliberately if they are heavy bags in the hope that they get delivered to my door instead for free rather than carrying them on the tube (albeit a little delayed!)
I often travel on separate tickets, separate PNRs. If I successfully get my baggage tagged through to my final destination I always go to the transfer desk to show the baggage tag and ask them to confirm that my baggage is ok in the system and will travelling with me on the same flight. I often repeat this at the gate. IME this greatly reduces the risk of baggage being left behind.
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Old Jan 5, 2018, 11:34 pm
  #159  
 
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When AirBerlin was still around, the FA at TransferDesk in MUC told me I MUST do this, otherwise my luggage would forever enjoy an endless luggage system ride in the dark undergrounds of MUC.
They (AB) need to connect my luggage tag in the system with their ticket system... bla bla something.
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 12:57 am
  #160  
 
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Originally Posted by redkitty

thanks zat_dude. Yea this is what I was concerned about. I know that there is specific clear examples previously from 2016-2017 about Qatar having confirmed they will interline. But now with their responses I am not sure if they have changed their stance.

I managed to talk to the guy in charge of QR ops (at the ground handling agent) and he profoundly apologised and confirmed SOF luggage handling is completely manual and the baggage handlers are not used to transfer pax - they simply failed to check the baggage tag. He suggested next time we alert someone official within the luggage hall and they would take care of the onforwarding.

This guy named Boris was very helpful. He said he could take the bags back (they were checking in for the SOF-DOH departure) but since they had QR tags he said he would genuinely be afraid the baggage handlers might load it on the QR plane At this point we agreed best course of action is to wait for the BA check in desks to open and re-tag the bags

With 3 hours between the flights this was not an issue but in the future I will probably avoid ex-SOF itineraries.

Last edited by zat_dude; Jan 6, 2018 at 12:58 am Reason: typo
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 1:04 am
  #161  
 
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I tried HKG DOH BRU LHR FRA recently, HKG to BRU on QR PNR and BRU to FRA on BA PNR. It was ok for the hkg ground staff to check through my luggage after a few phone call. I reconfirmed with the gate agent at DOH BRU and LHR if my bag was loaded with an affirmative answer. Yet, upon arrival FRA my bag didnt appear. I was told my bad was left in Doha. The bag appeared after 3 days in my hotel.
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 8:15 am
  #162  
 
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Originally Posted by neofung
I tried HKG DOH BRU LHR FRA recently, HKG to BRU on QR PNR and BRU to FRA on BA PNR. It was ok for the hkg ground staff to check through my luggage after a few phone call. I reconfirmed with the gate agent at DOH BRU and LHR if my bag was loaded with an affirmative answer. Yet, upon arrival FRA my bag didnt appear. I was told my bad was left in Doha. The bag appeared after 3 days in my hotel.
That's what I don't understand because I was also told on both occasions my bags didn't arrive in Heathrow because that they got stuck in Doha and so would not have even made it to Oslo or Helsinki (where I had been connecting to BA flights from QR). I am not sure if this is because the bags were sitting in Oslo/Helsinki and hadn't been tracked at that point or if they were genuinely still in Doha and placed on a direct Doha-London flight. I hadn't checked that they had arrived and been transferred at Oslo/Helsinki so I am not sure what they would have said to me if I'd asked them. But it seems from your experience that even if you check on the system and it shows they are loaded, it isn't a guarantee that they will arrive. Perhaps this also depends on the airport and some are better at connecting baggage between different carriers than others.
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 9:25 am
  #163  
 
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Why in Heavens Name is a Barcode on it? It's supposed to be computer scan/readable. Especially in Doha I would think its all computerized
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 9:54 am
  #164  
 
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nilsfr69 for barcodes to be of any use they need to be read!
It certainly appears that the quality and efficiency of baggage handling appears to be falling, esoecially at DOH.
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Old Jan 6, 2018, 10:40 am
  #165  
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Originally Posted by R2
I often travel on separate tickets, separate PNRs. If I successfully get my baggage tagged through to my final destination I always go to the transfer desk to show the baggage tag and ask them to confirm that my baggage is ok in the system and will travelling with me on the same flight. I often repeat this at the gate. IME this greatly reduces the risk of baggage being left behind.
that is indeed what one should always do in those cases ^
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