Friend flew from regional NZ to AKl to Europe on SQ ticket. NZ domestically.
Had two 7kg cabin items and a laptop sleeve.
NZ agent in regional airport said international baggage allowance didn’t apply and “rules have changed”
Bag repacked and 7kg left behind as checked bags at limit. Cost to ship to Europe ~$400 by DHL / Fed ex insured etc.

My reading of baggage rules is that they were entitled to that bag domestically and nothing has changed.
Single PNR / SQ ticket.

Before making an issue with NZ I just want to clarify if my reading of rules is correct?
Have names of staff and copy of the ticket.

Was the issue with checked baggage or carry on? (or both?)

Given it is SQ ticketed and (presumably) the long haul sectors were on SQ metal (?) the SQ is the Most Significant Carrier and under IATA Rule 302 and so SQ's checked baggage rules apply for the entire journey.
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/most...ficant-carrier


Less clear to me is the situation with carry on, and the 'allowance' might depend on other factors. The AirNZ website notes:

Did the pax have NZ status or were they Koru?
Was their AirNZ ff# entered into the booking? or another?
Was the NZ domestic sector under SQ code share? or native NZ code?

What was their class of travel on SQ?

Thanks.
All flights had SQ flight number.
No status with NZ. Gold with LH.
Business.

So carryon on NZ fligths would have been 1x 7kg carryon. The 14kg is an NZ Benefit, there is no *A carryon benefit. *A only has an extra checked bag.

And think AirNZ only extends the international carryon for PE & Business to domestic when it is their flight.

What was the checked bag situation post repacking?

Confirm no NZ ff# in the booking, and LH ff# was used?
Was the issue with carry on only, or also checked baggage?

I suspect it was the fact the domestic sector was under a SQ code-share - so the sector XXX-AKL was a SQ flight operated by AirNZ.
The website is unclear if the benefits for 14kg carry require you to be on NZ marketed and operated flights or not...... But as noted above by nzkarit , there is no Star Alliance carry-on benefit for status holders.

In May, despite being NZ Elite and on NZ metal on native flight number, I was not allowed in the Lounge due to having my TG Silver credentials in the booking as I wanted to regain TG Gold.

This is a reduction in benefits that would usually be a provided across the Star Alliance - I should be able to access any Star Alliance lounge (including NZ's lounges!) by showing my star Gold card/credentials (even NZ's) - but AirNZ insists that the ff# of the program where you hold status (only) is in the booking.

Thanks.
Issue was cabin luggage.
LH *gold
In SQ J long haul.
also worth pointing out no problem on inbound NZ flight.
I had assumed the rules covered both checked and cabin luggage.
But if it doesn’t that explains the problem.

Reason for no issue inbound. Enforcement of cabin baggage is super hit & miss.


But suspect something potentially coming up as saw some ads on Insta about cabin baggage on AirNZ

"We'll be upholding this policy more firmly..."

Air NZ is in the clear wrong in this case. Air NZ grants *G (not just NZ*G) two carry-on bags in addition to a personal item, as long as each bag is under 10kg and the combined weight under 14kg. There is no exclusions based on ticketing carrier, marketing carrier, or regional/domestic/international flights. So based on your description OP I think there is a very strong case to fight for reimbursement and even compensation.

I am not sure AirNZ is "in the clear wrong", although the information on the website is ambiguous. Agreed that there are no exclusions explicitly stated, but much of the NZ verbiage around benefits written is for Airpoints members, along with various text in other places on benefits that pax must "be on NZ flight number" and "operated by NZ". I point o my own example up thread on denied Lounge access as I was accruing to TG (Silver), despite being NZ Elite...? Other *A carriers have no issue with this. Indeed AirNZ used to allow it until 2014-ish when they changed the Airpoints T&C.

As nzkarit pointed out, there is no *A additional carry-on entitlement across the alliance based on status - so (devil's advocate question) why would a LH*G pax, on a SQ ticketed flight, under an SQ codeshare (NZ metal), get this non-*A benefit?

I do think this should be clarified and the text improved.

The top of that page is ambiguous :
"This applies to flights operated by Air New Zealand. If part of your journey includes codeshare flights or other airlines, please check their allowance as well." Yes this flight was operated by AirNZ but was a codeshare fligths and the page does say check with SQ.

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/carry-on-baggage

I would have thought "This applies to flights operated by Air New Zealand" is as black and white as it possibly could be. Sure this is a codeshare flight but it is operated by Air NZ so would have been covered by this statement. I take "codeshare flights" in this context as flights ticketed under NZ number but operated by someone else.

I found from the screenshot and the website: Premium Economy, Business Premier, Business Premier Luxe, connecting Business Premier, connecting Business Premier Luxe, and Airpoints Gold, Elite and Star Alliance Gold members' carry-on bags can weigh up to 14kg (30lb) in total, with one item weighing up to 10kg (22lb). So I agree AirNZ is wrong here?

......