Checking baggage through with different tickets
 

Hi, hope this is the right forum for these questions.

I am traveling from IAD-NRT-SIN on an award ticket (ANA and United). After an 8 hour (overnight) layover in SIN, I have a paid ticket on Silk Air to BKI. I would like to check a bag through to BKI so that I can stay at the in-transit hotel in SIN. Can't do carry-ons only because it is a 3 week trip.

Related: After traveling in Borneo, we will spend 5 days in Japan. I would like to forward a bag to our hotel in Tokyo. The layover in NRT (above) is 2.5 hours so I don't think there is enough time to clear immigration/customs, find and use the luggage forwarding service in NRT and check in again. It is POSSIBLE that if I can get a bag sent to the hotel in Tokyo I might be able to do carry-ons only to BKI which would solve #1 above. Any suggestions about forwarding a bag to the Tokyo hotel under these circumstances?

Thanks for your advice.

For the first part of your question, you need to contact ANA/United to find out if they have an interline agreement with Silk Air. If they do then you should ask at check-in to have your checked luggage interlined to your final destination (you will have to show your second ticket to the agent). This may take some time as the agent checking you in may not be familiar with the process and you should check your luggage tags to make sure that they include the proper destinations.

No idea on your second question.

When you contact the airline make sure you mention that you are travelling on separate tickets - as it could make a difference.

And if the answer is "yes" make sure you get it in writing, and that have a printed copy of their reply to show to the check-in agent.

If you get any push-back from the agent at the airport, just ask for the manager. I've had to do so a few times...always works out, but sometimes need to be persistent.

Yes United does, but it does not always work!
I have done this several times when flying through SIN to BWN and most of the time UA can handle the process stateside. The few times they have been unable to deal with it, I managed to talk to SQ and airport staff at SIN who can take care of that for you without having to go through immigration.

I do not believe this is possible as you would have to pass through customs with your luggage so they can hold you responsible for the contents. Go ahead and call ANA on this however, they may be able to help you.

Thanks for the responses. I will write to ANA to see if they have an interline agreement with Silk Air. The United flight is the second flight (NRT to SIN) so I'm not sure if it will be helpful to get info from them.

On the second issue, I am going to ask the transit hotel in SIN if they will hold a bag for me because our return is also through SIN so the second issue might actually work out that way.

The transit hotel will not hold your luggage, but SIN has excellent luggage storage facilities that I have used many times before with both air-side and outside access.

http://www.changiairport.com/at-chan...ggage-services

Very helpful, Leviticus, thank you for the information about how to check an in-transit bag Changi, that will definitely help.

I've sent two emails to ANA about the interline agreement so that I can have it in writing when I check in.
And if this all works, I assume I can check in/print boarding passes at the in-transit hotel for the onward flight on Silk Air?

No worries, that's what everyone is here for ^

The transit hotel (well technically there's three of them but they're all the same) is really just a front desk that assigns rooms and keys to the gym/shower. I think one of them has a lounge and pool that you can use if you are staying in the deluxe rooms but that's about it.

For check in/printing boarding passes just head to one of the transfer counters, they are literally all over the place and the Silk Air ones will be open essentially 24 hours a day with the exception of some rare downtime in the middle of the night. They can always take care of that for you.