Checking Luggage Through on Different Carriers?
 

Maybe some of you can clarify this issue for me...

What can a traveler expect regarding checking bags through to final destination when traveling with different carriers? I just returned from Italy where on the outbound our bags were checked through to Milano from SFO. Our ticketing was SFO-JFK-LHR on UA (e-tickets) and LHR-MXP on AZ (paper tix).

On the return (reverse of the above), Alitalia wouldn't let us check bags through to SFO nor to JFK, where we went through Customs. So we had to "arrive" in UK to retrieve bags at LHR, only to recheck them with UA to JFK-SFO.

Is there some logical explanation to this? Or was the Alitalia agent being difficult?

Airlines that have a baggage interlining agreement are only obliged to through-check bags if the journey is being made on one ticket. If you are transferring bags between journeys on two separate tickets, the airline doing the first check-in is not obliged to through-check the bag, but may do so if it is feeling kindly disposed to granting an indulgence.

IIRC, the airline that issues the bag tag is responsible for the costs of delivering the bag if it misconnects somewhere along the way, even if outside its control. In today's environment, you can understand why airlines might have become a little wary about assuming the risk of those costs when they don't have to.

Some airlines now have stated policies about this: for example, BA say they will now through-check bags to another sector on a separate ticket only if the second sector is operated by BA or another oneworld carrier.

No, it's the last carrier that is responsible for this - at least here in the UK.

I've never had problems getting bags checked through on separate tickets, but I had an airline refuse to check my bag through on a through booking with a through ticket where both sectors were operated by that same airline! Nearly missed my connection as a result, so wasn't very happy.

Thanks for clearing that up, Globaliser, I always wondered.

Thanks for the informative responses. Seems very customer-unfriendly policy but I suppose it's a way of encouraging travel with same or partner carrier(s)...

Serves you right for flying Ryanair! ;)

(Only kidding - who was it who perpetrated that stupidity?)

Aurigny. ("Who?")

They checked my bag (but not my person) on the way out (STN to Alderney via Guernsey), but checking in at ACI on the way back they said they couldn't check my bag all the way because it had to go through a scanner at GCI. Fair enough - it has to go through a scanner. But why does that mean that I have to wait at the carousel and lug my bag to a check-in desk at the other end of the airport - haven't they got baggage handlers?

Our inbound flight was late (due to some late-arriving pax at ACI), and there was quite a wait for the bags, and a LONG queue at check-in at GCI, and I only had a 55 minute scheduled connection... so it was very tight. Being able to go straight to check-in would have made quite a difference. (They can't do through check-in for passengers because they don't have a facility to issue boarding cards at ACI - which is fair enough)