IAH-OIL-TRASH

There's always been outrage against Hawaiian Air charging baggage fees (normally from an outer island to HNL on a HA-operated UA codeshare) when UA baggage fee page says there will be no charge for premier members. The Hawaiian website baggage policy clearly states that premier benefits on other airlines (eg UA) would not necessarily apply on HA, hence the fee(s). Always a point of contention. BTW, HA is not *A carrier.

Now (maybe I didn't notice it before), when you use the baggage calculator to bring up baggage charge, say, OGG-IAH, you still get $0 fee as Premier, but you also get yellow box that says: "Baggage check-in must occur with United, United Express or another Star Alliance member airline, and MileagePlus® Premier® 1K® membership must be valid at time of check-in to qualify for waiver of service charges for up to three checked bags within specified size and weight limits"

Looks like HA will continue to collect fee.

edit: I chose 1K level as status, but any premier will get same message, with appropriate luggage allowance.

LilAbner

I found sort of an inference in other FT airline threads, but I couldn't find a definitive solution to my question on this new consolidated forum, so here goes ---

The 3 Abners are flying LAS-SFO-NRT-BKK-KKC.
Using G/F miles all the way to BKK in June and will be in Royal Class from BKK - KKC (Koen Kaen). Same set of 3 - one-way G/F miles all the way from LAS-KKC.

My question is this --- When retrieving our 9X70 lb boxes and luggage do ya think that Thai Air will attempt to charge us additional weight from BKK to KKC?
This could get very expensive if the t/a wants to start our sojourn from BKK instead of LAS where are a 3 allowed 3 X 70 lbs. each at no charge --- Reason G/F gets this allowance. Everything is G/F UA to BKK and then we have a 7 hour layover til 7 a.m. the next morning. I did call Thai Air yesterday in L.A. and she indicated that due to our status and the G/F factor, and we were connecting in less that 24 hours, our bags should proceed without any further ado or added fees. She said, "Just make sure that you have all 9 boxes and bags tagged ALL THE WAY to the final destination -KKC!" I checked the rules and that what is says, also! However, I have transferred through BKK about 20 times and have been arm wrestled about 18 of them for extra baht as they argue that I am now on a domestic portion and, "It's start over time".
The bags will be checked ALL THE WAY from LAS to KKC, but as we know I need to retrieve them and clear customs, in BKK, and then wait til the morning to recheck in the luggage and get the boarding passes for the last flight.


MY question would be, are their any other FTer's that take a ton of clothing and goodies to the village and get their maximum heavy stuff all the way to their destination without the need to slap leather in BKK @ the t/c.

aacharya

Your post lost me in a few spots.

But yes, you can interline with no issues. TG is obliged to accept MSC's rules for itinerary, which by the DOT clarification of IATA is UA.

BTW - when did you book your ticket? And are you sure about 3 x 70 lbs for Global F?

star_world

3 x 70lbs is correct for GF, according to united.com. OP would also get this due to 1K status.

aacharya

I didn't even consider OP's status.

I didn't realize F/Global F was three, but BF was two. Considering BF is wildly more expensive than F, this was surprising.

LilAbner

I've been doing 3 X 70 lbs for nearly 10 years. My question was, what ammunition do I need in BKK when I hand them over to the g/a for the BKK to KKC domestic portion, or am I being concerned about nothing?

1K's get 3 bags @ 70 lbs and as stated above so do GF passengers!

Checked baggage service charges

We have revised some of our checked baggage policies for travel worldwide. For the latest checked baggage updates, please review all relevant baggage pages before you travel.
Updated: March 18, 2013

To determine first and second checked baggage service charges for your itinerary, use the baggage calculator below. Please note that as required by U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, baggage service charges for your entire itinerary are determined by the marketing carrier for the first segment of your itinerary. Your originating marketing carrier is the airline whose flight number is assigned to the first segment of your itinerary. If this carrier is not United or United Express, different charges may apply. Baggage service charges are based on the date of ticketing.
How much are my checked baggage service charges?

Any flights
My flight(s)

From: LAS

To: KKC

Depart Date: ANY

Cabin: Global First

Check up to three bags at no charge

Baggage check-in must occur with United, United Express or another Star Alliance member airline, and MileagePlus® Premier® 1K® membership must be valid at time of check-in to qualify for waiver of service charges for up to three checked bags within specified size and weight limits.
1st bag
$0
2nd bag
$0
Up to 62.0 linear inches (157cm) L + W + H and 70.0 lbs (32 kg) per bag
Baggage size and weight restrictions
Additional and other bag fees One Extra
$0

Checked baggage service charges apply at any point where bags are checked. For a trip that includes one or more connections, bags will be checked to your final destination, and the charge for checking a bag from your origin to your destination will apply. (For a trip that includes a voluntary stopover, your bags will be checked to your stopover point, where you will collect your bags. When you resume travel, subject to applicable charges, you may check your bags again from the new point of check-in to the destination.)

alex_b

You should be fine as per the rules, however you never know what BKK will chose to do.

If you do get stung with charges you should find that TG will be fairly quick to refund them when you point out the DOT rules and the $10k per infraction fine. I had this issue on Copa last year, I tried arguing at the checkin desk to no avail, but didn't get anywhere, emailed Copa CS and had the refund to my credit card that day and a sincere apology.

NZ agent at Christmas was equally clueless at an outstation and wanted to charge me because he insisted NZ baggage rules applied (until I showed him a printout). Training is very poor on this issue.

greg5

Is the first carrier on the itinerary the first flight on the entire roundtrip or the first flown on a leg?

For example a trip LHR-SEA on BA with a return leg of SEA-YVR-LHR, with the SEA-YVR on AC, but YVR-LHR on BA. Would the allowances for BA or AC be used for the return. Would an allowance printed on the ticket overrule the general allowance from AC?

alex_b

Provided it is ticketed as a single itinerary then the rule of the marketing carrier on the first segment applies throughout the whole journey (they may then chose to apply MSC rules if they wish, United does not, NZ does). Also the information provided at ticketing overrules all general rules of the check-in carrier on a given segment.

So in your example, provided you had booked LHR-SEA as a BA flight number, then BA set a single allowance throughout your journey.

greg5

Thanks for the info!

pigx5

I have a similar question.
I used to have 3x 70 lbs allowance from TPE-NRT-SFO on all UA metals.
Now that UA canceled TPE-NRT flight and it's operated by NH.

1. My question is will I still get UA baggage rule if the first segment is
UA code?

EX.

TPE-NRT UA9684
NRT-SFO UA 838

2. If it's UA baggage rule apply, do I still get companion baggage benefits (3x70lbs) if my companion booked on the same itinerary?

Thank you.

goldelite8

Flying from EWR to Zurich tomorrow and continuing on to Nice, France via Swiss Air on a separate itinerary. I know it is possible for the agent at EWR to check my bags directly to Nice, but since I am on a separate reservation for my Swiss flight, will Swiss baggage regulations apply? I ask because I am flying in BF from EWR to Zurich and will likely need to use my three allotted bags, but I know I am only entitled two as Star Gold on Swiss. Thanks!

AndyInSaigon

Just be certain to take a copy of your Swiss itinerary with the ticket#, you'll get your bags checked through & since you leave on UA then UA rules will apply. You can take 3 bags.

sbm12

Assuming the UA agent tags them through the UA rules will almost certainly apply. They don't have to do it, but they should.

greg5

I wouldn't bet on getting the three bags. Be prepared to pay if anything goes wrong. I had this happen to me last week with BA re-routing me to AC in SEA and the UA agents basically just refusing to check me in after I told them that my BA allowance was 3PC and I shouldn't have to pay bag fees.