Air China -Really a Part of the Star Alliance?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Air China -Really a Part of the Star Alliance?
I flew ORD-PVG-SZX and return last week. The connection between Shanghai and Shezhen was on Air China. As is sometimes the case with connections outside UA, seats to the connection are not assigned until check in, which is always a source of anxiety. But the situation regarding check in and baggage on a connection from/to UA is rally bad with Air China. On the outbound, after clearing immigration in PVG, I actually had to hand carry my luggage over to the Air China check in counter, even though it had been checked through to SZX at ORD. Then, on the return Air China would not interline the checked luggage, so I had to first check it to PVG, then claim it and recheck it to ORD at UA. If Air China is really part of the Star Alliance, it seems to operate fairly independently with little cooperation with UA.
#2
Join Date: Mar 2012
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At least your reservation wasn't cancelled with your seats sold on the black market.
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#3
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
I've done this exact flight in the past, and I think you just got a bad agent. CA is outsourced to AirServ (or some equivalent...) at both of those airports. Also, if you're elite, it's easier to go to the "little red house" at SZX where all of the business class/elite check-in is done for Air China and Shenzhen Air.
From ORD-PVG-SZX you have to claim and re-check your bags because of Chinese Customs. Same thing when you get back into the USA and have to claim/recheck your bags when switching from an Int'l to domestic flight. PVG doesn't have any kind of recheck area for ANY airline - you just have to take your bags upstairs to the check-in area and recheck.
However, going back SZX-PVG-ORD, they should have been able to check your bags through to ORD. I've never had an issue in that direction. So, my suspicion: bad agent. Sorry.
From ORD-PVG-SZX you have to claim and re-check your bags because of Chinese Customs. Same thing when you get back into the USA and have to claim/recheck your bags when switching from an Int'l to domestic flight. PVG doesn't have any kind of recheck area for ANY airline - you just have to take your bags upstairs to the check-in area and recheck.
However, going back SZX-PVG-ORD, they should have been able to check your bags through to ORD. I've never had an issue in that direction. So, my suspicion: bad agent. Sorry.
#5
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS / MM
Posts: 208
This is nothing. Next time, fly to HKG and take a train. UA flyers should experience CA, seats, ontime performance, delays, MX, etc. and be thankful and praise SMI/J. Last Oct, I had to fly CA in C back home with a non-functional seat and no compensation. They made me sign a waiver or miss my flight and be delayed because it was the national day holiday.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
This is nothing. Next time, fly to HKG and take a train. UA flyers should experience CA, seats, ontime performance, delays, MX, etc. and be thankful and praise SMI/J. Last Oct, I had to fly CA in C back home with a non-functional seat and no compensation. They made me sign a waiver or miss my flight and be delayed because it was the national day holiday.
What really sucks is that CA (and other Chinese airlines) will frequently cite mechanical, weather, act-of-god or pretty much ANY other reason to delay or cancel flights, to avoid saying "the military has closed our route today".
So, I agree it sucks royally... but I have a hard time blaming CA directly. For the stuff within their control, they're a pretty good airline.
#7
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
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Posts: 5,549
At least your reservation wasn't cancelled with your seats sold on the black market.
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ed-hacked.html
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ed-hacked.html
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,951
...On the outbound, after clearing immigration in PVG, I actually had to hand carry my luggage over to the Air China check in counter, even though it had been checked through to SZX at ORD. Then, on the return Air China would not interline the checked luggage, so I had to first check it to PVG, then claim it and recheck it to ORD at UA....
#9
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
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Welcome to FT, OP!
The issue lies within UA and the airport. The bags are transferred through if you were flying through PEK.
Really? I guess you never had an IRROP with CA, where they refused to transport me to my final destination in a misconnection, and their baggage office lied to their own employees about my bag's status. It took 6 hours to convince them to put me on a flight back to the US. Absolutely ridiculous.
The issue lies within UA and the airport. The bags are transferred through if you were flying through PEK.
Really? I guess you never had an IRROP with CA, where they refused to transport me to my final destination in a misconnection, and their baggage office lied to their own employees about my bag's status. It took 6 hours to convince them to put me on a flight back to the US. Absolutely ridiculous.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Really? I guess you never had an IRROP with CA, where they refused to transport me to my final destination in a misconnection, and their baggage office lied to their own employees about my bag's status. It took 6 hours to convince them to put me on a flight back to the US. Absolutely ridiculous.
#12
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,951
Unless we are talking about a difference in semantics, bags are not automatically transferred in PEK on an ID connection. There is a separate area in baggage claim for domestic connecting pax to clear customs. There is no such thing as a bag "drop off" for you to directly proceed through security. Instead, you have to push it through the domestic-style x-ray machine and then check in again with CA. Even if your bag was already tagged to the final Chinese destination, iirc CA will retag it with their own tag.
#13
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
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Really? I guess you never had an IRROP with CA, where they refused to transport me to my final destination in a misconnection, and their baggage office lied to their own employees about my bag's status. It took 6 hours to convince them to put me on a flight back to the US. Absolutely ridiculous.
In the air, there is no comparison, they blow UA out of the water, especially in F and J. Even Y was pleasant enough.
#14
Original Member
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Unless we are talking about a difference in semantics, bags are not automatically transferred in PEK on an ID connection. There is a separate area in baggage claim for domestic connecting pax to clear customs. There is no such thing as a bag "drop off" for you to directly proceed through security. Instead, you have to push it through the domestic-style x-ray machine and then check in again with CA. Even if your bag was already tagged to the final Chinese destination, iirc CA will retag it with their own tag.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott P, SPG G
Posts: 218
I flew ORD-PVG-SZX and return last week. The connection between Shanghai and Shezhen was on Air China. As is sometimes the case with connections outside UA, seats to the connection are not assigned until check in, which is always a source of anxiety. But the situation regarding check in and baggage on a connection from/to UA is rally bad with Air China. On the outbound, after clearing immigration in PVG, I actually had to hand carry my luggage over to the Air China check in counter, even though it had been checked through to SZX at ORD. Then, on the return Air China would not interline the checked luggage, so I had to first check it to PVG, then claim it and recheck it to ORD at UA. If Air China is really part of the Star Alliance, it seems to operate fairly independently with little cooperation with UA.