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UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix w/ *A Partners (YES) & Non-Partners (NO) {Archive}

Old May 7, 2022, 10:10 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Thia is a archive thread, the active tread is UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)


See Interline Baggage Agreements (single ticket) when there is a single ticket.

When a passenger has two separate tickets, United will though-check (interline) bags only when the second ticket is for UA or *A partner operated travel. Otherwise, UA may not interline the bags and you will need to recheck bags for the second ticket.

With two qualifying separate tickets, when checking bags thru, you will need to present flight information for both tickets at check-in. This includes the itinerary, PNR and eticket number.

Note: Interlining two UA tickets seems to be challenging for some agents. Allow extra time for bag check, just in case, and perhaps suggest contacting the Help Desk if the agent seems to be having issues.
Interlining UA-UA may not be allowed if one ticket is Basic Economy and does not allow free check bags.
Thread on UA-UA bag interlining

Effective for travel on and after March 1, 2015, when a customer has two separate tickets, United will though-check bags only when the secondary ticket is for travel on the following carriers:

* United and United Express
* Star Alliance partner airlines

With the new policy, a passengers baggage will be checked between the origin and destination points that are reflected on a single or conjunctive ticket.

If the traveler holds a second ticket on another airline beyond the destination of the first ticket, United will check the bag to the destination on the first ticket(s). In such situations, the traveler must collect their baggage on arrival at their first ticketed destination, and then re-check baggage with the next carrier for their continuing flight(s).
UA.com link
If you have a separate ticket on another carrier, you must claim bags at the destination of the first ticketed itinerary and check bags with the other carrier to the final destination. Baggage can be checked through to the final destination if the separate ticketed itinerary includes Star Alliance member airline-operated flights.
Some conditions when UA may not interlining with another carrier on a separate ticket
  • The carrier is not a *A partner
  • the connection is overnight
  • the connection is less than MCT
  • Traveling internationally and connecting to a domestic flight within your destination country

Exceptions to the non-partner interlining restriction on separate tickets for 1Ks/GSs have been reported. There still needs to be a regular bag interlining agreement in place.
Additionally, one report suggests that exception would apply also to *Gs and Full Fare J passengers

Whenever checking a bag between carriers (on a single or separate tickets), it is recommended to show your bag tag to each downline carrier at the transfer desk/gate to ensure the bag tag information has propagated to their system.

related thread:
Overnight, long layover/connection check through baggage question (consolidated)
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UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix w/ *A Partners (YES) & Non-Partners (NO) {Archive}

Old Jul 22, 2018, 5:24 am
  #601  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Programs: A3 Gold, SQ KF Elite Gold, QR Gold, IB Plata, Hilton Honors Gold
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Hi all! I don't have two separate Star Alliance tickets. I have THREE!

My journey doesn't begin with UA in the USA but the majority of my flights are issued by UA.
These are the three tickets:
Ticket #1 - SIN-BOM on SQ.

(3-4 hour wait at BOM)

Ticket #2 - BOM-MUC (LH-operated with UA flight number), MUC-FRA (LH-operated with UA flight number), FRA-IAD (UA)

(2 hours at IAD)

Ticket #3 - IAD to XXX (US Domestic destination) on UA

Has anyone tried having their baggage checked-through and BPs issued across THREE separate Star Alliance tickets?
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 6:04 am
  #602  
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Originally Posted by marcelduchamp
My journey doesn't begin with UA in the USA but the majority of my flights are issued by UA.
It doesnt matter who issued the tickets; what matters is the policy for the airline where youre first checking in. This is a question for the SQ forum.

There is no functional difference between getting your bags checked through on two tickets or three tickets. The steps are the same; the agent will just have to repeat them.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 8:57 am
  #603  
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Isn't there a cap on the number of segments they can put on a single baggage tag?
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 9:30 am
  #604  
 
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Not sure about SQ's policy but it sounds like if you get the right agent and policy, you will be able to check through. 4 segments would fall under any cap as at the very minimum, you will have to claim and re-check your bag at IAD.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 10:49 am
  #605  
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Originally Posted by onthesam
...you will have to claim and re-check your bag at IAD.
Bags would be normally checked to the final city on an itinerary. IAD is a bag drop, not re-check. If OP is successful in getting SQ to check bag through on all 3 tickets, it'll be tagged to XXX, not IAD.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 12:57 pm
  #606  
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Originally Posted by onthesam
N4 segments would fall under any cap as at the very minimum, you will have to claim and re-check your bag at IAD.
IAD is sort of a special case though, because if the bag is tagged all the way through, you use the mid-field terminal. If it's not, you go to the main terminal. Which is better depends quite a bit on time of day and volume of incoming pax to the midfield terminal.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 1:58 pm
  #607  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Isn't there a cap on the number of segments they can put on a single baggage tag?
There is; I believe its four on the automated tags. However, they can put more than one tag on a single bag, or they can do a hand-written tag. The handwritten tags have room for like 8.
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 4:15 pm
  #608  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan

There is; I believe its four on the automated tags. However, they can put more than one tag on a single bag, or they can do a hand-written tag. The handwritten tags have room for like 8.
Do the handwritten tags have the same support as the automated tags with the bard code and machine readable location sorts?
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Old Jul 22, 2018, 4:22 pm
  #609  
 
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Originally Posted by cheltzel
Do the handwritten tags have the same support as the automated tags with the bard code and machine readable location sorts?
The bar code on the tag whether automated or handwritten is basically just the tag number itself. There is no "fancy" information encoded into the bar code. If a manual tag is issued, it relies on the agent to enter the tag number into the system. As for baggage sorting at various airports it depends how well integrated their baggage handling system is with each of the departure control systems used by the airlines.

When a bar code is scanned, a lookup of the tag number is done in the database to retrieve the routing information.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 2:28 pm
  #610  
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Checking Baggage to Final Destination on 2 Separate UA Tickets

In September, I will be flying EWR-SFO-TPE, with EWR-SFO and SFO-TPE on two separate United tickets. (Because .bomb kept glitching on the final screen with the vague message "an error has occurred; try again later" and making me start all over whenever I tried to book both flight segments on the same ticket. The connection time is ~2.5 hours, so it wasn't an MCT issue.)

My question is: how can I get my bags tagged all the way to TPE? In the past, this would have been relatively simple for a UA agent to do; they would type type type, check you into both reservations, and the luggage tag that came out would have both segments on it. But now, with the "new and improved" checkin lobbies at EWR, all non-GS are basically forced to use the EasyCheckin kiosks. And the agents / contract staff just walk over and stick whatever tag the machine spits out on your bag. So does anyone know how I can get an EasyCheckin kiosk to print a bag tag that includes two segments on different tickets?

Or can I flag down a UA-uniformed agent and ask them to check me in on their side of the desk, without using EasyCheckin?

Many thanks.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 2:38 pm
  #611  
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Originally Posted by EsquireFlyer
So does anyone know how I can get an EasyCheckin kiosk to print a bag tag that includes two segments on different tickets?

Or can I flag down a UA-uniformed agent and ask them to check me in on their side of the desk, without using EasyCheckin?
You're going to have to do the latter. You can't do the former.
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 2:52 pm
  #612  
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Originally Posted by EsquireFlyer
So does anyone know how I can get an EasyCheckin kiosk to print a bag tag that includes two segments on different tickets?

Or can I flag down a UA-uniformed agent and ask them to check me in on their side of the desk, without using EasyCheckin?

Many thanks.
This will required an agent. Allow extra time , at least 15-20 minutes extra
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Old Jul 23, 2018, 3:12 pm
  #613  
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OK. Thanks!
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Old Jul 24, 2018, 8:30 am
  #614  
 
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Thank you for all the information! Hopefully, I'll get an agent who is able to check me through. Yes, it's the uniqueness of IAD that got me a bit worried, along with having only 2 hours to make the transfer. The question of how many segments can be listed on a baggage tag did strike me too but it seems like 5 sectors may indeed possible. Thank you all. Fingers crossed!
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Old Aug 11, 2018, 4:38 pm
  #615  
 
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Checking bags al lthe way through?

I'll be flying SFO-FRA-MAD on United/Lufthansa, then Iberia MAD- LCG.
Is it possible to check a bag all the way through to LCG?
I'm not sure if they have an interline agreement.
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