Question regarding baggage rule
 

Hi all,

I have a question regarding baggage allowance on an award flight on UA miles. I plan on booking the following itinerary:

DFW-FRA LH 8 hour layover
FRA-ICN LH 20 hour layover
ICN-KIX OZ Destination
NRT-ZRH LX Open Jaw/Stop over
ZRH-EWR UA
EWR-DFW UA

According to Lufthansa, trip to/from Japan has 2 free checked luggage. However, my first segment is flying to FRA, which as 1 free checked luggage. Furthermore, I will be using OZ to fly from ICN to KIX. In this scenario, will I be allowed 2 free checked luggage (because my destination is Japan) or 1 (because my first segment flies to Europe)?

I'm trying this to avoid messing with the two ocean rule as I haven't heard too many success with that. Otherwise, I would do this, which I know I will be allowed 2 checked luggages throughout.

DFW-ORD UA layover
ORD-ICN OZ layover
ICN-KIX OZ destination
NRT-ZRH LX open jaw/stop over
ZRH-EWR
EWR-DFW

Two - since it's not the first segment that determines it - it is the ultimate destination (without stopovers). Your twenty-hour layover may be an issue.

So whatever LH allows US to ICN is safe - but it should be whatever LH allows to Japan.

I think aacharya has it right: the LH allowance for DFW-FRA-ICN-KIX applies to the entire trip (14 CFR 399.87) and UA is supposed to correctly quote that allowance on the receipt (14 CFR 399.85). LH is also the MSC, so they won't transfer the baggage rule stipulation to another airline (OZ) as they note in their guidance they could if they were not MSC.

But don't expect every airline along the way to get this right. We just had an example in the forum this weekend with a similar circumstance (LH-LH-UA-LH) and UA got the allowance wrong on one segment which left the poster upset when LH corrected it.

See:
14 CFR 399.85
14 CFR 399.87
Lufthansa's guidance on 14 CFR 399.87

As this is a ticket originating in the USA, the DOT rule covers it.

Whether the intervening transfers are connections or stopovers is not relevant. All that matters is the allowance for the marketing carrier of the first segment. That allowance will apply to all remaining segments on the ticket, even if stopovers. The open jaw also does not affect the allowance.

Presuming that DFW-FRA is not only operated but marketed by LH on this ticket, that is the allowance for the entire ticket.

Anything else is gravy. As is noted, this sometimes works to your benefit when you get an extra bag, but what you get, you can lose too.

You should have an e-ticket receipt which shows your allowance. It is what each agent should see on their screen when they check you in. But, just in case, it does not hurt to have a printed copy with you.

It does matter, since airlines baggage policy may vary depending on where the first stopover is rather than where the first segment goes.

Flying IAH-FRA stopover FRA-NRT gets you a different allowance (1 bag for entire journey based on US-FRA) than IAH-FRA layover FRA-NRT (2 bags for entire journey since LH would allow 2 at the beginning).

It's an award ticket, which don't allow codeshares.

This is for all who's curious about the answer to this. I've booked the itinerary and found that my baggage allowance is 1 bag. The reason being LH was my first carrier and the last flight operated by them is to ICN. I will attempt to change it to FRA - KIX - ICN and see if my baggage allowance get changed.