Last edit by: WineCountryUA
It is possible to interline bags for no extra costs when on separate tickets, when both tickets are for UA flights.
However, for some agents, this can be a challenging task, so allow extra time at check-in (30 minutes extra?). The agent may need to consult the "Help Desk."
Recent reports suggest this may not be possible if one ticket is Basic Economy, no free checked bags, ticket
related thread: UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
However, for some agents, this can be a challenging task, so allow extra time at check-in (30 minutes extra?). The agent may need to consult the "Help Desk."
Recent reports suggest this may not be possible if one ticket is Basic Economy, no free checked bags, ticket
related thread: UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
Checking baggage through on separate UA operated reservations...
#46
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UA-UA is more difficult specifically because of the scenario you encountered. You can add a dummy segment on another airline without doing inventory validation, because there's an allowance in the system for UA's systems being out of sync with the other airline. In a UA-UA situation, the system tries to be helpful, and will validate the updated inventory on the assumption that this is a real flight change.
#47
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But, it is a change, as far as the UA computers are concerned. The way it works is that they go into your existing record, add the dummy segment, and check the luggage. That works fine... as long as there is space available.
#49
Join Date: Apr 2000
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What jsloan said. It can take a while to do while they work out how to do it (my latest experience lasted 20 minutes). Often the agent does not know to add dummy segments, let alone how to do that, in which case ask them to call the Help Desk.
This last time, I said to the agent, "Sorry it's such a problem to do that in SHARES." "Oh," she said, "you know about SHARES, do you?" "Enough to know it's a real pain for stuff like this," I responded.
This last time, I said to the agent, "Sorry it's such a problem to do that in SHARES." "Oh," she said, "you know about SHARES, do you?" "Enough to know it's a real pain for stuff like this," I responded.
#51
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3
Just tried this at RSW. No dice. The wrinkle is that on my second itinerary I have a connection onto ANA and the agent said that merging the UA tickets will trigger a re-issue on ANA and then all bets are off. Really sucks they can’t do something simple like this.
Off to the hell of ORD....
Off to the hell of ORD....
#52
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Just tried this at RSW. No dice. The wrinkle is that on my second itinerary I have a connection onto ANA and the agent said that merging the UA tickets will trigger a re-issue on ANA and then all bets are off. Really sucks they can’t do something simple like this.
Off to the hell of ORD....
Off to the hell of ORD....
I don't know what the agent was thinking, but "merging" tickets isn't necessary (and, for that matter, isn't really possible without some serious black magic). The correct procedure is to add your downline flights onto the first PNR, issue the bag tag, and then remove them. SHARES will validate inventory on the UA segment added to the first PNR, which can be a hassle if the flight is sold out, but not on the partner segment. No tickets should have to be re-issued -- certainly not the second ticket, which isn't even supposed to be touched during the procedure. Next time, I'd try asking if they'd call the help desk. (I'd also try to find a different agent, because I'd really want to avoid whatever it was that your agent today was planning. )
#53
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Uh...
...The correct procedure is to add your downline flights onto the first PNR, issue the bag tag, and then remove them. SHARES will validate inventory on the UA segment added to the first PNR, which can be a hassle if the flight is sold out, but not on the partner segment. No tickets should have to be re-issued...
...The correct procedure is to add your downline flights onto the first PNR, issue the bag tag, and then remove them. SHARES will validate inventory on the UA segment added to the first PNR, which can be a hassle if the flight is sold out, but not on the partner segment. No tickets should have to be re-issued...
Thanks.
#54
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Ticket isssuance is manual. You can have whatever you want in a PNR, including flights that aren’t ticketed, protection flights, flights on other airlines, etc. The only caveat is that SHARES is built to validate inventory for UA flights — it’s difficult to add a UA segment that’s on a sold-out flight. For other airlines, SHARES will take the agent’s word that ticketing is handled separately
#55
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Linking 2 Tickets
Hi All,
I have 2 separate UA tickets in and out of Denver 3 hours apart and with this will UA link the tickets at check in of the first flight?
I have no status travelling in Y with both flights being domestic with checked baggage, while i have enough time to collect and recheck it would be nice not to.
Thanks in advance D
I have 2 separate UA tickets in and out of Denver 3 hours apart and with this will UA link the tickets at check in of the first flight?
I have no status travelling in Y with both flights being domestic with checked baggage, while i have enough time to collect and recheck it would be nice not to.
Thanks in advance D
#56
Moderator: United Airlines
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Other than this there is no meaningful way to "link" two separate tickets and the bag interline does not give you the same misconnection protections as having a single ticket. However, UA will generally provide "best available" assistance for misconnections in this situation
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 17, 2019 at 1:01 am
#57
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3
Uh...
I don't know what the agent was thinking, but "merging" tickets isn't necessary (and, for that matter, isn't really possible without some serious black magic). The correct procedure is to add your downline flights onto the first PNR, issue the bag tag, and then remove them. SHARES will validate inventory on the UA segment added to the first PNR, which can be a hassle if the flight is sold out, but not on the partner segment. No tickets should have to be re-issued -- certainly not the second ticket, which isn't even supposed to be touched during the procedure. Next time, I'd try asking if they'd call the help desk. (I'd also try to find a different agent, because I'd really want to avoid whatever it was that your agent today was planning. )
I don't know what the agent was thinking, but "merging" tickets isn't necessary (and, for that matter, isn't really possible without some serious black magic). The correct procedure is to add your downline flights onto the first PNR, issue the bag tag, and then remove them. SHARES will validate inventory on the UA segment added to the first PNR, which can be a hassle if the flight is sold out, but not on the partner segment. No tickets should have to be re-issued -- certainly not the second ticket, which isn't even supposed to be touched during the procedure. Next time, I'd try asking if they'd call the help desk. (I'd also try to find a different agent, because I'd really want to avoid whatever it was that your agent today was planning. )
All good - priorty + pre check actually added only about 15 minutes to my total time to recheck the bag at ORD since things went very smoothly. Given the 24 hour journey, wasn’t the worst thing to get a bit of walking exercise in between flights 😂
#58
Join Date: Feb 2015
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Baggage question on trip w/separate tix
So I am looking to book my return from KOA-EWR in early September. Based on equipment and pricing/point, combined with my needs/desires for coach and F, it likely makes sense for me to break the continuous trip up with two separate tickets. Basically, using CC points to purchase my KOA-SFO/LAX in Y on equipment I'd be fine with on a day flight, and then purchasing a competitive fare in J from one of those on to EWR. My question is this...Is it possible for me to check through my bags in KOA, or will I need to retrieve them and re-check since the tix will be on separate PNRs?
#59
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UA should be able to ticket the bag(s) straight through to EWR at KOA. Just show up at least 15-30 minutes earlier than normal to allow an inexperienced agent figure it out. An experienced agent will do it in less than 5 minutes, but you can’t count on getting one.
#60
Join Date: Jan 2016
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This is not all that uncommon. Aero (for those who are unaware is United's graphical front end reservations system, opposite to SHARES) is, for some reason, notoriously difficult when creating interline bag tags. Every single time an agent (hub or outstation) tries to use it to tag an interline bag of mine, Aero fails. They have always had to create dummy bookings.