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Checking baggage through on separate UA operated reservations...

Old Jan 9, 2019, 5:41 pm
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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)
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Checking baggage through on separate UA operated reservations...

Old Dec 19, 2019, 9:43 pm
  #106  
 
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Originally Posted by pigzilla
The only difference is that I couldn't just drop my bag off after customs like everyone else with pretaggged bags. I had to go off to the side and stand in the queue at the United bag transfer desk for them to manually print out a new tag and attach it to my bag. Didn't take too long ~10 minutes with 4 people in line, but YMMV.

Agreed about UA-UA being more difficult than UA-OAL, that's exactly what the EWR agent told me when she was doing it.
Pigzilla and Kacee.... so if I understand it correctly.... we have a friend who will be flying LHR-ORD-STL on a return leg.... if it is a single reservation she would need to clear Immigration with her luggage, but then could drop it off at a transfer desk in ORD Intl Terminal, and then proceed to domestic terminal to continue her flights........ however, if the LHR-ORD segment was an award tx and the ORD-STL were a paid ticket on a separate reservation, then she would still have to clear Immigration with her luggage but then have to take it with her to domestic terminal to be re-checked.

On the outbound flight STL-ORD-LHR.... if all flights on the same reservation then no issue with baggage transfer at ORD.... but if STL-ORD and ORD-LHR segments are on separate reservations (and I understand from this thread and others that they can not be combined), that a knowledgeable counter agent in STL could get the luggage scheduled all the the way through to LHR but we need to allow extra time at STL check-in (and since STL is not a hub, it is uncertain whether we will get an agent who understands how to make it happen)
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Old Dec 19, 2019, 9:45 pm
  #107  
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Originally Posted by Brostman
Pigzilla and Kacee.... so if I understand it correctly.... we have a friend who will be flying LHR-ORD-STL on a return leg.... if it is a single reservation she would need to clear Immigration with her luggage, but then could drop it off at a transfer desk in ORD Intl Terminal, and then proceed to domestic terminal to continue her flights........ however, if the LHR-ORD segment was an award tx and the ORD-STL were a paid ticket on a separate reservation, then she would still have to clear Immigration with her luggage but then have to take it with her to domestic terminal to be re-checked.
Theres no need to carry the luggage to the domestic terminal. United has agents at the luggage recheck counter who can send it through to STL if the agents in LHR arent able to check it all the way through.

Originally Posted by Brostman
On the outbound flight STL-ORD-LHR.... if all flights on the same reservation then no issue with baggage transfer at ORD.... but if STL-ORD and ORD-LHR segments are on separate reservations (and I understand from this thread and others that they can not be combined), that a knowledgeable counter agent in STL could get the luggage scheduled all the the way through to LHR but we need to allow extra time at STL check-in (and since STL is not a hub, it is uncertain whether we will get an agent who understands how to make it happen)
Correct.
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Old Dec 19, 2019, 9:46 pm
  #108  
 
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Originally Posted by Brostman
Pigzilla and Kacee.... so if I understand it correctly.... we have a friend who will be flying LHR-ORD-STL on a return leg.... if it is a single reservation she would need to clear Immigration with her luggage, but then could drop it off at a transfer desk in ORD Intl Terminal, and then proceed to domestic terminal to continue her flights........ however, if the LHR-ORD segment was an award tx and the ORD-STL were a paid ticket on a separate reservation, then she would still have to clear Immigration with her luggage but then have to take it with her to domestic terminal to be re-checked.
You wouldn't need to take it to the domestic terminal. You'd just have to wait in line after customs to get bag tags printed as opposed to just dropping and going. Not a big deal 90% of the time (there can occasionally be a backup to see a human).

Originally Posted by Brostman
On the outbound flight STL-ORD-LHR.... if all flights on the same reservation then no issue with baggage transfer at ORD.... but if STL-ORD and ORD-LHR segments are on separate reservations (and I understand from this thread and others that they can not be combined), that a knowledgeable counter agent in STL could get the luggage scheduled all the the way through to LHR but we need to allow extra time at STL check-in (and since STL is not a hub, it is uncertain whether we will get an agent who understands how to make it happen)
It's only theoretically uncertain. If you ask them to call their support desk (unless you get a really difficult agent unwilling to do so) they will always be walked through it. But it does take time.
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Old Dec 19, 2019, 10:00 pm
  #109  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
Theres no need to carry the luggage to the domestic terminal. United has agents at the luggage recheck counter who can send it through to STL if the agents in LHR arent able to check it all the way through.


Correct.
Thank You
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Old Dec 19, 2019, 11:25 pm
  #110  
 
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I meant to update earlier, but on our trip over Thanksgiving - we were able to check through on the outbound from SFO to IAD to Newark.

Coming back, the guy in Newark couldn't do it and insisted that the connection time (5.5 hours) was too long. So in IAD we had to go from the C/D gates to the main terminal get the backs, recheck them and back to C/D gates. The employee who took the bags on the re check told me that the Newark guy should have been able to do - the actual maximum is 12 hours.

Oh well, it was a bit of a pain to walk to the train, etc but we did have plenty of time.
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Old Feb 4, 2020, 8:12 pm
  #111  
 
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should I avoid OLCI if I have 2 tickets on 2 flights that connect with each other?

I'm hope I'm making sense here. It's been a long day and I'm already half asleep.

I have a ticket from XYZ to SFO. I also have another ticket from SFO to NRT. The two tickets were booked a couple of week apart because I couldn't make up my mind at the time.

There's about 3 hours between XYZ-SFO and SFO-NRT.

If I want UA to check my bag from XYZ all the way to NRT, should I void doing OLCI on the XYZ-SFO flight and just show up at XYZ and let the UA agent figure it out?

Normally, that's what I would do, but I'm planning to buy the upsell upgrade on XYZ-SFO flight, which can only be done during OLCI. If I do that, what will happen when I show up at XYZ and ask the agent to check my bag all the way to NRT?

Thanks!

(PS: XYZ not actual airport code, of course)
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Old Feb 4, 2020, 8:41 pm
  #112  
 
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Originally Posted by Vangrovsky
I'm hope I'm making sense here. It's been a long day and I'm already half asleep.

I have a ticket from XYZ to SFO. I also have another ticket from SFO to NRT. The two tickets were booked a couple of week apart because I couldn't make up my mind at the time.

There's about 3 hours between XYZ-SFO and SFO-NRT.

If I want UA to check my bag from XYZ all the way to NRT, should I void doing OLCI on the XYZ-SFO flight and just show up at XYZ and let the UA agent figure it out?

Normally, that's what I would do, but I'm planning to buy the upsell upgrade on XYZ-SFO flight, which can only be done during OLCI. If I do that, what will happen when I show up at XYZ and ask the agent to check my bag all the way to NRT?

Thanks!

(PS: XYZ not actual airport code, of course)
OLCI should be fine, just dont check your bags in online.
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Old Feb 4, 2020, 8:49 pm
  #113  
 
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Originally Posted by JimInOhio
OLCI should be fine, just dont check your bags in online.

Thanks! I'm so sleepy right now... just hoping that I don't pack my cat in my luggage. (he is doing a self check-in by sleeping in my luggage while I pack right now)
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Old Dec 22, 2020, 4:03 pm
  #114  
 
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Combining 2 reservations

I booked xxx-DEN, then booked DEN-yyy on a separate reservation (plans changed). Time between 2 flights meets and exceeds MCT in DEN - can I check a bag all the way through xxx-DEN-yyy?

Thanks!
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Old Dec 22, 2020, 4:05 pm
  #115  
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Originally Posted by ordogg
I booked xxx-DEN, then booked DEN-yyy on a separate reservation (plans changed). Time between 2 flights meets and exceeds MCT in DEN - can I check a bag all the way through xxx-DEN-yyy?

Thanks!
Check a bag thru -- yes, you need to allow extra time at check-in (as long as these are both UA or *A flights & not overnight)
Combine two PNRs -- no

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 22, 2020 at 4:12 pm Reason: & not overnight
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 9:14 am
  #116  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Check a bag thru -- yes, you need to allow extra time at check-in (as long as these are both UA or *A flights & not overnight)
Combine two PNRs -- no
Thank you - no overnights, and both UA flights
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 9:55 am
  #117  
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Originally Posted by ordogg
Thank you - no overnights, and both UA flights
you are all set then. Should not be an issue at all. Might run into challenges if the outbound is delayed when you check a bag, but that's the only situation I can see where things could get complicated.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 10:09 am
  #118  
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Originally Posted by ordogg
I booked xxx-DEN, then booked DEN-yyy on a separate reservation (plans changed). Time between 2 flights meets and exceeds MCT in DEN - can I check a bag all the way through xxx-DEN-yyy?!
Combining reservations is not the same as interlining bags.
FT thread--->UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 11:16 am
  #119  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
you are all set then. Should not be an issue at all. Might run into challenges if the outbound is delayed when you check a bag, but that's the only situation I can see where things could get complicated.
Actually, checking a bag from UA to UA can be quite complicated if the second flight happens to be full. This thread should have details -- basically, plan to get to the airport early and be prepared to ask them to call the help desk.

Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Combining reservations is not the same as interlining bags.
FT thread--->UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
UA to UA is online, not interline, but you're right that it's different from combining the reservations. This message has already been moved to the correct thread.
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Old Dec 24, 2020, 7:18 am
  #120  
 
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Originally Posted by ordogg
I booked xxx-DEN, then booked DEN-yyy on a separate reservation (plans changed). Time between 2 flights meets and exceeds MCT in DEN - can I check a bag all the way through xxx-DEN-yyy?

Thanks!
Yes, you can. It can be difficult if xxx is a small UA presence airport. I did this on the 22nd from RAP-DEN- YYY. The gate agent wasn't familiar with the practice and spend almost 30 minutes on hold with UA before checking my bags through.
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