Hammer1

I booked an award ticket (one way) from TLV->MUC->EWR. First segment is LH, second is UA.

When I received my email confirmation, it said,

"In compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, checked baggage policies for your current itinerary have been deferred by the marketing carrier, (Deutsche Lufthansa AG), to the operating carrier. As a result, your baggage policies will be determined by United Airlines. Visit united.com/baggage for more information.

Baggage check-in must occur with United or United Express, and you must have valid MileagePlus Premier® 1K® membership at time of check-in to qualify for waiver of service charges for up to three checked bags (within specified size and weight limits)."

However, it also says that the baggage allowance for the first and second flights are different.

Unfortunately, on the UA Web site, it says something different - "In compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, checked baggage policies for your entire itinerary are determined by Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Visit united.com/baggage for more information."

Now if I understand the DOT rules correctly, even though by default LH's baggage rules would apply, as the first carrier, they are allowed to invoke the most significant carrier rules and defer the baggage rules to that carrier, which in this case would be United. Per the email I received, it seems that was the case, but it doesn't say that on the United Web site.

I want United's rules to apply. Is there anything I can do to make this happen?

Thanks for any insight that folks can provide.

TomMM

This part is confusing to me. Your first flight is on LH but you have to check-in your baggage with UA/UX. Never been to TLV, does UA handle LH check-in operations?

cfischer

LH rules apply. Not that they are really any different in any circumstance that I can think of.

Hammer1

I've never flown LH out of TLV. When I called United they said this was a mistake (and indeed, the part about it being deferred was also a mistake), but who knows? If I really could check it with UA I bet my problem would be solved, but I also assume this is wrong.

Hammer1

What about the part about deferring to the most significant carrier?

Unfortunately the rules are very different. As 1K flying Economy on United I get 2 bags per person at 70 lbs each. On LH it's 1 bag per person at 50 lbs each, with one extra bag or overweight bag only for me due to StarAlliance Gold.

cfischer

that is only the case in UA operated flights, so no use on LH no matter what. What is on the ticket does not include extras that come with your status, just the basic allowance. You will get your extra bag based on your SAG status though.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

United Premier allowances only apply at United counters. A lot of people think that they are getting "free bags" when it is actually a waiver of normal charges and weight guidelines. If United is the MSC, normal United bag charges and weight limits apply, NOT Premier waivers. You may, however, benefit from *A status allowances.

emcampbe

MSC is irrelevant, as an itinerary to/from the US doesn't use the IATA MSC rules, because DOT rules supersede them. DOT policy is that the baggage allowance is that of the marketing carrier of the first segment as applied to the destination on the ticket. That means OP will get LH allowance, as they are on an award ticket meaning the LH segment can only be marketed by LH. In addition to the standard LH TATL allowance, they will
also get the additional *G entitlement of 1 extra bag.

Irrelevant, but since you brought up MSC rule, if that was applied to the itinerary, then yes, the standard UA bag allowance for TLV-EWR would apply.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I should have wrote "If MSC applied...."

Hammer1

2 things:

1) The DOT Web site says - "This final rule requires that for passengers whose ultimate ticketed origin or destination is a U.S. point, the baggage allowances and fees that apply at the beginning of the itinerary apply throughout the itinerary."

So if this is correct, why am I being quoted 2 different sets of allowances - one for the LH flight and one for the UA flight? I hear the point about Premier being a waiver, but that sounds like a technicality in airline policy that would not hold up to US law. Bottom line - I am being quoted 2 different sets of allowances.

2) I know the obvious response to #1 is that oh well, if the LH rules apply, then I technically shouldn't get the premier waiver, so be happy they're offering it to me. However, the DOT Web site also states (and this is in their Powerpoint of rule summaries and FAQs) "First carrier can apply MSC/302 if appropriate, in which case that applies to all flights." I read that as saying that since the first carrier, in this case, LH gets to define the policy, it's free to go by the MSC rules if it chooses. And the fact that in my receipt it says "In compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, checked baggage policies for your current itinerary have been deferred by the marketing carrier, (Deutsche Lufthansa AG), to the operating carrier. As a result, your baggage policies will be determined by United Airlines", isn't that exactly what LH apparently did?

Bottom line, I am being quoted 2 allowances for the 2 flights, which appears to be in violation of DOT regulations, and if UA policies apply, I would think I would get the more generous UA policies on both flights.

Please explain to me where I am going wrong here. Thanks.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

You're reading the rule in an incorrect way. When you check in at a United marketed and operated flight, United bag fees and weight limits are applicable. Those same policies apply if the next carrier is LH. Here's the part you don't seem to get: United gives it's Premiers a frequent flyer benefit of a waiver from certain bag fees (number and weight), but that is NOT part of UNITED's baggage and fee structure that it normally applies to it's own flights which carry over to another carrier that must honor it. As a matter of fact, when you look at what a bag costs, you see the normal fee (what LH will charge since they don't apply UA FF waivers) crossed out for check in at a United counter.

Maybe one way to think about this is United is sort of giving a rebate on bag and weigh charges and LH doesn't have to, but it still applies United's bag/weight fee structure.

There's two policies: A United bag/weght/etc policy (the policy that other carriers will go by) and a second policy (the MilegePlus program that LH doesn't have to apply), giving United frequent flyers a break on the first policy.

Another point is that in which United says MileagePlus and credit card bag fee waivers ONLY APPLY AT UNITED AND UNITED EXPRESS CHECK-IN COUNTERS. You can consider that United's policy, so how do you think LH has to honor that???

No point in complaining to DOT - they understand the distinction and UA (and the affected carriers) is conforming to the DOT rules..

mathgeek1978

Greetings,

ARN - FRA - SFO

First leg is on SAS and I know I will check-in with SAS. My question is how do I, as a silver member, select E+ seat for the FRA - SFO segment.

Thanks in advance.

findark

You should be able to assign the seat once checked in for the UA segment (or within T-24) via any usual channel (app, website, or call).

JVPhoto

I was just checking my reservations for changes/out of boredom and I don't know why but I scrolled to the bottom of an itinerary and noticed something odd with the bags.

SFO-FRA-BUD UA/LH J & LYS-MUC-SFO LH/LH J

SFO-BUD it shows $0 Bag 1 / Bag 2 70#
LYS-SFO it shows $0 Bag 1 / $100 Bag 2 50#

Not taking any status into account LH J should give 2 70# bags, right? I'm less worried about the extra bag and more of the weight as I am going to be gone for 12 days including skiing & while not bringing skis I will most likely have my large suitcase close to 70#s.

Is this just the UA site being wonderful as ever?

findark

Yes, LH J allows two checked bags of 32kg (70 lbs) each. I would not pay attention to the UA receipt at all.