JVPhoto

Ok cool it's the first time flying I've ever had to deal with this so thanks for the quick 411.

dmurphynj

Like everything else, it depends.

We did EWR-IAH-CZM in June; landed at IAH at around 9pm and left for CZM at 8am, as I recall. Bags were checked all the way through even though that was an 'overnight' stay in IAH.

I didn't even have to ask them to check through - that was the default.

So clearly there's some threshold other than 'overnight'.

Often1

First and foremost, I would not worry about the bag "sitting" at EWR. It's in a heavily-patrolled area and is no more likely to be lost or stolen overnight than on a 2-hour connection daytime. Unless you enjoy schlepping checked luggage to your hotel and back and standing in line in the endless EWR line in the AM, if you can possible check through, I would.

If you choose to check to EWR, the threshold is that you likely have to ask. UA's system does not appear to recognize "overnight" as a term, although its rules do.

The system will automatically generate a tag to the final destination. If you point out that there is an overnight, you may or may not get some back talk about short-checking and may need to ask for a UA supervisor.

In this case, flying out of SFO, contract personnel handle the bag check, so it really does mean asking for a supervisor who is a UA employee and showing the supervisor the printout.

JVPhoto

I've never had to wait more than 3-4 min max to dump by bag at EWR so it's not an issue.
The info about SFO baggage people is useful though as well.

*still trying to convince her to do a carry on more so for our SDQ arrival and cnx staying in the city on the way back because I want to get up and go quick.

Kacee

You mean on whether the agent follows the rules and/or doesn't make a mistake and check your bags to the wrong place? Yes obviously.

The rule says what it says. Whether the agent screws up and doesn't follow it is a different issue. Best practice of course is to confirm with the agent what he or she is doing (and check the baggage tag) at check-in.

dmurphynj

Excellent, 100% SPOT ON advice!

When we checked in at EWR for the EWR-IAH-CZM trip, I did indeed ask the agent (United employee @ at the 1K checkin counter, FWIW) whether they were checking all the way to CZM or if I'd have to pick up in IAH. She said "Going straight to Cozumel." The printer kicked out CZM bagtags automatically - she didn't do anything to make that happen, even though technically that seems counter to the "policy". (All the agent did was attach the orange Priority attachment to the bagtag, put it on the bag, check my ID and throw it on the belt. No keyboard interaction at all.)

So it's not exactly a case of the employees ignoring the policy, but rather the published policy being opaque enough that it doesn't match up with what's programmed in the system to happen.

Like so many other things at UA .... the rules aren't quite as rigid as they would appear. Savvy travelers can take advantage of that ...

lskohn

We have an overnight in FRA between our LH flight and our UA flight. Ticket is 016 stock. Do we have the choice to check all the way through to ORD, or is retrieving baggage at FRA mandatory? ( since the flight originates with LH, is this an LH policy issue rather than UA?)

ryder1650

Family is traveling CVG-ORD on UA and then ORD-DEL on AI on a single ticket (Y class, no status). Since first leg is on UA, they can only check in one bag for free even though AI allows 2 bags. For the second bag, UA wants an extra $100 per the e-ticket receipt.

Is it possible to check in the second bag only for CVG-ORD and pay $25? Then pick it up at the claim at ORD and schlep it over to AI to check in for free?

aacharya

1. UA doesn't short-check bags anymore.
2. AI and UA will both adhere to the DOT interpretation of the IATA agreement. So even if you could do #1, AI will normally charge you since it's about the itinerary, not the segment.

What does the reservation on the bottom say about DOT "marketing carrier"?

emcampbe

Based on DOT rules, which supercede IATA MSC rule, UA will charge the fees based on the rule of the marketing carrier of the first segment based on the whole itinerary, for the entire trip. So since you are going to India, and presumably the first segment is marketed by UA (UA flight number) they are charging you based on UA fees for the Us-India trip. UA will not short check bags, unless you have a really long layover, I.e. Overnight.

If you just purchased the ticket, you have 24 hours to refund without fees if you think you can get the first segment on an AI code (though not sure if AI codeshares with UA, or even if they do, on that flight) or book a different itin with someone else. Though honestly, out of CVG, you'll need to find a codeshare flight to a US gateway to get an international carrier bag allowance.

Also note that if this is a round trip ticket, the same bag rules/fees are supposed to apply on the return (though AI may, out of habit, do 2 bags free).

This DOT amendment to the IATA rules is supposed to make it easier and give people a consistent experience throughout each itinerary. In some cases, consumers win on it, on others, like this one, they lose. If this trip was starting in YYZ instead of CVG, with AI as the MSC, AI rules would have applied.

Often1

1. If you are connecting at ORD (<24 hours), your bag will be checked at CVG to DEL (although UA may relent if that 24 hours includes an overnight). If you are stopping over at ORD (24+ hours), your bag will be checked to ORD and you will check back in with AI at DEL.

2. UA should, in theory, provide the allowance for CVG-ORD and that ought to apply to the onward to DEL and the return, if this is a return. But, UA can be sloppy here and you may find that it will honor the AI allowance even though it need not. The DOT rules are a minimum and do not preclude a carrier from providing more than it must. Conversely, AI should (both at ORD and on the return), stick to the UA allowance of one bag. But, it may not.

3. You may find it helpful to print out the page showing the AI allowance and showing it to the UA agent at check-in. Bear in mind that the rules are contrary to what you want done. If the agent does this for you, thank him. If he does not, do not argue.

4. Even if UA short-checked your bag to ORD, you run the risk that AI applies the UA rules.

In the end, the difference is $65. (UA will charge $35 for the second bag to ORD and $100 for that bag to DEL).

lskohn

To answer my own question, LH actually gave us the choice at MAD whether to check through or short-check, because of the overnight stay.

rosenkavalier

I had the following situation recently:
Had flight on UA from SFO-ORD, then connecting onto LX ORD-ZRH-VIE with an overnight in ZRH.
The UA kiosk spit out the luggage tag all the way to the final destination, so I asked one of the check-in agents to tag the bag only to ZRH as it was an overnight.
She refused to do it!!!
Saying that the computer did it automatically and she had no authority to decide on LX's behalf that the bag should be only tagged to ZRH.
All ended well as the LX baggage desk at ZRH had no problems offloading my bag.

My questions are:
1) is it true that UA can't override the system/tag a bag differently if it involves another airline for the connecting flights?
2) or was she just BS'ing me to not have to deal it manually?
3) if I understand the term's and conditions from UA's own website, they actually REQUIRE you to collect your bag for an overnight transfer, or does this only apply to UA flights and not on partner airlines?

Very frustrating indeed. I also don't see how this stops hidden city ticketing, as not boarding the last (international) flight means that there will be a delay to offload the bag in the end. Delays cost the airline $$$, so who wins here? Unsatisfactory experience for the customer and delayed flight...seems like a lose-lose to me...

D582

I had a very similar situation to you a few months ago.

Flying SFO-LAX-ICN-HKG on UA-OZ-OZ in J.

The connection in LAX was just over 12 hours overnight (arrive 0003 depart 1210). Was checking two bags and their check-in system printed out tags all the way to HKG. I said I needed one of the bags in LAX and had to argue back and forth with the agent who did not know what to do, had to get a supervisor, had to call the help desk and finally was able to do it by dropping out of their GUI system to the command line. The entire interaction took over 20 minutes when it should not have.

The other bag was tagged all the way to HKG and made it there without issue and without me having to claim it.

I wrote UA a letter and they apologised and gave me a bunch of UA miles to my rarely-used MileagePlus account (despite the ticket being booked with AC miles).

So I would say the answers to your questions:

1. No, but don't expect the agents to know how to do to it
2. Yes.

rosenkavalier

Thanks for sharing D582.
So, I guess I had an agent who was either too lazy to go into the system and change the tag or was trained to unconditionally refuse short-checking bags and was not willing to take any risks to get into trouble with her supervisor?

By the way, what do you mean by 'dropping out of their GUI system to the command line'?
I understand neither of those terms...

Thanks!