Codeshare and Baggage Fees
 

I purchased a ticket to FLL on United back in March 08 for a flight in Feb 09. In July I was rescheduled on a codeshare flight on US due to the fact that UA pulled out of FLL. What will be my baggage fees for checked bags?

Bill

Are you *G (1P on UA or better)? If so, than you should be allowed two bags at 50lbs ea. As it is a codeshare you will need to check-in with US so you will be at the mercy of their agents.

If you're not *G...I think you'll be stuck with whatever US' normal baggage rules are.

I would take copies of your original booking and the reissued one when you check in and see if you get a sympathetic gate agent that would be willing to apply UAs baggage rules from March (or at the very least US's if they were better then than they are now).

Baggage fees are based on the operating carrier. Furthermore, if you're doing a connection, its based on whoever is operating the first segment. If you're a *G/*S, you don't need to worry about payment, as elites on both UA and US are exempt from baggage fees.

These rules can be confusing. If, for example, you are doing a roundtrip ORD-CLT-FLL, with UA operating the segment's to/from ORD and US operating the segements to/from FLL, then UA bag fees would apply on the outbound, and US bag fees on the return. It's just the way it works.

UA still serves MIA. If you want to fly UA, you can ask (could have asked) for a rebooking to/from MIA.

Thanks for the replies. I do not have elite status with either US or UA so it looks like I will be paying the US fees as all flights to and from FLL are on US metal. Part of me feels that I should only be subject to the baggage fees that were in place when I bought my ticket. Oh well, I will take the advice of bringing my original itinerary to the airport and hope I get a sympathetic US agent.

I think you have legitimate cause to argue for paying what ever bag fees were in place for tickets bought on your original buy date and flown on your date of departure. Not sure what US was like, but most carriers had a phase in, where tickets bought on/before XX date but flown before YY date weren't assessed a fee, and tickets bought on/before XX date but flown after YY date were assessed the fee. Find out what the policy was at the time. If it is different then what would apply if you bought the ticket today, bring your original itinerary when you check in and hope to get a sympathetic agent.