Checked luggage on connection flights - different destination

[Haplo]

I had an interesting experience checking on my luggage at Sydney airport on Monday.

Background of the story is that I am going from Sydney to Bangkok via Shanghai, and on a China Eastern ticket on both legs. I wanted to check one luggage to Shanghai (stuff that my cousin wants from Australia) and one all the way to Bangkok (my own stuff for the trip).

I was told by Dnata at check in that this is a major security breach as I may not board my second flight and therefore the luggage that's checked to Bangkok will become unaccompanied. I had a 7 hours connection and I was always going to make the connecting flight. I didn't agree with that explaination, had escalated to a manager and in the end they agreed to check both luggage only to PVG and issue only the boarding pass on the first leg.

Happy to hear anyone's thought on this, and whether it is actually possible to check in luggage at different destinations.

 

[justinbrett]

The airline’s explanation is completely reasonable to me. Many airlines wouldn’t even short check to PVG so I think you should be happy with the outcome.

 

[Haplo]

How is this different to someone checking their luggage all the way and not board the second flight, by their logic no one would be allowed to check through their luggage because there is a risk they may not take their second flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How is this different to someone checking their luggage all the way and not board the second flight, by their logic no one would be allowed to check through their luggage because there is a risk they may not take their second flight.

Obviously the bags would not go unaccompanied, so there’s no security risk in and of itself in that.

There may be an ‘inconvenience’ factor… having to retrieve the bags, customs clear them, and get them back to you.

But I’m also wondering if it has something to do with Chinese baggage screening for connecting flights. We had a transfer in Xiamen and all pax had to wait in a transfer area while their onwards baggage was screened and given the ‘ok’. Once we had that, we could proceed with our transfer. I dunno… long shot on that, but it might be a potential reason.

 

[justinbrett]

How is this different to someone checking their luggage all the way and not board the second flight, by their logic no one would be allowed to check through their luggage because there is a risk they may not take their second flight.

Because they will offload your luggage and you will need to talk to the airline before getting it back.

It’s just a red flag if someone is asking to do this, they are much more likely to want to skip their second flight.

 

[albatross710]

I had a very similar experience on a Singapore Airlines family flight and I needed to leave just one bag at left luggage in Changi airport. We ended up checking 3 pax through to LHR, Me and my orphaned bag were checked to SIN where I collected and deposited the bag then did a check-in.

An alternative I used last year on a BKK via SIN itinerary was to take my orphaned bag as a cabin bag and then deposited it to left luggage.

 

[dajop]

I wonder if the problem regardless of the story they tell you is the system only allows all or nothing. They can’t do it piece by piece.

I’ve had no dramas short checking during long layovers (overnight) on SQ to SIN only. Whilst on Scoot I had to through check and then go to service counter at the airport to request the bag be offloaded (which took an hour ) as the system doesn’t allow short checking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wonder if the problem regardless of the story they tell you is the system only allows all or nothing. They can’t do it piece by piece.

I’ve had no dramas short checking during long layovers (overnight) on SQ to SIN only. Whilst on Scoot I had to through check and then go to service counter at the airport to request the bag be offloaded (which took an hour ) as the system doesn’t allow short checking.

Yes, i was wondering that too…. can you have one bag short-checked, and one not?

But regardless, the reason shouldn’t have been ‘security’.

Ground handling agents aren’t always knowledgeable. I mentioned in another thread Swissport in London had kittens because air mauritius had through checked bags to TAP, when - according to Swissport - only star alliance can check bags to other star alliance carriers

 

[Haplo]

It shouldn't be a security reason imo, maybe a system limitation on having a fully checked luggage and one short checked luggage?

On the way back I am going to check one bag all the way from BKK to SYD and another bag just from PVG to SYD, I'll be interested to see in BKK they will let me check all the SYD and add another bag at PVG or only do one leg at a time like my outbound trip.

 

[Quickstatus]

It shouldn't be a security reason imo, maybe a system limitation on having a fully checked luggage and one short checked luggage?

Why cant it be a security requirement that all checked bags follows the passenger?
The system limitation then follows on from that requirement

I think MU gave you a reasonable (if not generous) solution.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why cant it be a security requirement that all checked bags follows the passenger?
The system limitation then follows on from that requirement

I think MU gave you a reasonable (if not generous) solution.

It is a security requirement, but not in the way dnata explained it.

The passenger is travelling, just requested one bag be short-checked.

For international travel there is a positive bag match, so even if the passenger didn’t make the connection, the bag would have been pulled. The bag would therefore never have been ‘unaccompanied’ and a security threat in that sense, as claimed.

It could be a system limitation, or it could be a convenience limitation or it could be related to chinese airport baggage requirements for transit bags (which are in place at some airports at least).

 

[Haplo]

I have also in the past with Cathay flying MNL-HKG-SIN, then next day evening SIN-HKG. Since the last flight was within 24 hours of the second flight, I was given three boarding passes but the bag short checked to Singapore only.

I guess every airline is different.

 

[dajop]

I have also in the past with Cathay flying MNL-HKG-SIN, then next day evening SIN-HKG. Since the last flight was within 24 hours of the second flight, I was given three boarding passes but the bag short checked to Singapore only.

But that's not really short checking luggage, as the SIN-HKG would be a different leg of the journey. Returning to the same point whether it is within 24 hrs or not is never considered a "connection" in airline lingo (or to put it another way HKG-SIN-HKG would never be considered as connecting flights).

 

[Quickstatus]

but the bag short checked to Singapore only.

Also I think this is because you had a overnight layover even if within 24hrs - they gave you 3 boarding passes. The bags follow you.