Baggage interline - separate PNRs - QF award flight on AA metal to QF award flight on QF metal

[Rebekkap]

I'm flying on Christmas day Portland to LA, LA to Melbourne. Both booked (separately) as award flights with QF flight numbers. The Qantas document *seems* to indicate that as it's QF flight number to QF flight number they should check the luggage through to Melbourne despite being separate PNRs (which is my sincere hope!) but I can't find anything encompassing this exact scenario, so wondering if anyone else had experience?

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policies/book/baggage/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html#origin-or-destination-points-in-the-united-states

cheers
Rebekka

 

[SYD]

I'm flying on Christmas day Portland to LA, LA to Melbourne. Both booked (separately) as award flights with QF flight numbers. The Qantas document *seems* to indicate that as it's QF flight number to QF flight number they should check the luggage through to Melbourne despite being separate PNRs (which is my sincere hope!) but I can't find anything encompassing this exact scenario, so wondering if anyone else had experience?

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policies/book/baggage/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html#origin-or-destination-points-in-the-united-states

cheers
Rebekka

Unfortunately AA are notorious for no longer checking through luggage on seperate tickets (airline policy) but it can’t hurt to ask.

Are you sure PDX to LAX is a QF code? Not that it really matters as AA are operating the flight and it’s their rules they’ll follow.

If they were on one ticket, you’d be fine.

 

[muppet]

I'm flying on Christmas day Portland to LA, LA to Melbourne. Both booked (separately) as award flights with QF flight numbers. The Qantas document *seems* to indicate that as it's QF flight number to QF flight number they should check the luggage through to Melbourne despite being separate PNRs (which is my sincere hope!) but I can't find anything encompassing this exact scenario, so wondering if anyone else had experience?

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policies/book/baggage/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html#origin-or-destination-points-in-the-united-states

cheers
Rebekka

As the first leg will be operated by AA/AS, its AA/AS policies that apply. AA/AS should do it but as always what is published doesn’t always work. EDIT: @SYD indicates AA won’t do it anymore anyway and so I checked and AS won’t either.

From Alaska Airlines website:

If your travel includes more than one ticket, each ticket is considered a separate journey. Baggage will only be checked to the final destination on the first ticket. Please allow enough time to collect your baggage and re-check in with the next airline. Checked baggage will not be transferred on to your next flight that's on a separate ticket. Baggage fees for each carrier may apply.

How did you get a QF code on a domestic USA flight without a connecting transpacific sector on QF?

 

[SYD]

As the first leg will be operated by AA/AS, its AA/AS policies that apply. AA/AS should do it but as always what is published doesn’t always work. EDIT: @SYD indicates AA won’t do it anymore anyway and so I checked and AS won’t either.

From Alaska Airlines website:


How did you get a QF code on a domestic USA flight without a connecting transpacific sector on QF?

Yes, most likely AS operated out of PDX.

I need to check if they’re one of the exceptions to issuing award seats with QF codes - could be handy for PC/PC+ members!

 

[Rebekkap]

Unfortunately AA are notorious for no longer checking through luggage on seperate tickets (airline policy) but it can’t hurt to ask.

Are you sure PDX to LAX is a QF code? Not that it really matters as AA are operating the flight and it’s their rules they’ll follow.

If they were on one ticket, you’d be fine.

Booked as a QF award flight so I thought so but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[justinbrett]

AS won’t connect. They used to, policy only just changed.

The mix of revenue and reward exception is a QF rule when the first flight is operated by QF. It doesn’t apply when the first flight is operated by someone else.

 

[Capricornus]

Booked as a QF award flight so I thought so but maybe I'm wrong.

Are you sure it’s QF code on the ticket if it’s an award? My understanding was awards typically were booked on the operating carrier code.

AS definitely no longer interlines, and pretty sure AA is the same. BUT, never hurts to try your luck on the day. Try and pick an agent who seems the most enjoying their job.

 

[Cloud9]

Who'd have thought it was the 21st century and any civil nation will through check quite happily in an alliance...

 

[Himeno]

Who'd have thought it was the 21st century and any civil nation will through check quite happily in an alliance...

Come now, it's not 2017

 

[kpro]

Echoing what the others have said, it's generally not possible to book -

1. a QF codeshare flight with points
2. a domestic QF codeshare flight on its own - it generally must connect to an international.

I tried a few dates and couldn't get the QF award booking engine to give me a QF code on PDX to LAX.

Are you assuming the flight is a codeshare because its issued on a QF ticket, and the itinerary has Qantas branding on it? What is the actual flight number shown in the itinerary?

 

[Rebekkap]

Echoing what the others have said, it's generally not possible to book -

1. a QF codeshare flight with points
2. a domestic QF codeshare flight on its own - it generally must connect to an international.

I tried a few dates and couldn't get the QF award booking engine to give me a QF code on PDX to LAX.

Are you assuming the flight is a codeshare because its issued on a QF ticket, and the itinerary has Qantas branding on it? What is the actual flight number shown in the itinerary?

You're right, it's an AA flight number

 

[madrooster]

AS won’t connect. They used to, policy only just changed.

In practice AS still through checks if it's all on the same PNR.

I can see why AS stopped doing it. It was a little known benefit before they joined oneworld so it wasn't done that often, whereas now they're likely getting such requests frequently.

For AS, for them to through-check to a separate PNR, they have to add all the flights you are through-checking to, into their PNR.

AA (and virtually any carrier for that matter) also has to do the same, if they were to through-check to a separate PNR. Unfortunately this often results in lots of errors being made... from wrong flight numbers to wrong dates etc. Baggage data is also not always correctly and automatically sent to the downline carrier(s) which leads to bags being left behind. It's a bit of a recipe for disaster.

 

[BD1959]

AA (and virtually any carrier for that matter) also has to do the same, if they were to through-check to a separate PNR. Unfortunately this often results in lots of errors being made... from wrong flight numbers to wrong dates etc. Baggage data is also not always correctly and automatically sent to the downline carrier(s) which leads to bags being left behind. It's a bit of a recipe for disaster.

I get the process but you'd think that in this day and age airline systems would be able to simply link two PNRs (even if they are in different Reservation Systems) rather than having to manually enter data. Seems to work OK for trip apps.

Regards,

BD

 

[muppet]

In practice AS still through checks if it's all on the same PNR.

I can see why AS stopped doing it. It was a little known benefit before they joined oneworld so it wasn't done that often, whereas now they're likely getting such requests frequently.

For AS, for them to through-check to a separate PNR, they have to add all the flights you are through-checking to, into their PNR.

AA (and virtually any carrier for that matter) also has to do the same, if they were to through-check to a separate PNR. Unfortunately this often results in lots of errors being made... from wrong flight numbers to wrong dates etc. Baggage data is also not always correctly and automatically sent to the downline carrier(s) which leads to bags being left behind. It's a bit of a recipe for disaster.

Funny how 10 years ago, when it was OneWorld policy, it was so easy and I did it all the time without issue - now all too hard, bags lost all the time, despite improvements in technology etc.

QF struggles to even issue tickets now. Want a ticket beyond simple point to point, better hope your call gets through to Hobart.

 

[justinbrett]

QF struggles to even issue tickets now. Want a ticket beyond simple point to point, better hope your call gets through to Hobart.

In my recent experience, connections on separate PNRs is one example where the QF IT system shines.

AKL, flying on two HA PNRs. More than 30 minute wait at the check in desk and required a phone call from the agent to Honolulu.
JFK, flying on two QF PNRs, less than 30 seconds and didn't even have to provide the second PNR or flight details. In both examples I had my VA and QF numbers on the respective bookings. Someone said in other post that the QF system has a "Find Connections" button built in that does all the hard work.

I'm all for criticising QF IT but this is not an example that I think is valid. And if we want to talk about ticketing VA wanted to cancel my ticket on day of departure because they didn't deduct enough points from me... so there's that (QF would simply fail to ticket in this instance).

I have also done an AA to QF interline on separate bookings, thanks to a kind agent, but that took at least 10 minutes at the desk. And I still had to go to the QF desk at DFW to get my bag assigned to the flight (even though it was physically tagged).

 

[Rebekkap]

I get the process but you'd think that in this day and age airline systems would be able to simply link two PNRs (even if they are in different Reservation Systems) rather than having to manually enter data. Seems to work OK for trip apps.

Regards,

BD

they're not even in different reservation systems - its Amadeus and Amadeus!

 

[oz_mark]

I get the process but you'd think that in this day and age airline systems would be able to simply link two PNRs (even if they are in different Reservation Systems) rather than having to manually enter data. Seems to work OK for trip apps.

They can, but the airlines don't want to have to deal with misconnects when there are separate tickets involved.

 

[Warragul]

they're not even in different reservation systems - its Amadeus and Amadeus!

AA is hosted by Sabre (it was their creation).

 

[madrooster]

I get the process but you'd think that in this day and age airline systems would be able to simply link two PNRs (even if they are in different Reservation Systems) rather than having to manually enter data. Seems to work OK for trip apps.

There's a huge difference between trip apps built from the ground up, completely with modern technology, vs systems that use archaic frameworks setup by IATA that were initially built in the late 90s.

Granting explicit access for carrier A to access carrier B's reservations has a whole host of legal issues around privacy as well. This is something that is being tightened up particularly by Amadeus lately, because of all the FFP fraud issues going on as they had traditionally been relaxed about it.

Lets take a step back here though and look at the broader picture.., the majority of pax are just going from A to B. That's what the system was designed for, and for 99%+ of pax, it works the way it should.

Only when you get people like members of AFF testing the limits with booking broken up journeys etc. then it falls down because the system was never designed to please the < 1% of pax. The systems and policies will never be designed to please that 1% - it's not economical.

At the end of the day, the goal is to please the masses, not pander to the 1% who want to do mixed redemption / mixed commercial. Mixed redemption and commercial, or even mixed redemption/redemption in certain cases, can be done by travel agents anyway so there are ways around the problem.

Funny how 10 years ago, when it was OneWorld policy, it was so easy and I did it all the time without issue - now all too hard, bags lost all the time, despite improvements in technology etc.

In that time we also lost a lot of knowledgeable staff in the industry, and this was very much expedited by covid.

At AA as an example, virtually everyone who was LAA (legacy American, pre AA/US merger) knew how to do full manual commands in Sabre where you could do virtually anything, whereas now there's fewer and fewer staff who know how to do it.

This was the norm at most carriers... staff knew how to do all the advanced stuff.

The problem with a lot of experienced staff exiting through natural attrition and then covid, plus a load of new hires is it takes many years to build up their experience. It's not something you can learn in a few weeks in a classroom, and that knowledge isn't passed down.

Personally, I know how to use the airport systems used by Amadeus and Sabre carriers... and especially since covid, I have found I've had to help them out by telling staff where to look for a particular function when I travel. They're all new hires, every time.

Someone said in other post that the QF system has a "Find Connections" button built in that does all the hard work.

All Amadeus carriers have this function, but it only works for same carrier connections eg. QF to QF or HA to HA as this is all they are allowed to do due to privacy/legal issues.

Sabre however is way too old and built on mainframes technology to have such a function.