Checking bags through to final destination

[Kelstarama]

Hi everyone,

I'm a long time lurker but this is my first question on here.

I'm travelling business class next month, MEL-PER (Qantas), PER-JNB (SAA), connecting with an SAA flight later the same day to DAR (flying economy on this leg). Am I likely to be able to check my business class weight bags through to DAR when checking in at MEL?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Kellie

 

[pshepvic]

Assuming you stay within the international terminal in JNB without clearing customs & immigration into S.A., and the flights are booked on the same ticket (doesn't matter if some are J and some are Y), then they should be able to check the bags the whole way through.

 

[pshepvic]

Welcome to AFF by the way!

 

[TheInsider]

Are all the flights on the one booking?

 

[Kelstarama]

Unfortunately they are not on the same booking. The MEL-PER-JNB flight was all booked on the Qantas website and I had to book the JNB-DAR flight separately. I wasn't planning on clearing customs or immigration in JNB as I have a booking at the transit hotel which is airside.

Is a big smile and wonderful manners likely to help at all?

Thanks for the welcome by the way!

 

[pshepvic]

Call Qantas and see if they can link the bookings. Even if separate, they may be able to tag the bags the whole way, but there's no guarantee unfortunately. Depends who you get on check in on the day!

 

[ozmille]

You can get some more information on the QF policy here

 

[Kelstarama]

Thanks everyone. I will speak to Qantas and possibly SAA with fingers crossed. It doesn't look too promising but you just never know!

I guess the next question is this - the transit hotel inside Johannesburg airport where I am booked in says specifically NOT to collect your luggage. Any thoughts on this?

Ozmille - I have some very good friends who live in Tienen. I must get back there for another visit...

 

[GladstoneTim]

Based on the link to the QF interline policy, the following should have allowed bags to be transferred all the way through shouldn't it?

Me: check in at GLT. bags tagged QF BNE-CX HKG through to KTM Flight ex GLT 1750, flight ex BNE 0050 next morning. Last I saw of the bag was GLT until I arrived KTM.

Lovely wife, exactly one week later, QF CSA GLT, " no, the bag cannot be tagged all the way through to KTM as your next flight is tomorrow (all one itinerary ). That is the policy." When advised of how my bag had been treated, was told, "That person went against the policy" and was most disgruntled about it.

Do people read the policy the way I do- that my wife's bag should have been checked all the way through and ot collected in BNE and redeposited at BNE international ?

 

[GladstoneTim]

It will be interesting to see what happens for our return ex HKG. We arrive in BNE 2330 on CX and fly out to BNE the next morning. Will they be tagged all the way through (knowing we claim and clear customs-unless on strike) or not?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Based on the link to the QF interline policy, the following should have allowed bags to be transferred all the way through shouldn't it?

Me: check in at GLT. bags tagged QF BNE-CX HKG through to KTM Flight ex GLT 1750, flight ex BNE 0050 next morning. Last I saw of the bag was GLT until I arrived KTM.

Lovely wife, exactly one week later, QF CSA GLT, " no, the bag cannot be tagged all the way through to KTM as your next flight is tomorrow (all one itinerary ). That is the policy." When advised of how my bag had been treated, was told, "That person went against the policy" and was most disgruntled about it.

Do people read the policy the way I do- that my wife's bag should have been checked all the way through and ot collected in BNE and redeposited at BNE international ?

If the CSA at GLT had just left it up to the system to check you in, your wife's bag would've been checked all the way through to KTM like it did for you. Sometimes staff at regional ports aren't as savvy with international connections so won't want to do it. If this scenario is supposed "against the policy" then how come Altea will allow it? This person obviously decided to 'short tag' the bags to BNE.

The same thing happened in GOV where pax were going GOV/DRW/SYD/LAX & the transit in DRW was about 4 hours but due to the extra stuff you had to do like entering passport info, checking visa, adding the address where they will be staying in the USA etc that fell into the 'too hard basket' so pax got told that had to collect their bags in DRW & recheck which was BS.

We're only talking about a few hours in transit in BNE & there would be baggage handlers working then to take bags from the domestic to international terminal.

Some airports do have rules that there cannot be a transit of more than 8 hours but in this instance it's not like "tomorrow" was 0900. I think someone had a mental block because the continuation of your journey was after midnight. Maybe

It will be interesting to see what happens for our return ex HKG. We arrive in BNE 2330 on CX and fly out to BNE the next morning. Will they be tagged all the way through (knowing we claim and clear customs-unless on strike) or not?

I take you mean you fly out to GLT in the morning. Unfortunately there wouldn't be any baggage staff at QF domestic at that time of night to receive the bag so you would need to collect your bag to clear customs then take it with you to the hotel that night & recheck your bag in the next morning.

When daylight saving kicks in early October checkin will open at 0330 & you can drop off bags up to 6 hours prior to your flight.

 

[GladstoneTim]

It will be interesting to see what happens for our return ex HKG. We arrive in BNE 2330 on CX and fly out to BNE the next morning. Will they be tagged all the way through (knowing we claim and clear customs-unless on strike) or not?

You are spot-on regarding BNE meant to be GLT in my post, Ozbeachbabe. I just couldn't find a way to edit it. And your answer matches my thoughts exactly regarding the CSA in GLT.

 

[Kelstarama]

Thanks everyone, but it appears I probably can't check the bags through. SAA say to ask Qantas, Qantas say their policy is not to do it but (as pshepvic said) it depends who I get at check in on the day. It would just would have been nice to get a definitive answer from someone.

As for the transit hotel, if I have to collect my bags I can't check into the hotel. There are no refunds on cancellations within 48 hours and I don't want to risk it. I have made some other plans now.

It's not the most convenient start to a holiday but not the end of the world