Hopping off a classic rewards flight at a connection location.

[am621]

I need to get from Singapore to Europe. I have booked Singapore to Paris to Tel Aviv in Business class, using Qantas Classic Rewards.
Can we disembark in Paris and request that our check in luggage is taken off the flight in Paris as well? or is this against their T&Cs??

I cannot find any classic rewards flights from Singapore that stop anywhere in europe as the final destination, so the tel aviv flight was my best bet.

 

[Quickstatus]

Interesting itinerary.

And the other interesting feature of this is QF says SIN-TLV can only be booked with points

I'm assuming you are arriving into CDG before the TLV sector
if I recall correctly, CDG has 2 arrival lanes for transit passengers
A) integrated transfer (one booking number)
B) self connecting transfer (more than one booking number

option B requires you to pick up luggage.

It sounds like the QF booking puts all the flights into one booking. If this is the case you will need to ask at SIN to check your bags only to CDG. They may or may not allow it. What flights are you actually on?

QF also does SIN-EUR on points. I can see CDG/LHR/ROM. What dates are you travelling?

 

[am621]

Yeah flights are in the 1 booking. It is a Singapore to Tel aviv flight with a stopover in Paris.
Booked with Qantas but the carrier is Air France

 

[Quickstatus]

stopover in Paris.

Stopover - how many hours in CDG between flights?
If an overnight stay they they may allow you to pick up baggage at TLV

Otherwise - AF will let you short check. It seems like there is a fee to short check of €275:
Others might confirm if this is valid...

 

[RichardMEL]

If it's a transit you're not going to have much luck unless you convinced AF check in in SIN to short check bags to CDG. Basically this is hidden city ticketing and airlines hate this for obvious reasons (more for revenue fares then rewards - as you're giving up a fair whack to pay for CDG-TLV you don't intend to use).

Or see the above hefty charge.

Have you asked QFF to drop the 2nd flight segment from the CR booking (this is potentially a danger depending on the agent you get) ?

If it's a one way itin then as long as you can sort out the bags you can drop the last sector fine but if it's part of a return booking then the whole thing will get cancelled so do keep that in mind.

 

[Quickstatus]

if it's part of a return booking

Would carving out the return into a separate PNR mitigate any problems with shorting the outbound? If the return is also classic reward, a carve out would be simple enough.

 

[am621]

Wow really appreciate the quick responses.
It is a 4 hour layover in Paris.

Seems like paying the fee of 275 for the short check is the most stress free method.
I am going to give qantas a call and see if they can coordinate it before I actually travel, will also try calling AF and see if I have any lucky.

 

[Quickstatus]

I am going to give qantas a call and see if they can coordinate it before I actually travel

QF will have nothing to do with that - they are not operating the flight
That is an entirely AF thing - ask about it when checkin at SIN.

See if you can find the AF booking reference in the AF website. It might be different to the QF booking reference. Then ring up AF to check the validity of the €275

 

[RichardMEL]

Would carving out the return into a separate PNR mitigate any problems with shorting the outbound? If the return is also classic reward, a carve out would be simple enough.

Certainly it would if any return flights were split into a separate PNR they effectively become a separate booking. Of course they would probably need to be refared (even as reward) in terms of taxes and the like, but that aside I see no reason why that wouldn't resolve such a situation.

Post automatically merged: Apr 17, 2023

Wow really appreciate the quick responses.
It is a 4 hour layover in Paris.

Seems like paying the fee of 275 for the short check is the most stress free method.
I am going to give qantas a call and see if they can coordinate it before I actually travel, will also try calling AF and see if I have any lucky.

a 4 hour transit means that AF agents in SIN would be obliged to check you through to TLV - pending any other arrangements you make (such as paying the 275 euro fee).

If you do call QF regarding this, it would only be useful in relation to potentially dropping the CDG-TLV segment fully (which would resolve the whole problem assuming this is a one way booking).

 

[CaptJCool]

Or perish the thought
take no check in luggage .... I have travelled that way before
I wore the coat etc, and you could always purchase a new bag in Europe

Your hand baggage weight​

If you are traveling in the Economy cabin, your (1) hand baggage and (1) personal item cannot exceed 12 kg/26.4 lb. If you're traveling in the Premium Economy, Business or La Première cabins, the combined weight of your (2j hand baggage items and (1j (personal) accessory must not exceed 18 kg/40 lb.

https://wwws.airfrance.us/information/bagages/bagage-cabine-soute

its a long shot option but solves the checkin baggage issue

 

[Quickstatus]

no check in luggage

And in J the overhead cabin luggage compartment is likely going to have excess capacity.
I've never been pinged for carrying too much carry on luggage in J and I'm consistently double the weight but then again I tend to not fly with AF

 

[Mr H]

If you through check your luggage but become unwell on the first flight and are unable to continue to fly on your second flight they will have to retrieve your luggage and give it to you. They may try to charge you for this but I am not sure whether this could be enforced. Bottom line is thay are not going to want to fly your luggage on a flight you have not shown up for.

 

[Quickstatus]

they will have to retrieve your luggage and give it to you

Sure, if you get trolleyed off the aircraft into an ambulance. But I don't think anyone would want to put on that type of show.
The AF €275 screenshot upthread mentions "regardless...of the reason given". So if not already in an ambulance, Im not sure they will show any sympathy short of "collapsing" at the boarding gate for CDG-TLV

 

[Mr H]

Sure, if you get trolleyed off the aircraft into an ambulance. But I don't think anyone would want to put on that type of show.
The AF €275 screenshot upthread mentions "regardless...of the reason given". So if not already in an ambulance, Im not sure they will show any sympathy short of "collapsing" at the boarding gate for CDG-TLV

You could just no-show at the departure gate and your luggage would have been offloaded. You would have had the rest of the itinerary cancelled and I don't think they can ransom your luggage.

 

[jpp42]

I don't think they can ransom your luggage.

Sure they can as mentioned above, they will demand payment of the €275. Airlines can be really hardline about hidden city ticketing - I don't see they would have any trouble doing this if it's in the T&C's.

Much better option is to call Qantas and get the CDG-TLV segment dropped. Though I understand the concern about getting a competent agent.

 

[Franky]

You could just no-show at the departure gate and your luggage would have been offloaded. You would have had the rest of the itinerary cancelled and I don't think they can ransom your luggage.

To my mind that means that an aircraft and all of it's passengers are then held to ransom? Right or wrong?

 

[Mr H]

To my mind that means that an aircraft and all of it's passengers are then held to ransom? Right or wrong?

Not at all. Bags are offloaded all the time when passengers don't show.

Sure they can as mentioned above, they will demand payment of the €275. Airlines can be really hardline about hidden city ticketing - I don't see they would have any trouble doing this if it's in the T&C's.

They can ask for payment but I'd be pretty sure they do not have the right to hold the bags until payment is given. They do not own the bags and must give them to the passenger when requested. The terms and conditions would only be relevant if (a) the airline was cancelling the rest of the ticket - which is already happening; or (b) they seek payment in the civil courts.

 

[jpp42]

They do not own the bags and must give them to the passenger when requested.

In other arenas, it's well established that businesses can keep people's property as collateral for a debt as long as the debt relates to that property - for example, an auto shop can keep your car until you pay for the repairs, or a jeweller can keep your ring until you pay for the work you'd requested. I agree that this is a slightly different scenario, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. It's not something I have heard about actually occurring in any frequent flyer forum, I will admit. You're probably right that Air France would try to collect the debt through other more straightforward means, i.e. sending a collection notice to the passenger's home address. But I doubt they'd waive it outright unless OP had some actual proof of being unable to travel, such as a doctor's note.

 

[Franky]

Not at all. Bags are offloaded all the time when passengers don't show.



They can ask for payment but I'd be pretty sure they do not have the right to hold the bags until payment is given. They do not own the bags and must give them to the passenger when requested. The terms and conditions would only be relevant if (a) the airline was cancelling the rest of the ticket - which is already happening; or (b) they seek payment in the civil courts.

'Not at all. Bags are offloaded all the time when passengers don't show.'

Sure, and I've suffered that experience like many. But to hold up an aircraft just to save yourself E275 doesn't cut it for me...

 

[Mr H]

But to hold up an aircraft just to save yourself E275 doesn't cut it for me...

And $450 as a fee for returning a bag seems unconscionable.