Luggage allowance with different airlines [Separate Tickets]

[Mitch_W]

I travel often to SIN from TMW. TMW to SYD with QF and then SYD to SIN with SQ. I can book checked baggage right thru everytime to SIN (& beyond) from TMW using both airlines. Why is this so???

Cheers, Mitch

 

[ermen]

This has been an interesting discussion and has clarified my approach. Being risk averse I'm going to collect my bags, get processed then come back in and check them in for the SQ flight. This is in line with QF's info as posted by Ozbeachbabe that describes my situation exactly.

Actually OP you should just give the transfer desk thing a try and see if it works out to report back to us because I am quite curious on this!
If yes, you will have more time to spend in Changi, if not no problem you can always walk downstairs to clear immigration.
Good luck with your travels anyway!

I was just browsing the changi site and saw this:

[h=3]What should I do if I have a connecting flight at Changi?[/h](a) If you are connecting from a full service carrier flight to another.
If you have your boarding pass (with a seat allocation) for your connecting flight, you may proceed directly to the gate for your connecting flight. If you do not have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, you should proceed to the nearest Transfer counter in the terminal of your connecting flight. You will then be issued with a boarding pass and arrangements will be made for the transfer of your baggage to your connecting flight.




FAQ - Changi Airport

 

[ashleyn]

I will stick to plan A and report back on how it goes.

 

[serfty]

I travel often to SIN from TMW. TMW to SYD with QF and then SYD to SIN with SQ. I can book checked baggage right thru everytime to SIN (& beyond) from TMW using both airlines. Why is this so???

Cheers, Mitch

SQ and QF do indeed have an interline agreement, so if booked on the one ticket, there is no problem with checking through.

 

[Mitch_W]

SQ and QF do indeed have an interline agreement, so if booked on the one ticket, there is no problem with checking through.

These are always separate tickets. QF booked & purchased online on QF website. SQ booked as an award ticket online on the SQ website. Maybe the check in staff like me?

 

[slaussie]

It is not as simple as that!

It really depends upon the policy of the airline you check in with, and to a lesser extent, the whim of the check-in Agent.

In light of the past healthy debate and divided opinions on the topic, I decided to put my theory around through checking of baggage to test and can report the following.
Recently I flew SYD-AUH (Abu Dhabi) on VA (Virgin Australia), connecting onto AUH-FRA (Frankfurt, Germany) on EY (Etihad) and finally connecting onto FRA-INN (Innsbruck, Austria) on LH (Lufthansa). All three tickets were booked separately as three stand alone bookings by three respective airlines.
My expectations were that VA would be able to check the bag through to FRA only because they have baggage interline agreement with EY but not with LH. I also knew from others who travelled VA/EY combination before (booked on separate tickets) that their bags were interlined from VA to EY. When I checked in at SYD, I was told by VA they cannot interline to EY. Obviously this is the case of a lucky dip, with the outcome dependant entirely on the check in agent one scores on the day.
When I collected my bag in AUH, I asked EY to through check it to INN. My expectation was that they could as they have an interline agreement with LH. My expectation proved correct.
Travelling in parallel to me, my friend was at the same time flying BNE-AUH on EY, AUH-MXP (Milan Malpensa, Italy) on EY and finally connecting onto LH, booked as three separate tickets. My expectation was that he could check his bag all the way through to his final destination as EY/EY/LH combination was covered by the EY/LH baggage interline agreement. EY check in agent at BNE told my friend the bag could be checked to MXP only. Go figure …
So here we have two situation where the combination of two exactly same airlines EY/LH, in the order of EY first followed by LH, subject to the same baggage agreement, operating to the same rules, using the same processes, produced two entirely different outcomes. How else can one explain this but to put it down to a whim of the check in agent as I proposed previously.
On the way back home we were able to test the same two airlines again, albeit in reverse order LH/EY. We didn’t know what to expect any more given the inconsistent experience on the forward journey but to increase the test sample, we decided to check in separately by two different check in agents. As we made a stop over in AUH on the way back to Australia, for the purpose of that day’s travel, AUH was the final destination.
My check in agent checked my bag through to AUH – I expected as much and was happy with the outcome. My friend on the other hand was told he would need to collect his bag at MXP and re-check onto EY flight to AUH there. Luckily we had enough time in Milan for him to do so but it just go to show that one cannot expect any certainty from airlines and their processes …

 

[serfty]

... Luckily we had enough time in Milan for him to do so but it just go to show that one cannot expect any certainty from airlines and their processes …

Once can at least expect the "lowest common denominator" - it seems these days it amounts to - that if you have separate flights on separate tickets don't expect the luggage to be checked through in general, but be aware of individual airline policies (e.g. QF's is to do so for connecting oneworld airlines only).

[Of course, if it's all on the one ticket then it's a different story ...]

 

[ashleyn]

In response to my own OP, I collected my baggage as planned and re-checked. The SQ checkin counter was empty so the whole exercise from touchdown to bum on seat in the transit hotel took just 60 minutes, and made Mrs ashleyn a lot happier knowing her luggage was personally deposited for the onward flight.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

In light of the past healthy debate and divided opinions on the topic, I decided to put my theory around through checking of baggage to test and can report the following.

Recently I flew SYD-AUH (Abu Dhabi) on VA (Virgin Australia), connecting onto AUH-FRA (Frankfurt, Germany) on EY (Etihad) and finally connecting onto FRA-INN (Innsbruck, Austria) on LH (Lufthansa). All three tickets were booked separately as three stand alone bookings by three respective airlines.

I dont know what you paid for the 3 separate tickets but it's unusual that buying 3 tickets would work out cheaper than a through fare SYD/INN on a single ticket.

Did you do a cost comparison with a travel agent at all before buying the other tickets?

 

[Simo]

Yep,

When I go to Iloilo I have to get on a local carrier and they are very tight with luggage allowance so I have to pack to there limit.

It doesn't work when I check in and say Qantas lets me do it. They will just politely say well get the next QF flight to Iloilo.

 

[jetlagger]

Yep,

When I go to Iloilo I have to get on a local carrier and they are very tight with luggage allowance so I have to pack to there limit.

It doesn't work when I check in and say Qantas lets me do it. They will just politely say well get the next QF flight to Iloilo.

That sounds & scents like Cebu Pacific all over Simo! I also do that flight MNL/ILO ever so regularly with 5J & PAL - Both come up with lots of 'trickery" to avail you of less money.. :evil: