PER-SYD-LAX-SEA - O/N layover in SYD - collect bags in SYD?

[Jurahn]

Apologies if this is an obvious question, but I've hunted around on VA's site and couldn't find any reference to this. On previous trips to the US with VA, we've flown the dreaded "red-eye" (YUK) from PER to the East Coast to connect with the onwards flight to LAX, so no stopover. This time, to save my sanity , I used multi-city booking to book PER-SYD the day prior, with overnight stay in SYD before connecting to the LAX flight the next morning (and onwards to SEA). All flights are on the same PNR.

As I've never done this before with VA, it only just occurred to me - will my bags still be checked all the way through to SEA when I check in at PER? Or as I have an overnight stop in SYD, will they only check the bags to SYD, then I collect them and check in again for my international flights next morning? I'm happy to collect the bags in SYD, and in fact prefer to do that, so I at least know where they are during the overnight stop LOL - so can I request that the bags just be checked to SYD initially?

Any advice/previous experience on this situation would be much appreciated!

 

[deejo77]

You will need to collect and recheck

 

[bullerdude]

Just ask the agent to only check you in for the first flight and tag bags to Sydney.

 

[Mitchell Sale]

We did the exact same thing in October with the Per-Syd flight the day before the lax flight, we had to ask for our bags to be tagged to Syd only as they were going to go straight to lax.

 

[Jurahn]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

We did the exact same thing in October with the Per-Syd flight the day before the lax flight, we had to ask for our bags to be tagged to Syd only as they were going to go straight to lax.

Good to know! Were there any problems/hassles with asking for the bags to be tagged to SYD? Did they then only check you in as far as SYD, or did they still check you in for the onwards flight to LAX as well?

 

[Mitchell Sale]

It was pretty straight forward just remember to ask them because we amused that we would have to pick them up in Syd but then we noticed the bag tags had LAX on them, it was no trouble to get it changed, they will check you in for both flights so you will just have to drop your bags off before the flight to LAX.

 

[Jurahn]

It was pretty straight forward just remember to ask them because we amused that we would have to pick them up in Syd but then we noticed the bag tags had LAX on them, it was no trouble to get it changed, they will check you in for both flights so you will just have to drop your bags off before the flight to LAX.

Thanks for that, I'll make sure I ask! I also have a connecting flight from LAX-SEA and am just wondering whether that flight will be open for check-in as well at that time, seeing as there's the overnight stop in SYD. I certainly hope so, as the connection time at LAX is only 2 hours. If not, I suppose I could check in for LAX-SEA when I drop the bags in SYD. Arrgggghhh, I'm overthinking now, it's doing my head in!