Qantas selling a ticket but can't tell baggage allowance

[vanesaboch]

Hi Flexter,
I was glad to read that you were able to use the 3x32 kg baggage on your trip to EZE. I took a similar trip from BNE-SYD-SCL-EZE in December 2023-Jan 2024, but I was not as lucky as you! On my outbound flight Qantas was able to allow me the 3x32 kg, but they advised me that the LATAM leg of the flight would only allow me 1 piece of 23 kg. They made an exception and allow me to get the 3x32 kg on the outbound flight, but on my return flight I had to pay excess luggage, as I had to check in with LATAM in EZE. I was carrying only 2 pieces of less than 23 kg, but they charged me AUD$350 for the excess luggage!! I asked them about Qantas Club and they said that only applied for QF flights. I guess it depends on who you get at the counter! Do you have any tips you used to be able to get the 3x32 kg on your return flight from EZE, please? Thanks!

Hi Flexter, I hope you are ok. I am wondering if you would be able to share how was your return flight from EZE to SYD and if you managed to get the 3x32 kg baggage allowance when checking in EZE at LATAM counter, please? I am flying again to EZE, starting ADL-SYD-SCL-EZE, with all QF codes, expect for SCL-EZE, which is a LA flight. On my return trip, I will fly back from EZE to SCL with KLM and then the rest of the flights are all QF. Do you think that by asking Qantas staff member at check in about the print out saying that qantas Club allows 3x32 kg baggage can help when checking in at EZE with KLM? Do you have any tips on how to get LATAM and KLM to honour the Qantas club 3x32kg baggage allowance? Many thanks!

 

[Mwenenzi]

Hi Flexter, I hope you are ok. I am wondering if you would be able to share how was your return flight from EZE to SYD and if you managed to get the 3x32 kg baggage allowance when checking in EZE at LATAM counter, please? I am flying again to EZE, starting ADL-SYD-SCL-EZE, with all QF codes, expect for SCL-EZE, which is a LA flight. On my return trip, I will fly back from EZE to SCL with KLM and then the rest of the flights are all QF. Do you think that by asking Qantas staff member at check in about the print out saying that qantas Club allows 3x32 kg baggage can help when checking in at EZE with KLM? Do you have any tips on how to get LATAM and KLM to honour the Qantas club 3x32kg baggage allowance? Many thanks!

My understanding is Qantas club extra allowance only for QF flights. QF club means nothing to LATAM & KLM or most other airlines. Would expect your luggage entitlement will be as the ticket.
Status can get benifits, but need to read the fine print. OK with Oneworld (some fine print exceptions) but with non alliance ff partnes need to check the detailed rules - specific airline aggreement.
AA & QF have access arrangements for the paid QF Club & AA Admirals Club. Unsure if that extends to baggage:- doubt it

 

[justinbrett]

My understanding is Qantas club extra allowance only for QF flights. QF club means nothing to LATAM & KLM or most other airlines. Would expect your luggage entitlement will be as the ticket.
Status can get benifits, but need to read the fine print. OK with Oneworld (some fine print exceptions) but with non alliance ff partnes need to check the detailed rules - specific airline aggreement.
AA & QF have access arrangements for the paid QF Club & AA Admirals Club. Unsure if that extends to baggage:- doubt it

The exact same situation can occur on AA.

QF extra bags only apply to QF metal. In the case of oneworld they will have extra bags for oneworld elites but it’s their policy, not Qantas (although these days they are fairly well aligned).

I think Flexter got lucky, and I have similarly got lucky by pleading my case to AA. But it’s a gamble.

QF to partner is usually fine but it’s the reverse that causes issues.

 

[DC3]

QF club means nothing to LATAM & KLM or most other airlines.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

There is generally only one rule that applies for baggage when you have connecting itineraries (aside from trips to/from Canada/USA more on that in a minute), which is the most significant carrier rule. To summarize the rule, only one airline's baggage policy will apply for the whole trip from the origin to the final destination. That airline will be the first airline which:

1. Crosses an IATA zone (basically IATA splits the world up into three major travel zones: zone 1: North and South America, zone 2: Asia-Pacific, and zone 3: Europe, Middle East and Africa)
2. Crosses an IATA subzone (these are regions within an IATA zone so for instance North to South America or Canada to the USA)
3. Crosses an international border

Note: this list is numbered meaning the itinerary is evaluated by first looking to see if any flights match the first rule, then if nothing matches the first rule the second rule is considered, if nothing is matched there then the third rule is considered. Equally important, it is the carrier that operates the flight and not the marketing carrier which the rule applies. So if you fly an British Airways operated flight between Sydney and London, it will be British Airway's baggage rules not Qantas' baggage rules that apply even if you are flying on a Qantas flight number.

The major exception to this rule, which again applies virtually everywhere is flights to/from Canada/USA. The rule there is simpler (and maybe fairer?) the first airline which appears on the ticket will decide what baggage rules to apply. Confusingly they can either apply their own or use the most significant carrier rule outlined above.

Some worked examples for the peanut gallery:

Sydney to Darwin (Qantas) -> Darwin to Singapore (Qantas) -> Singapore to Helsinki (FinnAir)
In this case the baggage rule that would apply is FinnAir's because FinnAir was the first airline on that ticket to cross an IATA zone (from zone 3: Asia Pacific to zone 2: Europe).

Sydney to Melbourne (Qantas) -> Melbourne to Dallas (American Airlines)
In this case Qantas' baggage rules apply even though American Airlines is the most significant carrier in the journey as we are dealing with the first carrier rule as it is a trip to the USA, and Qantas will apply its baggage rules and doesn't apply MSC in these circumstances per their website.

Mexico City to São Paulo (Aeromexico) > São Paulo to Buenos Aires (Aerolineas).
In this case Aeromexico's rules would apply for the whole trip as it was the first airline to cross an IATA sub zone.

Frankfurt to Munich (Lufthansa) > Munich to Lisbon (TAP)
In this case TAP's baggage rules would apply since it is the first flight crossing an international border.

-RooFlyer88