Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Travel Topics > Air Travel
Reload this Page >

Air New Zealand -additional checked bag?

Search

Air New Zealand -additional checked bag?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 2nd, 2013, 12:11 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Air New Zealand -additional checked bag?

Help me out if you can? I am flying back to the states tomorrow from New Zealand and need to pay for a second checked bag. The fee is $95 which I agreed to pay but Air New Zealand says that the fee is only to LAX instead of all the way to my hometown on their code share partner, United. I have never heard of this. Has anyone heard of this?

I work for a major airline and it has always been that if you pay an extra fee for a second bag and it is to your final destination on one of our code shares ,there was not a second fee paid.
dutyfree is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2013, 05:16 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,855
Received 83 Likes on 5 Posts
I've heard of it, but have only been charged when connecting to a non Star Alliance member airline where a separate check-in was required.

I doubt you'll have a problem as long as you check your bags all the way through to your final destination.

From the UA website:

"When a customer travels on a codeshare flight or on an aircraft operated by a Star Alliance member airline, then the policy regarding checked bags follows the rules determined by the originating marketing carrier."
Melnq8 is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2013, 10:25 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,162
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"Your originating marketing carrier is defined as the airline whose flight number is assigned to the first segment of your itinerary. If this carrier is not United or United Express, different charges may apply. Baggage service charges are based on the date of ticketing."
mrwunrfl is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2013, 10:26 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,162
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
That is according to UA.
mrwunrfl is offline  
Old Feb 3rd, 2013, 07:20 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,855
Received 83 Likes on 5 Posts
I had a similar issue when I flew a short domestic flight on UA and connected to three much longer flights on SIA. I was allowed three 70 lb bags on UA, but three 50 lb bags on SIA.

I called both airlines and was told by UA that the SIA policy would apply, even though they're both Star Alliance. Two bags weighed about 55 lbs each - but SIA didn't have an issue for whatever reason. All bags were checked through from Colorado to Perth.

I'd be interested to hear how it goes dutyfree.
Melnq8 is offline  
Old Feb 4th, 2013, 02:07 PM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just got home last night and it was as I thought-there was NOT an additional charge on United for the checked bag.Too bad that the ANZ agent was clueless on this .I asked her several times that ANZ and United were codeshare flights and that there shouldn't be an additional charge after boarding for the first carrier but she repeatedly said NO!After what happened below-I am not a big fan of flying them anytime soon which is strange as I thought that my flight there was very nice.

HOWEVER,many of us that connected on to the international flight in Auckland to the US got charged $200 for our CARRY ON bags. We were stopped before security by a "contract" (ie non ANZ personnel)person who had us weigh our carry on bags including our purses,computers, water bottles,newly purchased magazine and treasures from the souvenir shops at the airport,etc.-if they were over the 7 allowance,they called Air New Zealand at the ticket counter and we were sent down there to pay the $200 fine.It did not make any difference the size of the bag or whether you had one bag and a purse requirement!
When we told them that this was never enforced on our flights out of the US (SFO and LAX) they said that it didn't matter. When we mentioned that the check in agents at the ticket counter in Christchurch never mentioned it, they said that they should have?

Because our connection time was less than an hour in Auckland from our Christchurch flight in the domestic terminal to the connection to our international flight in the international terminal( via 15 minute walk or wait for every 20 minutes for the connector bus) this having to go downstairs and stand in line to be weighed again for our carry ons and then wait in another line to pay the $200 caused me to make my flight with 4 minutes to spare(before they shut the door and we pushed back from the gate) courtesy of an agent running some of us who got screwed on this through customs and security-absolutely ridiculous!This connection was booked through a special NZ travel agent through ANZ and I had asked several agents prior to flying yesterday and everyone told me that it was a legal connection?

I noticed that if your carry on bags were over the allotment,all was forgiven if you were in business or economy comfort class ticketing? Some folks had a massive backpack along with a little backpack that you knew was over the 7 allotment but got on which honked quite a few of us that got sent back downstairs.

As someone who travels on a lot of various airlines around the world internationally as a passenger and also works international flights every week to all points, I have never run into this. Bag size is always important on foreign carriers for carry on but including your computer,purse,book,water,etc. for traveling over 17 hours if it fits into the one bag limit with a purse? Just saying....
dutyfree is offline  
Old Feb 4th, 2013, 02:46 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,855
Received 83 Likes on 5 Posts
What a pain.

Air NZ has always been strict with their carry on limits, often weighing them at the check-in counter, then giving you the option to check them if they're overweight. It sounds as if this should have been done in Christchurch, but wasn't.

Everytime we fly Air NZ they give our roll aboard carry ons the evil eye. We've had to remove valuables and check them in more than once.

These days we're very carefull to adhere to the 7 kg limit, unless we're flying Business Class (yes, they give Business Class travelers more leeway, the perks of paying a fortune for a ticket).

A legal connection is generally 45 minutes or more, so yes, it was legal, but the carry on hassles threw a spanner in the works.

But, at least you didn't have to pay an additional fee on UA, right?

BTW, did you happen to notice how Australian and Kiwi travelers on Air NZ flights very seldom have much carry on luggage? They're well trained. You can usually pick out the North American tourists from the pack, simply by looking at what they're carrying on.
Melnq8 is offline  
Old Feb 4th, 2013, 10:59 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,940
Received 19 Likes on 4 Posts
The 7kg carry on limit has really started to be enforced in the last few months even from our little airport in Nelson. We take 1 7kg bag each, we weight it before we leave, I take a purse, and my DH takes a laptop bag. Sitting at Auckland airport two months ago waiting for our flight back to Auckland, we watched traveller after traveller having their bags weighed as they were about to board, and most of them had to take stuff out, or check them in.
nelsonian is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
artsnletters
Europe
15
May 30th, 2014 10:24 PM
CopperKat
Air Travel
6
Nov 2nd, 2013 05:38 PM
Nikki
Air Travel
31
Apr 3rd, 2012 12:46 PM
AisleSeat
Europe
28
Nov 1st, 2010 01:03 PM
ZfromWinnipeg
Australia & the Pacific
17
Oct 3rd, 2006 07:44 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -