Kay2

I prefer to book my flights all on one airline or one set of partners/codeshare, etc. when possible. But I've got an itinerary coming up that just won't allow that. The "best" I can do is one airline (AirFrance) offering the sequence of tickets, but the flights being operated by Delta and Finnair. Delta/AirFrance are SkyTeam members, but Finnair appears to OneWorld alliance.

Who should I talk to definitely find out if the proper set of airlines have interline baggage agreements so if I check a bag, it can be checked through and they will guarantee transfer? AF as it is putting its name and numbers on the flights? DL and Finnair as they will be the actual operators?

I try to keep to carryon when possible, but Finnair carryon appears to be 18 lbs--I'll have to see what my rollaboard weighs when full and pack lightly for a weeklong trip in winter.

Andre

Kay2,

Does the Finnair leg also have an AF flight number? If so not only will you be able to check your luggage through, but you should also be able to get all your boarding passes when you check in for your first flight.

In any event, I am almost certain that Air France and Finnair have a luggage interlining agreement.

Hope this helps,
Andre

BeachBoi

Kay2....You will have no problem checking your bags through...Delta/Air rance/Finnair all have interline agreements for ticketing and baggage.The only problems you might incur would be in an instance if you booked a "low Fare" carrier within Europe for the continuation of your journey.But this is not the case as you stated above.Interline agreements are multilateral/bilateral arrangements between airlines that allow passengers to check luggage through to the final desitnation when they must change carriers in order to reach the destination.Now, as to whether any airline will "guarantee transfer", don't they all say that????

Kay2

Thanks for the help. I'd read some earlier posts and they had me concerned. T

he airfares I've found for my trip this winter are all over the place via various connections, combinations of airlines, and websites. This AirFrance website option with AF flight numbers on all legs offers decent departure times with 2 hr layovers, "back-up" flights on the airlines in both directions, and the possibility of FF miles for the transatlantic legs, at the lowest price. What else could I want except for the project sponsor to pay for me to fly Business Class?

Andre

What else could I want except for the project sponsor to pay for me to fly Business Class?

My thoughts exactly

Have a pleasant trip all the same.

Andre

sjbisanz1

Just one more piece of advice, and you probably won't need it. When you check in for your first flight, ask the gate agent if they are checking your luggage all the way thru. 99% of the time it wouldn't be necessary, but I have always thought better safe than sorry. Those few words said might save you huge problems later if the agent for example simply misread your itinerary. It has been known to happen. Good luck!

sandi

You should always check your luggage tags before they're placed on your bags. Know the three letter code for each of your stops/connections and be certain they've be entered correctly. You shouldn't have a problem asking the reservations agent to explain the tag if you're not certain.

Kay2

Back from trip--your advice was 50% correct.

I only had carryon to Europe, so didn't check baggage. DL could only give boarding pass for first segment--told me to go to AF at CDG for seat assignment and boarding pass for Finnair/AF flight. At CDG I stopped at AF transfer desk and waited in line where clerks told me they could not help me, to go to 2D and find a Finnair rep to get seat and pass. So I did find my flight's Finnair desk in 2D where I had to check my bag (too heavy for their carryon restrictions) and get my boarding pass.

Return Finnair could check bag through to US, but could not issue boarding pass for second leg. AF/DL Transfer desk at CDG had line, so I just stood in the DL/AF ticketing line to ensure one wait to get boarding pass (very slow).

Bag arrived OK.

Andre

Kay2,

Your CDG-HEL ticket had an AF flight# and you needed to get your boarding pass at a Finnair counter??? That's the weirdest thing I've heard in a long time. I've dealt with similar codeshare situations (CDG to VIE on Austrian with an AF flight# and vice versa) and always had to deal with the representatives of the airline whose flight number I was ticketed on, regardless of who was operating the flight.

Could you clarify this point by checking your ticket receipt if you still have it?

Thanks
Andre

RachelG

I'm not surprised about the boarding pass thing at CDG--the Delta and AF gate agents there are particularly inefficient and unhelpful, and lines are very slow.

Andre

Perhaps, but Kay2 should have already received her boarding pass for the leg operated by Finnair when she checked in the US and in HEL, thus eliminating the need for dealing with anyone at CDG...

Andre

OOPS!

My first post only made sense for the outbound journey. For the return, I meant that in HEL, Kay2 should have received her boarding pass for the AF-operated flight to the US as well, IF she was indeed ticketed on an AF flight number for the HEL-CDG leg. After all, she must have checked in at the Air France counter there.

Kay2

I know my flights had AF numbers as well as DL number for one leg and AY and AA numbers on the others.

If I understand correctly, not codeshares, but operated by the other airlines, if that makes a difference.

In the US, I checked in at DL/AF joint desk and they could not give me the Finnair boarding pass via AF. Not sure why AF desk couldn't do it in CDG. In HEL, checkin was at Finnair desk.

I put my DL ff number on the ticket as AF is a partner. Checked my account last night and credit showing for ATL-CDG, CDG-HEL, and CDG-ATL, but not HEL-CDG.