Baggage and two separate tickets
 

Seems like this question is asked many times but I can't seem to make sense of it outside my own personal situation.
Leaving LAX on American Airlines. Landing at JFK and transferring to Aer Lingus for on to Dublin. Two separate tickets. We only have one hour 45 minutes. The Aer Lingus flight is group air. The travel agent tells us we have to claim our bag at American. Re-check them at Aer Lingus. Others tell me that is ridiculous. American will check them through to Dublin. If we can't through check them we are only going to take carry ons. American and Aer Lingus are baggage partners.
I am loosing sleep over this.

Call AA and ask them. We have never had to get the bags and recheck them on overseas flights..But you never know and only the airlines can tell you.. That said carryons are a very good idea..

Despite what they do or don't tell you on the phone - it really is up to the AA agent when you check in at LAX. S/he very likely will check it through for you . . . or might not. Just smile and be nice. There isn't much else you can do.

I was advised to go in to the ticket counter instead of curb side. I will probably call them six times between now and June to see how many different answers I get.

It's not at all certain that you will be able to check your bag through. I think you will have to claim and recheck your bag. It's possible you will not make this connection regardless. I would never have booked this myself. I'd recommend doing carry on only. Even then it will be a tight connection.

>>I will probably call them six times between now and June to see how many different answers I get.<<

Call all you want. IMO that will only cause you unneeded stress. Even IF a phone agent says they will (or won't) check the bags through - it is up to the person at the desk at LAX. And yes - definitely check in at the desk, not curbside.

>> would never have booked this myself.<<

Me neither - you have no protection whatsoever. I'd never book unconnected international/long haul flights less than 4 or 5 hours apart - and even then be nervous.

This was booked by a travel agent. I am not an experienced enough traveler to have questioned her. I have gone around and around with her and she is not very helpful so I am branching out.
The person on the phone at American said it was no problem to just be sure to show both tickets. This is sure outting the damper on the trip.

>>This was booked by an <u>incompetent</u> travel agent. <<

But don't worry. There isn't much you can do at this point, and the AA agent probably will check your bags through. That doesn't solve the bigger problems - like your flight landing 35 minutes late.

Agree with janisj.

Be sweet and nice to the gate agent. Carry-on a pound of See's candy, just in case.

American Airlines will sell you on-line exactly the same itinerary connecting to Aer Lingus with luggage checked through. Aer Lingus has flights throughout the afternoon which you can be bumped to in case of late arrival. All can be booked through AA.
You should level the playing field by going to http://www.americanairlines.com/home...o?locale=en_US and research what's available and the prices. Think like you would if buying a car,.
Then make specific suggestions to the agent. This is a very easy itinerary and there has been either a failure of communications or a lack of knowledge, neither of which justifies paying an agent fee.
And the check-in advice -- go to an AA rep inside the airport, not the curbside --is good as back-up.
While you're at it, you can look into choosing your seats in advance on-line if this matters to you.

I think the OP is ticketed, so this is more or less a done deal. The point now is to make the most of it. Aer Lingus and American do indeed have an interline baggage agreement, so AA can certainly check your bags all the way through and may very well do this, but it costs them money, and many airlines are cutting back on their interline baggage transfers when there are two tickets.

If your travel agent is at all competent, there will be a note in the record indicating that you are transferring to an Aer Lingus flight. If you can't check your bag all the way through, then you really are going to be pressed for time at JFK, so don't tarry (and pay for a seat at the front of the plane if you can ... do that NOW).

Many flights into JFK are delayed in the summer months in the early evening because of thunderstorms. So you may not have the full time to do this transfer.

Here is an option:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/sameDayTravel.jsp

Another option is to pay a change fee and fare difference on the AA ticket to go earlier.

Are you sure this is 2 seperate tickets and not just different legs on the same itinerary? This is a key difference because:

If you are flying both legs on the same itinerary, then your luggage will be checked through and if you miss your flight Aer Lingus flight due to a delay with the AA flight, American will put you on the next available flight to your destination, no charge to you.

If you are flying in truely seperate tickets (tickets purchased in different transactions) then you are at the mercy of the counter agents. They might check your luggage through or they might not. If you miss your connection due to a flight delay, then Aer Lingus is under no obligation to put you on another flight. As far as Aer Lingus is concerned, you were a no-show.

I suspect that this is the same itinerary because it doesn't make any sense that an agent would book these flights on seperate itineraries when the combo is available on the AA web site.

Plschrader, how did you make out? What did you end up doing?

I have a connecting flight booked on one ticket next month - BCN- MAD- BOS - on Iberia. I want to book a side trip to Asturias (OVD) during my trip, but it would be on a different ticket.

There is an Iberia flight from OVD to BCN that arrives at 850a. My flight home (BOS through MAD) departs BCN at 1010.

I think the only way I can do this is if I can check in all my luggage at OVD. What do you think? Is this too risky?

I wouldn't expect a response from Plschrader. This year-old thread was his one and only ever post on Fodors. Haven't heard anything from him since.

I personally think booking that flight only 80 mins after your scheduled arrival is nuts.