europe2011

We are scheduled to land in LAX at 1:30pm from Japan. We want to book a flight with US Air that departs at 4:20pm. We will have checked bags, too. Is this cutting it to close? We travel a lot internationally, but haven't been in LAX in years. Please advise us on this situation. It seems like it would be just enough time, but still not sure.

We are on the fence about this option or staying the night in LA and flying out at 6am.

mlgb

It's a gamble, I think it's a little close. Flights are often delayed and customs can take an hour, plus you are normally required to check in two hours before a domestic flight at LAX.

europe2011

mlbg-*you are normally required to check in two hours before a domestic flight at LAX*

We would check in 24 hours ahead of time, so that wouldn't be a problem.

I know it is close... we can't decide...

mlgb

Can you book a later flight and then standby if you are on time?

I've done that with Southwest and with Jet Blue, never fly US Air, though.

Gardyloo

Which airlines are involved, and would the whole trip be on one ticket or two? Makes a huge difference.

MrNuke

I'm guessing SQ's A-380 given the 1:30 arrival time...

rkkwan

It is a little bit unclear on US' website, from what I can comprehend, they want your bags dropped at least 45 minutes before flight time at LAX.

Melnq8

I always check my bags straight through to my destination when traveling internationally, even when on separate tickets and occasionally on non-alliance partners. Hasn't been a problem in the 10 years I've been doing it multi-times per year (until this past Friday, following a UA system change that resulted in a luggage fiasco).

If you can get all of your boarding passes at check in, and can check your luggage through to your destination, all you need do in LAX is clear customs, drop your bag at the transfer desk (it will already be tagged) and clear security again.

If you can do all of the above, I think you have plenty of time.

LAX is not a place you want to spend anymore time than you have to, believe me.

rkkwan

Airlines are less and less likely to check bags through if on separate tickets. For pretty obvious reasons.

Melnq8

Obvious reasons? I don't follow.

Melnq8

The same ticket is ideal of course, but not always possible. We've never, ever been able to book our flights from Perth to CO on the same ticket, even though we use Star Alliance partners. It's just not possible for some reason. Even the travel agents here can't do it. Believe me, we've tried.

europe2011

We can't change the following flights:
MCI-SFO with Southwest

SFO-SEOUL, Tokyo-LAX with Sinagpore Airlines

Trying to figure out the last leg: LAX-MCI.

@melnq8:
How do you check them sraight though with different airlines? I know US Air is a partner of Singapore Air, but how exactly does that work? Plus, if we did miss our flight we would need our luggage to stay the night in LA.

amer_can

Have your "needed" things in a carry on if you think you will be kept over night. I have always checked bags all the way to my destination(not necessarily on the same carrier) but these times have been to European cities not to/from Asia. US Air should be ok for this..call them for advise.

Melnq8

Europe2011 -

We just show our complete itinerary when we check in, and ask the agent to check through to our destination.

If you're worried about missing a flight, just pack what you need for an overnight into your carry on. We always spend a night in the Singapore Transit Hotel en route, and we just pack necessities for an overnight into our carry on. You'd be surprised how little you need.

rkkwan

Melnq8 - There is a bag fee on the domestic leg when not on same ticket. In other for SQ to check the bags through for the traveler, they either have to charge the passenger on behalf for that other airline, or eat the cost themselves, or that passenger have to already paid for that fee.

Option 1 - I really won't expect them to eat the cost since they are not a charity. Option 3- not all airlines have set up the procedure to prepay their check bags and SQ still have to verify that those bag fees have been paid.

That leaves option 2, which has even more trouble. Each airline has different fees and rules and exceptions for elites and branded-credit card holders. Impossible for a SQ agent at NRT to figure out, and then there is currency issues.

Melnq8

rkkwan -

I agree that it depends on the particular carriers, status, etc. I fly US domestic on UA and connect to SQ, or reverse. My baggage weight allowance is higher on UA than SQ as I'm Gold, but I still get an extra bag on SQ. I just pack to SQ's weight allowances, although they've yet to fuss for me going a tiny over.

Only time I've been charged a bag fee was when connecting from SQ to Garuda (separate ticket again out of necessity), because my SQ weight allowance was higher than the Garuda allowance at the time, and only because I flew to Jakarta instead of to Pekanbaru, which meant I had to clear customs and re-check. Never did that again.

I don't mean to confuse you Europe2011, but I check bags through all the time. Your experience my vary, as airlines invariably do.

rkkwan

The key is whether it's on the same ticket. If it is, no problem. If it is not, airlines are INCREASINGLY reluctant to tag bags forwarded.

MrNuke

Melnq8,
A bunch of airlines “officially*” ended interlining on separate pnr’s (tickets) last year, US included.
http://www.fodors.com/community/air-...scontinued.cfm

rkkwan, gave one good reason with SQ in the case of the OP presumably having to collect US’s baggage fee from the OP in Asia or eating the cost themselves. Others include, but are not limited to 1) airlines would prefer you fly them or their joint venture/codeshare partners by buying the ticket from them instead of split itineraries 2) On domestic flights, DoT rules dictate the originating carrier can collect baggage fees, but not intermediaries. So if you fly United to Honolulu and then transfer to Hawaiian for an inter-island flight with interlined bags, Hawaiian wouldn’t see any baggage fees, and baggage fees are a revenue source anymore. That is a big reason why airlines are ending interlining on separate PNR’s. This way, each carrier can charge for baggage. 3) Lastly, going back to our United and Hawaiian example, HA doesn’t want responsibility if UA mishandled the baggage and didn’t get it to them. On an interlined bag, they could share responsibility for something that wasn’t their fault.

europe2011,
You’ll need a copy of your US itinerary with your confirmation number when you check in for your SQ flight at the airport. You’ll ask the gate attendant if they can interline the bag to your final destination for you and hope they can.


*Despite the official policy, depending on the gate agent, there are reports on sites like flyertalk and other that people on affected airlines still have been able to interline.

janisj

I landed at LAX last Friday afternoon on an international flight - w/ bags checked through to final destination. Normally it is Immigration, collect bags, walk through Customs and drop bags on the conveyor for onward flight. Easy Peasy. Well, Friday - NOT! There was a HUGE line (actually two HUGE lines) hundreds of people and all their luggage filling the entire baggage hall. Took more than an hour to re-drop the bags. First time I've ever encountered anything like this.

We landed at Tom Bradley then had to walk to T-4 for American then take the shuttle to the remote American Eagle gates. If we were on a 2.5 hour connection would not have made it. And that was on a single ticket w/ bags checked through. No way I'd risk a 3 hour connection on separate tickets.

Melnq8

I just read SQ's website - they have an interline agreement with US Air. Whether or not they'll have an issue with your flights not being on the same ticket is anyone's guess. According to the second paragraph, they will, but that's not been my experience with SQ - perhaps it just doesn't get enforced.

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Singapore Airlines has through check-in agreements with certain partner airlines and if your Singapore Airlines operated flight is connecting to these listed carriers listed below, you will be able to perform through check-in.

If you are travelling on a Singapore Airlines operated flight and connecting to any of the below carriers, you will be able to perform a through check-in for both flights, provided that the booking is on a Singapore Airlines ticket.

However, if your journey begins with any of the following carrier and connecting to a Singapore Airlines flight, you may wish to check with that carrier directly.


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http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/tr...ckin-partners/

Good luck!