New baggage policy – interline through baggage check discontinued
 

So far this is a policy of US Airways, but undoubtedly the other airlines will follow.

<i>"Effective July 24, 2012, the DOT has mandated new baggage rules requiring airline passengers to pay the same published baggage fees[1] and have the same allowances for their entire itinerary. As a result of this new policy, effective August 1, 2012, US Airways will no longer be through checking passengers’ bags when they have been ticketed on separate tickets. For interline itineraries where the passenger has their entire journey on one ticket, we will continue our practice as it is done today, however when the tickets are split (e.g. ticket 1 on US Airways from Phoenix to Honolulu and ticket 2 on Hawaiian Air from Honolulu to Lihue) we will only check the bag to the destination on the US Airways ticket.

A ticketing and baggage agreement is required to ticket interline itineraries on one record (PNR). Published minimum connect times are only valid for interline itineraries; minimum connect time cannot be precisely calculated when bags are not through checked."
-US Airways</i>

In order to minimize the problems this will cause (missed flights due to the extra time needed to claim bags, schlep them to the next ticket counter, and check in for the next flight), it appears to be more important than before to get your flights on a single ticket.

<i>[1] Carriers are not required to recognize exemptions to other carriers’ baggage policies such as free first or second bags due to frequent flyer status or loyalty credit card membership. The carrier’s published baggage fees or US Airways’ baggage fees must be charged, depending on a variety of factors including first marketing carrier and/or most significant marketing carrier.</i>

This will be a real pain...

Just has to happen.

It seems they just can't do enough to make travel increasingly miserable for passengers.

While I agree that airlines are nicking and diming people to death, this policy actually makes some sense . With different airlines having different baggage policies (some charge for the first bag; some don't; some let you check two etc) this policy clarifies that you live by the baggage policy of the original flight.

I understand the airlines' response to the new mandate. What I don't understand is why the Feds, via DOT, felt the need to issue the new baggage rules. DOT is the one piling on the misery with this one.

I can imagine many passengers being caught unawares, with insufficient connection times, if they aren't aware they will are denied interline transfers when they get to the airport. And who will inform them ahead of time?

Take my example: next month I am flying Alaska to Seattle, then transferring to a BA flight to London. I don't usually check baggage but in this instance I will because I am bearing gifts for a new baby and her parents, large gifts that will have to go as baggage. This means I must allow extra time to collect checked baggage from baggage claim, which in Seattle takes 20-25 minutes to arrive. In addition to which, baggage claim is landslide, outside security, which means I must clear security again after re-checking the baggage. I'm looking at a minimum of 45 extra minutes for the transfer, better to allow an hour.

Now, I already have my tickets for the Alaska flight and the transfer time used to select flights didn't include the extra hour for rechecking baggage, which means I must go back to Alaska and change flights. And Alaska may decide to charge a fee for the change, if it doesn't make me purchase another ticket, that is.

I'm lucky. I know about the problem in advance, but what about another traveler who just finds out at the airport when they go to check in for their first flight?

it's just like the TSA liquids ban or any other new policy it's sprung on people unawares and they have to deal with it. Sad but true.

mztery: <i>"this policy clarifies that you live by the baggage policy of the original flight"</i>

True, possibly, for interline itineraries where the passenger has their entire journey on one ticket, <i>"depending on a variety of factors including first marketing carrier and/or most significant marketing carrier."</i>

Not true when tickets are split and travel is on two or more carriers.

<i>Take my example: next month I am flying Alaska to Seattle, then transferring to a BA flight to London. I don't usually check baggage but in this instance I will because I am bearing gifts for a new baby and her parents, large gifts that will have to go as baggage. This means I must allow extra time to collect checked baggage from baggage claim, which in Seattle takes 20-25 minutes to arrive. In addition to which, baggage claim is landslide, outside security, which means I must clear security again after re-checking the baggage. I'm looking at a minimum of 45 extra minutes for the transfer, better to allow an hour. </i>

So what would you do if your flight times change to reduce the "connection" time or your incoming flight was late?

Or are you opn one ticket from Alaska to UK in which case these changes don't apply as they only apply to people who book separate flights

Good question, Alan. Yes, it does apply because I usually book my BA tickets SEA-LHR far in advance in order to use points for upgrades to Club (business). Then I usually wait for one of the periodic Alaska sales to book my Alaska flights.

I've been making this trip several times a year for at least 15 years now. BA does change flight times once in awhile on this route but it's never been more than a matter of minutes, not enough to cause me to change to an earlier Alaska flight.

If it does happen, I would either pay Alaska as needed to change, or go out to the airport early and ask to be put on an earlier flight - Alaska has flights to Seattle every 30 minutes from here.

But my point is, if I didn't know about the discontinuation of interline baggage checking until I arrived at my departure airport, I wouldn't I wouldn't know I'd need extra time in Seattle and I'd have a good chance of missing my BA flight.

It seems a reasonable policy to me. If you want your bags checked all the way through, then buy one ticket. I'm not sure why we should expect anything else.

Please note that this is US Airways extending (or others might say finding a loophole) in a regulation that deals with harmonizing baggage allowances between carriers. The "no, never" part is purely US Airways'. Read this thread on Flyertalk: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...t-tickets.html