Hello all Fodor's readers. I am wondering if anyone has any advice about buying air tickets on your own from different airlines.
I have FF miles that I can use on NWA, which can get me RT to the west coast. Then I would like to use either Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines to China.
So if I book these separately myself, I should have enough time for connection. What about luggage? As these airlines are not partners, I might have to carry the luggage at the connecting airport, which is OK. but just am a little worried if my checked luggage does not get to the connecting airport.

NW should have interline baggage agreemeent with CX or SQ. You can therefore have bags checked all the way. Just tell the check-in agents at your original departure about it. They'll need to see your other tickets/confirmation, and may need to call to confirm. But it can be done.

I'm not sure where you are flying from, but it seems like a waste of miles if you don't plan on spending any time in LAX or SFO?

CX or SQ will probably only cost about $100 extra, if that, to fly from midwest or east coast. And if you are flying from a major city such as Chicago, Atlanta or New York, the fare maybe exactly the same or possibly even less, depending on sales and promotions.

To give up 25K miles for $100 saving or maybe less seems like a waste to me, UNLESS, like I said, you plan on stopping on the west coast for few days, in which case, the fare maybe more expensive and using miles could be a good option.


Reporting from beautiful Vina Del Mar, Chile. Unfortunately I'm packing now, but OTOH, tonight I should arrive in the most remote spot in the world - Easter Island.

Just another suggestion.

Again, if you are not planning on stopping on the west coast, why not buy a NWA ticket to China and use the miles to upgrade one way?

Stay overnight on the West Coast. It isn`t worth it to worry. Agree, don`t waste your ff miles going to the west coast.

I talked to a travel agent: luggage is no problem, as what rkkwan posted, I can show the ticket of the next flight to have bags checked all the way.
But, in case of delay or cancelled flight, which causes missed connection, she said, I may be charged a fee to change the second ticket. This is probably true.
She is able to put together an itinerary with 2 different airlines (Delta & Singapore) for me, all on one ticket, price is not bad. So I am considering taking that offer.

Back in 2002, I flew NW to JFK and then flew CX to Hong Kong. My luggage was two days delayed; hung up at JFK. Although I told the agent I wanted it checked all the way through, it didn't happen. It didn't even matter that I made sure the HKG code was on the bag. I learned my lesson and speaking as a TA, will never do that again. I'd rather pick up my luggage from one airline and check in it again with the other.

BjorkChop:
Did you have NW and CX flights on one ticket or two separate tickets? How much time was between flights at JFK?
Thanks.

Hi Nancy~

I had two separate tickets. I had a few hours between flights.

Thanks, BjorkChop.