We are flying Delta from Tampa to LAX and then Air New Zealand to AKL. Will our luggage be checked through or will we have to claim it in LAX and re=check it?

Since both DL and NZ are major full-serive airlines, they should have interline baggage agreement. The DL agent in Tampa should be able to confirm your NZ reservation (may take a few minutes), and then check your bags through to AKL. If that agents doesn't seem to know what he/she is doing, ask for a supervisor.

Thank you rkkwan for the info. The Air New Zealand agent wasn't sure. Good idea to ask for a supervisor.

And just as a note, "codeshare" refers to one airline's flight number being applied to another airline's airplane, e.g. flying on United from Chicago, then connecting to an Air New Zealand flight from LA to Auckland, in which the ticket reads UAXXXX LAX-AKL, even though it's Air NZ's plane with its own flight number. Delta and Air NZ are not alliance or mileage partners, so they won't have codeshares; however most airlines have "interline" ticketing and baggage agreements that allow one airline to issue tickets good on another, and allowing bags to be transferred en route.

The interline agreements, of course, apply when the two flights are on the same ticket. If you are flying on two separate tickets, things get stickier. To wit, some airlines now maintain they won't handle baggage transfers from flights that are contracted on separate tickets, even if those flights are on a codeshare airline.

That is not true. If airlines have interline baggage agreement, they can usually transfer bags even on separate tickets. Of course there are exceptions like BA at LHR. But in general, it can be done.

Thanks again for all of the info. We do have two separate tickets so hope the interline agreement is in effect.

rkkwan, it seems I misinterpreted this statement from Air Canada's website (Web Check-in section): "As of June 1st, 2006, through check-in has been discontinued for all separate tickets purchased, involving Air Canada on one ticket and another carrier on a second ticket."

I assumed that this restriction applied to through checking of baggage, but now I'm unclear as to just what it means. Worse, I suspect the agents will be unclear, as well.

Sue - What I said is the general case. I don't know specifically what AC is doing. And like I said, BA won't forward bags at LHR to other airlines, and many discount carriers don't forward bags either way at all. Ryanair won't forward bags even if both legs are on their flights.

Yes, I understand you meant generally, rkkwan, which was why I was careful to stipulate "some airlines" and further, that they "maintain" they won't transfer. (What actually happens 'in the field' is anybody's guess, I suppose.)

You have far more general experience than I do, which is why I am now somewhat confused. I was hoping to encourage people to recognize that general rules might not apply to their particular airline, and to proceed warily. (My head might be muddled, but my tongue is not forked - honest! )

The thing is, at least in theory, when one travels on separate tickets, one is operating on a 'point-to-point' basis, which as you point out is also the only basis on which discount airlines operate. With the major airlines, the increased cost that generally seems to apply to single ticket itineraries (at least, I have found it so) might possibly be intended to cover the additional overhead that such itineraries incur for the airlines (such costs being not limited to interline baggage transfers, but also to onward booking in the event of missed connection, etc.etc.)

The Air Canada site is referring to Thru- check-in,( ie the seat) not the interlining of baggage. When I worked for an airline it was possible to enter the flight details of the seperately booked and ticketed flight and print a bag tag to the final destination. The same does not apply to thru check-in because it requires access to the computer system of the operating airline. Things are of course much more complicated now so would agree that it is usually best to check with DL if they have an interline baggage agreement with NZ and if they honour it if on a seperate ticket. If they say yes make sure you have the details to give to the check-in agent in TPA