Worries about a LAX - SEA - KIX trip
 

So in the near future I will be making a trip from LAX (Los Angeles int'l) to SEA (Seattle-Tacoma Int'l) with a layover of 1hr 50min, and will fly into KIX (Osaka Kansai Int'l).

A bit of personal travel history: I've never travelled on two different company planes before, codeshare or not. Only EVA AIR before and after the layover, or JAL before and after the layover.

My travel agent told me I would be flying Delta, but when ai got my itinerary, it said "Operated by Alaska Air"...

I have some worries about my flight, which seems will be a codeshare flight with Alaska Air the LAX - SEA leg, then Delta for the trans-Pacific leg.

I have a few questions...:

1. At LAX, should I check into an Alaska Air desk? Delta desk??

2. I have to check and see what the differences are, but in the case they are different, which airline's luggage policy do I go by?

3. Will they properly transfer my checked bags from the Alaska Air plane to my next Delta plane?? Or will I have to go hunt my things down and re-check in with Delta?

4. For those of you familiar with Seattle-Tacoma airport, how complicated is it to go from Domestic to International gates & security in a short amount of time? (Shorter if the plane is late??) (its my first time at SEA so I'm clueless!)

Lastly, 5. IN the case The first flight is late to leave and the connecting flight leaves without me, what will I do?
Last year when my sister made a LAX-SFO-KIX flight and the plane at SFO left without her, she was lucky enough to have me living really close to SFO to come pick her up, feed her, and give her a couch to crash on. She had a 1hr 30min layover, and then airline staff called to let them know that she and a few others will be late to the flight, but they still left without them, nonetheless.

To whoever can answer/help me with any of these questions, thank you so much in advance! I look forward to hearing from some of you soon!

Delta\Alaska air are sister airlines, your bags will be checked through if you request it. I have just checked in at Delta on line and just walked to gate. However you can check in at airport. As to luggage if your flying international then that luggage rule applies. I have often gone from San Jose to Seattle on AA\Horizon then on to Delta to Amsterdam simplying checking bags through to Amsterdam. Gate to gate is no big deal though it can be a walk. they should rebook you on next flight if the plane is late if its all on one ticket if on the other hand you booked the flight to seattle not in connection with your Delta flight you could have a problem.

You always check in with the operating carrier, in this case Alaska. If you want, you can phone Alaska and obtain the Alaska record locator, which might help you speed thing up a little at LAX.

Your bags will be checked through. Because the Delta flight is international and much longer than the LAX-SEA flight, Delta's international baggage rules will apply for the whole trip, i.e. there shouldn't be a charge by Alaska. (The terminology is that Delta is the "most significant carrier" - MSC - hence its rules apply.)

Your Alaska flight will most likely arrive at the North Satellite at SEA (N gates) and your Delta flight will depart from the South Satellite (S gates.) You will need to take an automated train from the North Satellite to the north station in main terminal, then a second train to the south station, then a third train to the South Satellite. It looks complicated, but it's not, and the whole procedure shouldn't take more than about 15 minutes. You won't have to re-clear security, the whole operation is "airside." Here's a terminal map: http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/M...-Overview.aspx

Note Alaska is still in the process of changing its gate locations at SEA, so there's some chance you might arrive at a C gate instead. In that case you can simply walk through the terminal to the train to the South Satellite, again, probably 15 min. tops.

You will get the boarding passes for both flights when you check in at LAX.

Thanks, Joanne, Gardyloo, and Janis!

All three of your responses help me feel a lot more solid & prepared for my upcoming trip.
Thanks so much!!