Question-Checking luggage to final destination on two different airlines.
 

I need some past experience advice! I am going to Hawaii the week before Thanksgiving (11/20)and returning Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/30). Flying Northwest (FF Miles) to LAX and then switching to Hawaiian Air to get to Maui. (Again FF Miles, but using AMEX Rewards for this portion)My question is...Once I check my luggage in MSP on Northwest, will it go all the way through to Maui or will I have to pick it up in LAX and re-check it on Hawaiian Air? And on the return, will Hawaiin Air check it through to MSP? I am getting conflicting answers from both airlines and need some advice.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance!

Baggage custody ordinarily goes according to ticketing -- the major airlines have check-through agreements, so if you got a through ticket, i.e. did not get two separate round trips into and out of LAX, your bags should too. At least this is how it works when I've taken one carrier to JFK and another for a transatlantic leg. If you don't get an authoritative answer from the airlines, though, you may need to do research on which terminals they use at LAX to be sure you have time for baggage claim and security screening between flights.<BR>

Baggage custody ordinarily goes according to ticketing -- the major airlines have check-through agreements, so if you got a through ticket, i.e. did not get two separate round trips into and out of LAX, your bags should too. At least this is how it works when I've taken one carrier to JFK and another for a transatlantic leg. <BR>If you don't get an authoritative answer from the airlines, though, you may need to do research on which terminals they use at LAX to be sure you have time for baggage claim and security screening between flights (and be sure to put the swimsuit in you carry-on for the outward trip).<BR>

Carp, for 10 days in Hawaii I'd suggest you could carry on. I just did so for five days, and although you do have to plan carefully, if you take advantage of your hotel's laundry service you can make it work. Since you won't need a coat, sweater, etc., it is easier. One pair of nice slacks, two pairs of shorts, one swimtrunk, three or four Hawaiian shirts, some tee shirts and underwear, and you're set. We landed in Oahu and were driving away in our rental car less than 30 minutes later. <BR><BR>If you purchase items in Hawaii you can check luggage on the return trip, when you aren't as concerned about it reaching your destination at the same time you do.

I agree with the carry on theory except remember the "forbidden" items in carry ons and make sure you don't need any of them. If you don't want to do this, LAX is a pretty reliable place to check bags through. I would always bring in a carry on something to sleep in, a swim suit and clean shirt for the next day should something go wrong.

Ditto on Carry on option. It kills any stress but I would be prepared sometimes in winter airlines get stingy over space and make you check carry ons. This happened to me on NW going to Lax where I did an over nighter then on to HNL different airline in the morning. So I suggest yes carry on and overnight in LAX if it is not too late.<BR><BR>If your arrangements are already in place I think you do need to pick up that lugage from NW and check it in again at NW. And yes I suspect they would want you to go through a security check a second time. Make sure you know the distance of your gates. LAX IS HUGE!!! I found my self running in between carriers years ago and to this day always do a sleep over.

Meant to say pick it up from NW and check it in again with Hawaiian. They should require you to do two security checks with two different carriers.

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY<BR>I take from your message that you bought one ticket using FF miles and the other using Amex Rewards.<BR>YOUR LUGGAGE WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED AT LAX<BR>It is important that you have allowed yourself enough time to retrieve your luggage at LAX and check in for your Hawaiian Air flight.<BR>To determine the connection time required, check the arrival and departure gates, assume that the counter will be crowded.

TravelPro may have a good point. Your post sounds as if you bought two separate tickets at separate times. Under those circumstances, I don't think your baggage would be transferred automatically.

You are correct, this was the only way to go to Hawaii for a close friend's wedding. The layover on my way out at LAX is 1 hour, 50 min and coming home (to MPLS) the layover is 1 hour, 20 minutes. I am worried due to Nov weather in MN and my lack of knowledge around LAX. IS THAT ENOUGH TIME?

Carp, I think your chances are between slim and none that your luggage will arrive with you, and running between terminals at LAX to recheck your luggage sounds way too stressful. You can seriously pack all you will need in a carryon duffel bag. I live in California and LAX is one of the worst airports for efficient security. Why are you hesitating to carry on?

I believe, but you need to confirm this, that Hawaiian and NW are both in Terminal 2 at LAX. Your almost two hours is plenty of time to get luggage and recheck it, if needs be. LAX is built like a "C" with terminals 1,2,3 on one side, the Tom Bradley Internat. terminal at the end and then 4,5,6,7 on the other side. 4 is American and 6/7 are United. 1 is SWA and Alaska etc. The whole "C" is built around a parking lot with pathways between them so you can easily cut back and forth rather than walking the entire distance. There are also shuttles on the ground floor which leave every 5 minutes or so. I would still like the carry on option but if you're going to a wedding, you might need more formal clothes. I would count on not being able to check bags through, but always ask anyway when you get to the check in. LAX is huge, but it functions quite well most of the time. Not half as bad as other airports of its size.

OK, here's some info that will help you out....<BR><BR>Acccording to the LAX website <BR><BR>http://www.lawa.org/lax/laxframe.html<BR><BR>Both Northwest and Hawaiian air are in the same terminal, and that would be terminal 2. You're in luck...depending on what you want to do...<BR><BR>If you MUST check in your bag, you will run downstairs to pick up your bag, then back upstairs to check it in on Hawaiian air (since you said you bought the tickets separately, you will have to check in at LAX for the Maui leg). given you have 50 minutes, even though you are in the same terminal, you will have to expect a crazy amount of luck to be able to get away with this. Imagine with 50 minutes (and some degree of optimism)...<BR><BR>10 minutes to collect your bag<BR>20 minutes to get upstairs and check it back in<BR>20 minutes to get through security<BR><BR>Poof! Your plane has already taken off. <BR><BR>If you choose to carry on your bag, as highly recommended by the above posters...you can get off the plane, and check in at your gate for the Hawaiian flight (I would double check if you can do this, since they only allow people with boarding passes inside the terminal. If you explain you just got off the plane from somewhere else, they may check you in without fuss). The benefit of doing this? You don't have to go through security again. You can sit down a drink a nice cup of coffee and enjoy.<BR><BR>So a couple of things you want to do here...check with the airlines and see if your flights do indeed originate out of Terminal 2 at LAX. You lucked out if they really both do. With only 50 minutes, you wouldn't have had a chance to keep your bag otherwise...especially because on your way back, you're traveling a busy holiday weekend!

Ah, Kam beat me to the terminal 2 discovery. She's always so on top of things! :)

Mina---it's from many anxious moments picking up out of town visitors at LAX that I practically memorized the terminals. I think in the six years I lived there I almost earned my chauffeur's hat! But, I think Carp said he had 1 hour and 50 min. If it's only 50 minutes then he has a big time problem since he's leaving Minneapolis in November. With an hour and 50 minutes, don't you agree he should be fine? If you are an Angelina, maybe you could reassure him that LAX is quite usable and not the airport from hell that some of the big ones are----just went through O'Hare last week and saw many "victims" of too close connections in huge airports and then they change gates and send you 1/2 mile away to get your plane. I feel expecially sorry for one elderley couple--he with a cane--who hadn't heard the announcement that his flight for Philadelphia had moved from B1 to C24. That's impossible for an older couple to make it. The airlines just don't seem to care especially at the huge airports. Enough ranting....Hope Carp has a wonderful time in Hawaii.

Kam, to show you how NOT on top of it I am, you are right...he did say 1 hr 50 minutes. With that amount of time, he is OK in my book, as he is departing out of the same terminal he is arriving in.<BR><BR>Carp, I think you will be good with almost two hours to do the routine I mentioned. LAX recommends a two hour check in for domestic flights so you should be able to clear all your hurdles if you want to check your bag. I would definitely check your departure in MN to make sure you're leaving on time before you check in your bag.<BR><BR>Bring a carry on anyway with the stuff you'll need most (you probably already know this) in case something happens. <BR><BR>Kam is right, LAX is not bad. (It's my second home...I am an Angelina) If you were arriving in Terminal 1, and leaving out of 7, I'd be worried, but as long as you're on the same side of the airport, you'll be fine. Just remember once you pick up your bag, go outside and look for the escalator back up to ticketing.<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR>Mina<BR><BR>P.S. Kam, I'm not a huge fan of O'Hare...but somehow when I have to run from one end of the United terminal to the other at Denver, it feels far worse!

Mina, I agree! DFW and Kennedy are the worst IMO. Chicago is pretty bad. SFO is just chaotic ( and is the big airport we use nowadays)I think Carp has a pretty good chance of tranfering at LAX and making it to Hawaii. I'm always pretty happy to connect in LAX and we frequently do this on our way to Europe.

Hey Carp...<BR>The person above that listed the name TravelPro is NOT ME.<BR>I checked the flight schedules (I have a direct link so it's no big deal) and apparently you are on the first NW flight out, so you can't catch an earlier flight. You're on the last return flight but since it arrives in the middle of the night you should be ok.<BR>LAX runs efficiently. <BR>Go ahead and check your bags. Try to sit up close to the front of the plane so you can get out fast.<BR>You might consider packing in 2 maximum size carry ons vs. 1 big case. That way you can go to the baggage claim to get the bags and your significant other/traveling companion can check the ones you carried on.<BR>Sounds crazy but you will be able to go directly to security once you have the bags checked on the first flight.<BR>You can email me for additional info.<BR>Call the airlines and confirm that you have decent seats.

Kam, don't mean to hijack Carp's post, but your two choices of the worst airlines made me laugh.<BR><BR>I've only flown through DFW once. After they changed the gate on me, to about 10 miles away (didn't know they had terminal transport at the time) I avoided DFW by flying United.<BR><BR>As for JFK...after all these years of flying, I have never been there. Heard so many stories that I avoided it at all costs.<BR><BR>So I guess I agree with your two choices!<BR><BR>Carp, have a great trip!

Carp, <BR>Our luggage was checked all the way through when we flew NWA from MSP to LAX then transferred onto Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu where we stayed for a few nights before heading to Kauai. We used FF miles for our inter-island flight and on the way back our luggage was still checked all the way through so maybe there's some hope for you.<BR><BR>By the way, we were pleasantly surprised upon arriving in LA as the Hawaiian gate was right across from were we got off the plane.

topping for linda

I am a former travel agent and know for a fact that your luggage will be checked through. When you are checking in show the agent both tickets and they will cross reference them in their computer. This will allow for the luggage to be sent on, but you must show proof that you are continuing on.

We do this kind of flight all the time from MSP. The NW ticket agents couldn't be more helpful in checking our luggage through to our final destination. If you collect the luggage in LAX you will assuredly get caught in security limbo and miss the next plane. Just show both your tickets and explain your situation at time of check in. No need to worry or lug a duffel on-board.

I flew from JFK to Seattle on a FF ticket on AA, then transferred to an Alaska Air flight from Seattle to Ketchikan Alaska, which was purchased on the internet. When checking in at JFK there was no problem having the AA ticket agent check my bag all the way to Ketchikan when I showed her my Alaska Air ticket. My guess is you won't have a problem.