International Baggage Fees

> Finally, all the bags associated with your reservation will generally need to be treated the same way. So you can’t generally check your bags through to your final destination but ask that one individual bag be held at your connection point.
Completely untrue!

Are there any metro areas that will transfer your bags on a single reservation (ORD/MDW, LGA/JFK/EWR, NRT/HND, LHR/LGW, etc)?

Do you know which airlines prohibit short checking bags? I've never had that be an issue, but good to know that it could be...

Very helpful, Lucky. Seems there's been a trend recently of airlines less and less likely to do this when not on the same ticket (lookin' at you, US Airways!).

Another exception to the US customs, you don't need to reclaim bags in LAX if flying NZ from AKL-LAX-LHR. (even if you clear immigration for lounge purposes)

Lucky,

What do people do with their carry ons if they have a very long layover, say 6 or more, and they want to leave the airport? Are there places to store luggage for this situation, or do you have to shlup you bag around with you? I have not had to do this, but it may come up on future flights.

Sam

I have a overnight layover in LAX arriving at 8:10 pm while connecting to CX flight in the morning((9:40 am). Do you know if i need to claim my bags or it will be held by US/CX?

Don't you carry things like nail scissors, etc. that can't be carried on? Do you always carry all your bags on? I think its nice to leave the heavy bag to the (competent) airline sometimes and check it in.

I have always wondered where to look this up, thanks for the post!

You are wrong about having to re-check your bags. It depends on the airport; some support in-transit transfers without customs & re-checking for I:I connections. I've recently experienced this at IAH and GUM, for example.

AC allows 2 bags (23 kg) except Europe which is 1 bag (23 kg)

Speaking of Tumi carry-on, is there any promotion for that? would like to get one..

Lucky, Continental agent in PHX (pre-merger) wouldn't hold and tag my checked baggage for the connecting EVA Air flight because the transit at LAX was more than 6 hours. I had to pick up the luggage at the belt and held it until I could check in for the next flight. Last year a friend took JetBlue to JFK with a long layover (8 hours) before an Emirates flight to Dubai, and JetBlue agent at PHX said the computer wouldn't allow him to check through his baggage because the layover was more than 6 hours, so he had to store it at luggage storage. I wonder if this is company policy, but I can't seem to find it in writing.

Timely post! 🙂

Next month I'm flying Detroit to Hong Kong through Chicago. DL DTW to ORD, then CX ORD to HKG.

Coach on Delta, F on Cathay Pacific

So, two checked bags on CX are free, only one free on DL (medallion gets one free).

You say, "In general, the highest baggage allowance will apply for all flights issued under a single ticket number. So if you have an economy flight on American from Houston to Dallas, then connect on British Airways to London in business class, the higher allowance for the international itinerary would apply to both segments."

Can you offer suggestions on how to get this issued as a single ticket?

And, any idea how I can get the bags tagged as CX "First Class" for priority offload? I have E-Channel for Hong Kong, so if I can get my bags quick I'll be outta there in a hurry! 🙂

@ anon -- Not that I can think of.

@ Dr. Jan Itor -- Many airlines have it in their baggage terms, though off the top of my head don't know which airlines do in practice. Sorry.

@ Sam -- Some airports do have luggage storage facilities, so when available that's a great option. Otherwise I've found many hotel bellmen happy to store bags, so that's a good alternative.

@ smabyguy -- I'm guessing you'll have to claim it, and even if they don't force you to I definitely would, so it doesn't get lost.

@ Mark -- Yes, those are all things I can carry aboard. I always avoid checking a bag when possible.

@ Terry -- Not any that I know of at the moment.

@ Mike -- Online travel agencies can often book mixed carrier itineraries, but if you've already ticketed the reservation then there's no way to convert them into one, unfortunately.

Mike
I've booked that routing a couple times DTW-ORD-HKG, but always on AA using avios (or AA the whole way). Any particular reason you booked DTW-ORD on DL rather than AA?

Hi Ben. Do you know that if you are on a domestic itinerary and there is a overnight layover would they force you to short check your bags and then charge you the check bag fee the next day? I presume we would be able to get boarding passes for both segments at check-in even with the long 12 hour layover between flights.

Anon,

Flying reward miles on cx. Miles came from Amex membership miles, so couldn't transfer to AA, Alaska, etc.

Mike, gotcha. Still surprised you didn't have 4500 avios or pay cash since with AA/CX you'd be protected in IRROPS.

No avios, but I did pay cash for the Delta flight. I don't understand the AA/CX/IRROPS connection.

I understand (superficially) that IRROPS has something to do with some part of the flight going wrong... like mechanical, etc.

I could've (and still could) pay cash for an AA flight, but I don't understand how that would be any different than Delta if there was some sort of problem?

@ Lucky - thank you for the comprehensive list!

Going through customs at the first port of entry is inconvenient but it's not too bad when you can give the backs to the domestic airline immediately after customs. What's worse is if you have to go outside security and then stand in TSA line again.

Thanks for this any many other helpful and hopeful posts.

When traveling on Award Tickets (i.e. JL booked with AA miles, KL booked with DL miles, TG booked with UA miles, etc.) is it the airline the tickets are booked through or the metal you are flying on that determines the allowance?

Then if you use the AA Visa to pay taxes (for AA-JL example) does this carry through with perks when flying the partner airline for baggage, boarding, etc.

Just thought it would be helpful to shift this post (with your permission) to include award bookings and other subtleties to the itin.

Was Lucky a travel agent in his previous life? I travel extensively and i think i'm the "know it all" about airline policies at my circles, but i get depressed when i read Lucky's post as i realize i don't even touch the top of the iceberg when compared to his information base.
Wow. We should have Lucky's College of AirTravel. Than put up a bronz statue of Lucky at the enterance

I have a AA award flight from DFW to JFK on AA then CX to HKG on the same reservation. Yet when checking on my luggage allowance, it chose CX as the most significant carrier thus only allowing 2 bags even though I'm booked in business class on both flights.

Hi Lucky, I think you are busy because you can't update this article but I suggest it would be better if you could update this baggage fees for your world traveler readers because this article will be very helpful and beneficial for them.

Regards,
Daisy