I wonder if anyone knows what passengers are entitled to with transfer baggage?
I usually check my bags through for my entire journey. I’ve never found a problem with using different airlines, or with the fact that sometimes I buy connecting tix with different airlines at different times. As an example, I checked the following bags all the way through during 2002:
CPT-JNB-LHR-IOM First 2 flights with SAA, third flight with BA
IOM-MAN-FRA-MXP First flight with BA, Next 2 with Lufthansa
I’ve done similar things many times before in the past.
Well, my Mum flew JNB-AMS-MAN-IOM yesterday with KLM to MAN and then BA on the final leg. Guess what? KLM refused to carry the bags beyond MAN.
So – were KLM within their rights, or being unreasonable? Bear in mind these are full fare economy tix in all cases.
By: yago - 21st January 2003 at 19:53
RE: Checking in bags
Some airlines do not have agreements with others and this why they refuse to check bags for conexions on other airlines.
I remember this poblem while working for Spainair passage (Newco) in Madrid.
By: KabirT - 16th January 2003 at 15:23
RE: Checking in bags
Maybe thats a policy that KLM follows..and upparently has forgotten to modernise! If this is still there they will face alot of problems.
By: Bhoy - 16th January 2003 at 14:39
RE: Checking in bags
I’ve never had a problem, either, except where the tag wasn’t long enough for the amount of connections I had to make…
I flew Crossair from BSL to LHR five and a half years ago, then BA from LGW to PIT, and finally US from PIT to SFO. On check in at BSL, they said they could only check the luggage as far as PIT, as that already included threee ‘flights’ (including BA0000 Van service from LHR to LGW).
Nonetheless, I was paged at Pittsburgh to be told my bag was still at Heathrow… And that it would be flown to PIT via FRA the next day. Despite saying I wouldn’t be in PIT by then, as I was only there for a three or four hour layover, they said the bag could only be sent to PIT because that was as far as it was tagged, and I’d have to leave an signed afadivit at the BA luggage desk for them to be able to forward it on to SFO.
So, you’re probably as well uplifting your bag and checking it in again manually, anyway…
By: mongu - 16th January 2003 at 13:08
RE: Checking in bags
KLM said it was “against policy” to check bags through onto a different airline.
In the past, I have done exactly this with various combinations of BA, British Midland, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, South African, Zambian Airways, Inter Air South Africa and Qantas – no problem, ever.
By: KabirT - 15th January 2003 at 15:49
RE: Checking in bags
What was the reason KLM gave for ot transfering thje baggage. These days if you flying all airlines belonging to one alliance, then there should be no problems with transfering luggage but if different airlines and a long route there can be fuss.
Like my flight long back with Ansett to Singapore, Cathay to HK and UA to Delhi… when i reached home without my luggage came to know my luggage had gone to LA instead!
Sign In
January 15, 2003 at 1:10 pm