[Arvind]

Hi all. I have an unusual question and looking for help/suggestions. When on separate tickets (domestic and international), what happens to ‘stranded baggage’ if it can not make the international connection but you can?
Prior Situation: A colleague traveled on United domestic from OKC-IAH. He arrived fine but his baggage did not – it came on the next flight (airline error). This was OK as his end destination was IAH.
My question: I am on the same domestic United ticket from OKC-IAH and separate international ticket on Emirates from IAH-DXB. Hence, I need to pick up my bag and recheck it in at Emirates at IAH. Assuming all goes well, no problem. But, what if the same baggage error happens? The next flight for baggage is too late to make the Emirates long haul. So, what happens to the bag when it arrives to IAH? Who is responsible for it? Should I still travel? How will I get it as I live overseas? Only other option is to take the next Emirates flight which is 1 day later. Suggestions? Thanks.

[TominScotland]

Arvind

My sense from what you say is that you and only you are responsible for your bag. United have no obligation to you or your bag beyond getting you to Houston. Emirates’ responsibilities start when you check in the bag at IAH. Taking a later EK flight is probably your only realistic option……

Now had you bought a through ticket from Oklahoma to Dubai, things would be different (and probably much more expensive)…..

[FDOS_UK]

Arvind

It isn’t possible to be completely certain, but I would suggest that as United created the problem for your friend, it would be up to them to resolve it.

If an airline sends the baggage on a later flight, there is no guarantee that the passenger will even be in the same country, so it is unreasonable to expect him/her to collect it from the airport and I would expect them to deliver onwards to his/her next destination – this is what has happened to me in the past (to a different country, although not over such a great distance).

Also, one would be wise to have an adequate travel insurance policy in place, in case you needed to claim.

[SimonS1]

FDOS is correct. You will report the baggage as missing and then leave on EK. Put your address in WorldTracer and your bag will catch up with you some days later.

Its slightly different if you had just allowed insufficient time and abandoned the bag to make the connection but all the anecdotal evidence on other forums is that if you report it and put it in World Tracer it will reach you.

If the bag is delayed the first carrier will be responsible under the Montreal Convention but the airlines have reciprocal agreements for such situations.

Always a good idea to have insurance as back up.

[Author]

Posts