[Papillion53]

Ian_from_HKG – thanks for that info! I have Marco Polo Gold through Amex Plat so hopefully that might swing it for us if there is an issue with BA connecting to CX, but we have a layover of several hours in HKG so we should be fine either way!

Thanks for all the info on the other thread, I do like the Shangri-La brand, so most likely will go for them and if brunch at the Conrad is good enough for your Memsahib, then it will be just perfect for our last indulgence before we head back to the UK! I may well come back to pick your brains before long! 🙂

We are coming back on VS and then BA back to the UK, but we are breaking the journey home in HKG.

BTW for everyone, I had no idea that you can buy up to 100K VS miles every year if you already have some miles in your VS ff account. Now I did vow some time ago “never” to fly VS again, but when I re-discovered these forgotten miles (a “gift” from VS for the appalling service), I was able to add to them and get us both back from SYD to HKG in VS Upper Class for less than £1K including buying the miles, taxes etc. – as the fully paid for fare was over AUD7,000, I didn’t think that was too bad! A fully mileage paid fare was 80K miles plus AUD$420 approx for two pax. ( I didn’t have enough avios left over for the return on CX at the moment so was going to wait and take a chance later to see what was available even if it meant via, via etc. )

So for anyone thinking about going to OZ and can’t find any through availability on BA, get yourself to HKG (or SIN if you want but redemptions to/from SIN on BA cost more avios than to/from HKG), and then look at partner airlines. I found doing one way searches helpful and sometimes threw up different availability and of course allows you the option of returning from a different airport in OZ. I also noticed that CX, and Malaysian when offering redemptions, they are usually always with full avios required and fees, never with the option of avios and money. But QF do offer some availability with avios and money, so if you haven’t quite got enough avios, then you can do it that way.

I may of course be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here, but thought my findings may be useful to someone else.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/118200.html

I particularly liked the last reference thought to be attributable to Mark Twain!

So on this trip we will be trying out 3 different airlines in 3 different classes! :-))

[AMcWhirter]

Hello Ian

Even when a passenger holds a proper through ticket involving several airlines, there is no guarantee that you will be through-checked.

One reader held a Lufthansa ticket routed YYZ-FRA-LUX but he couldn’t through-check because AC (the code-share operator for YYZ-FRA) had no ticketing agreement with Luxair.

In this case, AC did not abide by IATA ruling 780. AC declined to elaborate.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/ask-alex/2011/through-check

[IanFromHKG]

I remember that article, Alex. I didn’t refer to it directly because the OP said the flights were both on oneworld carriers, who presumably are required to have interline baggage agreements, but your point is well made nonetheless.

[PerthWA]

Thanks everyone for raising this as I’m just about to set off with a bunch if non status holders of anything on a route… Perth, Washington, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Perth which makes me extremely worried whether the general rule of hitting American soil translates to the two piece rules for the rest of the trip since it will be on different carriers under a QF/one world/emirates ticket… Any advice greatly appreciated as I’ve had the stupid argument in Singapore previously on a QF/BA/CX/QF ticket all QF code but “operated by”….

[PerthWA]

Thanks everyone for raising this as I’m just about to set off with a bunch if non status holders of anything on a route… Perth, Washington, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Perth which makes me extremely worried whether the general rule of hitting American soil translates to the two piece rules for the rest of the trip since it will be on different carriers under a QF/one world/emirates ticket… Any advice greatly appreciated as I’ve had the stupid argument in Singapore previously on a QF/BA/CX/QF ticket all QF code but “operated by”….

[IanFromHKG]

PerthWA – take a look at the links in my post of 01:18, you may find the answer there. However, you will need to look at each leg separately, I think – so if you stop over anywhere (ie a proper stop rather than a transit stop) I think you have to “start over” for the next leg

[PerthWA]

Thanks Ian I did look at that but with the emirates/qantas addition it’s very muddy. Perhaps Alex could take a look at this on behalf of all potential affected traveller with this alliance?
Interlining bags on one world group has never been a problem but weight or piece limits most definitely is… The emirates connection is truly an unknown!

[AnthonyDunn]

I was assured by the T5 check-in supervisor last Summer that if you have separate tickets but both are with One World carriers, then BA will check your hold items through to the final destination. Boarding cards can be different: they can give an onward seat reservation but you may need to collect the boarding card at the transfer desk(s) en route.

Should the onward carrier not be a One World member, be prepared to wait for the bag to come off the carousel upon arrival from your BA flight and then be prepared to have to check it in for the onward leg. This means that you may need to obtain a transit visa at your way point. It is advisable to check on this latter point unless you wish to experience a near heart-failure moment as I did last year.

It can also mean that you get to witness some spectacular airport terminal architecture as I did at Beijing Capital…

[Author]

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