Linking 2 BA reservations

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 23 total)

  • Gold-2K
    Participant

    I am travelling BA club Europe to LHR this evening and then have a morning departure in First with them to USA tomorrow. Separate tickets for both flights, both booked direct with BA.

    I called to see if I could (a) link the reservations and (b) check in a piece of sporting equipment straight through to US without having to claim and recheck this evening at LHR. Response was No.

    Is that correct? I arrive LHR at 10pm this evening and depart tomorrow at 9am, so having to claim and recheck seems like a complete waste of time?

    The agent said it was just BA policy not to do that. I get it when its different airlines, but seems odd as in this case both reservations are made with BA, both on BA metal and both flights out of T5.

    Maybe it’s because the 2 flights are different dates?

    Anyone have any experience of having done this in the past?


    TheMidasGold
    Participant

    This is indeed correct. If you have 2 separate tickets, then you have to collect your luggage and check it in again.


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    It is correct, but I would try calling again, and not mentioning your earlier call. You will probably get a different person who just may link the bookings.

    Final resort will be to ask at check in if they will tag the bag through.


    openfly
    Participant

    Irrespective of being able to “link” the bookings the first check-in station will not be able through check your luggage to the second flight on a different PNR. The rubbish FLY system will just not let it happen.

    With all its failings, FLY has been a disaster and is being ditched in the near future according to management staff. A new system is being set up….expect another round of delays and problems with the introduction of yet another “fabulous” revolutionary check-in system!


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Will BA allow you to check in tonight, the day before travel?


    Tramor01
    Participant

    That’s a key reason I fly Star Alliance more often than BA or One World – Star appear to be much more accommodating when it comes to linking two separate tickets


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Try at check in. Whilst it is true to say it is not allowed, there are plenty of examples on FT of people checking through even on separate tickets. Particularly at outstations where staff are outsourced, maybe working for 2/3 airlines a day and therefore less interested.

    To say it can’t be done simply isn’t true. Whether it will be done is a different matter.


    Swissdiver
    Participant

    The trend is not good here, with an increasing number of airlines applying strictly the rule. Annoying indeed.


    Gold-2K
    Participant

    BA only allow checkin of baggage on day of travel. I tried one last time at BLQ to thru-check and the agent told me it wasn’t technically possible (the limitations of FLY as mentioned above).

    Only solution I came up with: next to M&S Simply Food at T5 arrivals is a third party luggage storage concession. I have stored by bag there overnight for £12.00 so not too bad I guess and beats hauling it across London and back 6 hours later!


    openfly
    Participant

    @SimonS1….if you did manage to con a check-in agent to check a bag through on 2 PNRs which CANNOT be done on FLY, it would be rejected as it passed through LHR by the system as suspicious. It’s actually quite clever.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    [quote quote=935312] @simons1….if you did manage to con a check-in agent to check a bag through on 2 PNRs which CANNOT be done on FLY, it would be rejected as it passed through LHR by the system as suspicious. It’s actually quite clever.[/quote]

    Well for something that can’t be done there are several people on FT that have done it.

    And apparently a 6 months trial for Golds of doing exactly what you say can’t be done.

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1964516-ba-ba-through-checked-luggage.html

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1965243-no-checking-luggage-through-british-airways-sfo-lhr-lhr-gla.html

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1767540-ba-no-longer-through-checking-baggage-separate-tickets-131.html


    superchris
    Participant

    I cant recall the flight but a few years back I definitely checked in baggage on 2 flights on two tickets, in fact the airlines were also different. I recall a comment with a check-in agent who told me that as long as the airlines had an agreement with each other then they can check them in regardless of whether its one ticket or two.

    I think the issue here is an overnight layover and whether BA have the facility (or the wherewithal) to store a bag overnight in their system. Plus I imagine the likelihood of it going missing would be higher too.


    capetonianm
    Participant

    ‘Linking’ PNRs is irrelevant. They can be cross referenced with what is called an AXR but that has no bearing on topic.

    The systems do allow through check in under lmost circumstances, but the agents often have been so poorly trained that they don’t know when they are allowed to do it, so they won’t. In some cases they don’t even know how to do it, or have been told not, so they will say : “Computer says no.”


    Gold-2K
    Participant

    In this case the agent in Bologna was super helpful but said it technically couldn’t be done. Having said that she worked for an agent and not BA. It seems illogical when both reservations are booked with BA and on BA planes. Was equally frustrating that I couldn’t leave my luggage the night before at First Check-In for a 9am departure. 5am on the day of departure is the earliest apparently (even in First). I’m sure they used to accept luggage the day before travel? Another enhancement!!!!


    superchris
    Participant

    Talking of check-in agents being so poorly trained, I had to smile last week as was flying to Rwanda with a connection in Istanbul. I had my boarding passes pre-printed but approached the check-in desk and enquired if they needed to do a visa check. ‘where are you going?’ Rwanda I replied to be met by utter bemusement and the question ‘but what country is that??’ She then asked for my passport to check the visa to which I replied ‘im not sure there is any point if you’ve never heard of Rwanda you wont know what a valid visa looks like!’

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