[BA744fan]

SimonS1 – 12/06/2016 13:43 BST

One ticket is an Amex Companion Voucher so not possible to combine the 2 PNRs.

[BrotherJim]

FDOS_UK, what part of ‘they are still doing it” but are not forced to did you miss?

So no change…. At the moment.

[Travellator]

Travelled back from Asia earlier in the week with transfer to a Regional, All BA – baggage translined no problem.

[FDOS_UK]

BrotherJim – 17/06/2016 11:29 BST

You are giving anecdotal evidence from the past. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.

My comment was in reply to BA747Fan, who believes that he will not be able to through check his bags, although he booked pre policy change.

The policy has changed, this is a fact. Whether it will be applied in observance or breach, in the future, is conjecture.

Have a nice day.

[CathayLoyalist2]

BA744fan, your added challenges are a) your flight from Bali is not late given that there have been ongoing flight disruptions for months due to volcanic activity which of course is unpredictable and/or b) immigration is not busy, most times it is and c) BA’s two flights leave at 23.15 and 23.45 which means check in will close at about 22.25 and 22.55 respectively or possibly earlier. You might want to canvas BA in advance re the potential change in policy has happened after you bought the tickets.

[TheRealBabushka]

Perhaps we need to update this thread detailing our ongoing experience to get a sense of how this policy is being applied, or not applied as may be the case. Details should include:

Sector of 1st PNR
Carrier of 1st PNR
Class of travel on 1st PNR
Sector of connecting/2nd PNR
Carrier of connecting/2nd PNR
Class of travel on connecting/2nd PNR
Pax’s FF programme
Pax’s FF status
No. of pax in the booking

With enough data we should be able to extrapolate any new unpublished business rules in place. I have a feeling Oneworld/individual carriers may suspend these rules for elite pax and/or size of travelling party.

[christopheL]

I may be wrong but it seems that it did not take long for BA to apply this new customer non focused rule. Here are the new T&C according to http://www.ba.com :

“Checking in baggage for connecting flights

Baggage will normally be checked through to your final destination, provided your journey is on the same ticket or booking reference. However, if you hold separate tickets for the flights in your journey, we will only check your baggage to your final destination if the connecting flights are contained within the same booking reference, for flights operated by British Airways or another oneworld airline.”

I will be flying BA between Paris and London on Christmas Day with a connecting flight to JNB on a 241 Amex award ticket. I now know that I will need to change my Paris to London ticket to make sure that I will have enough to time to collect my luggage, clear immigration, check in my luggage and clear security.

To fly to serve is definitively to be changed.

[Travellator]

Maybe we should ask the new CEO of BA Alex Cruz the reasons behind this new regulation and emphasise the inconvenience it will cause to many BA travellers.

Can you imagine elderly or infirmed people who are helped on with their baggage at check in at a regional by say a friend or relation then have to collect themselves at say LHR arrivals then trolley to Departures etc

He doesn’t want to Ryanair- ise BA but this is one step beyond./

[BrotherJim]

FDOS_UK , my apoligies, I didn’t see the link to where BA and CX have actually started to impliment this policy. From what I had heard it was still up to the airline and none had choosen to go that way.

Also pretty low of BA to call it an obligation… Kind of makes it sound like OneWorld forced the change, when reality is the airline still very much has the discretion to interline non linked bookings.

Though knowing BA, they are probably the ones who initiated this…

[AndrewinHK]

I’m pretty sure this is being introduced to increase the hassle for people purchasing ex Europe tickets and such. This frustrates more people than it helps, but they are obviously doing it to encourage people to buy packaged tickets and therefore pricing so they have more control. I agree this will annoy more people, it seems bizarre this is supposed to be an alliance, the aim is to make things easier and interlined for customers.

[BrotherJim]

Andrew, yep that is why I suggested that BA probably initiated it. More so as they are the only airline to not be allowing the practice between BA flights.

Also notice Qantas will implement this too, but in a few months time not now, and unlike BA will still allow separate PNR interlining to themselves and also to EK.

[BA744fan]

Would it impact on exEU tickets? I thought that if all flights are on one PNR/booking ref the luggage will be checked all the way through.

If not, then it is just one more reason to dump BA and OW in general for an alliance that sees customers as an asset rather than an inconvenient hindrance.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Ultimately the policy change is to be clear that they don’t have to through check you. However should the check in agents at the airports on a given airline choose to do so – that is a step more than you should expect and be considered a bonus.

If you book separate tickets then one needs to ensure they have enough connecting time to possibly clear immigration, collect bags if relevant and re-check in. If one is booking this way to save on prices then this is the downside of the bargain. There is a choice to book as 1 price on a through fare. I know prices can sometimes be crazy – or combining various ticket types – but ultimately there is the choice. At the moment people seem to want to reap the benefits of saving a few hundred quid here or there (understandably) but then get in a tizz when airlines make you go through the process you’d be following had you booked BA followed by say Easyjet.

Also an alliance is just that – they are still competitors and work together on through tickets / lounges and host of other things. But I imagine they don’t want people to “abuse” the alliance (I use that term lightly).

Just one way of looking at it.

[BrotherJim]

I thought the exEU tickets, most people purchased a separate flight out of the UK, then their long haul flight back via LHR. In which case it would very much effect travellers. And frankly is the only reason I can see BA won’t allow through checking to other BA flights on seperate PNR’s.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ BA744fan – 17/06/2016 15:10 BST

The policy statement from BA is (courtesy of SimonS1) at:

http://www.britishairways.com/assets/pdfs/updates/oneworld-through-check-in.pdf?DM1_Channel=AFF&DM1_Campaign=UKI_GB_EN_PHG_ALWAYSON&DM1_Site=PHG&utm_source=PHG&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=UKI_GB_EN_PHG_ALWAYSON

This clearly states that multiple sectors but with the same PNR retain their original through ticketing and baggage interlining rights. The “explanation” given below is clear puff to provide staff with some form of cover for those of us who will be very irked indeed. I will be making the point to BAEC that it is likely to cost them more to deliver the bag and then require extra pax to use check-in facilities.

There is one potential “plus side” though and it is that at least you know for sure whether or not your baggage has made it… albeit that you can now track items courtesy of the sundry products now available on the market.

[Author]

Posts