Luggage checkthru SQ thru to BA

[benlee]

Hi,

I am booked on Singapore Airlines CGK to SIN and then on the same day, SIN to New York JFK with transit in LHR via British Airways. The tickets for SQ and BA are on separate tickets.

Will I be able to check-thru my luggage directly from CGK Jakarta to New York JFK airport? I understand BA and SQ have some partnership check-thru agreement but I am getting conflicting answers when calling SQ and BA.

Thanks in advance.

[Pinkfloyd]

Had a similar issue years ago while flying SIN-AMS-KRS with the last sector on KLM. Managed to get the SQ check-in staff in SIN to tag my luggage all the way through, but it did take the lady a while as she had to consult her senior. With that said, there have been other times when I have got a big fat "No" as an answer so I guess YMMV. There is this page on the SQ website that allows interline checking-in of luggage between SQ and BA but it also does state that it has to be on a single SQ booking (http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/tr...ckin-partners/).

Just a note, in May I flew BA from LHR to AMS and then SQ on to SIN and was not allowed to check through my luggage. Reason given was that both airlines are not in the same alliance.

[SQflyergirl]

Depends on the good graces of the agent.

The reason is this: If SQ in CGK takes your bag, it is responsible all the way. You can see why they might be reluctant for what happens in JFK far away...

If the agent says yes - count your blessings and move on. If the agent says no, he or she is fully within the policy so just smile and move on also.


People use the word INTERLINE far too easily, too casually, without understanding what it means. I wrote this out on my FB page and i suppose it might be useful here:

If Carrier A does not have an interline agreement with Carrier B, then it's clear, that even on a through ticket, there's no way your bag will make it from Carrier A's plane to Carrier B. And at check in, the system will not allow a printing of a luggage tag with all the flights on it.

If Carrier A DOES have an Interline agreement with Carrier B, all it means is that carrier B can accept (it has the capability to - ie the system can accept it and print out a luggage tag with all your flights on it) your bag from carrier A, but it does not mean they HAVE to, when on SEPARATE tickets.

Sometimes (not always) if both carriers are within an alliance, they'll extend it as a courtesy and check it through. They are however, within their rights to decline

I reiterate: When on separate tickets, even when both carriers have an interline agreement, they are within their rights to decline through tagging

[benlee]

Thanks. Guess I have to check with the check-in counter for a definite answer on that day. Anyway, I have more than enough time to check-out the luggage and re-check-in again.

[Astrophsx]

Would anyone happen to know if I take SQ from SIN-MNL and then have a flight out of MNL with Pal Express (Philippine Airlines) if they can transfer the bag in MNL? It shows Philippine Airlines is an interline partner.

I know it is up to the airline, but I wasn't sure if there was a policy at MNL to recheck the bag when going through immigration. I'll be taking a flight within the Philippines.

[Pinkfloyd]

Would anyone happen to know if I take SQ from SIN-MNL and then have a flight out of MNL with Pal Express (Philippine Airlines) if they can transfer the bag in MNL? It shows Philippine Airlines is an interline partner.

I know it is up to the airline, but I wasn't sure if there was a policy at MNL to recheck the bag when going through immigration. I'll be taking a flight within the Philippines.

If the last sector via PAL Express is a domestic flight, then you will most definitely have to carry your luggage through CIQ and re-checkin.

[leops1984]

If the last sector via PAL Express is a domestic flight, then you will most definitely have to carry your luggage through CIQ and re-checkin.

SQ and PAL/PAL Express are at completely different terminals... on opposite sides of the same runway. You'll need to recheck.

[Astrophsx]

When I pull up the wiki for MNL:



Both are in terminal 3.

[Astrophsx]

When I pull up the wiki article for MNL it shows that PAL Express is in terminal 3 and so is SQ. Though, there are a few listed that are out of Terminal 2.

[leops1984]

When I pull up the wiki article for MNL it shows that PAL Express is in terminal 3 and so is SQ. Though, there are a few listed that are out of Terminal 2.

I stand corrected - I thought PAL unified all their operations at Terminal 2.

[Hajimbo]

I have the same question for SQ and Thai airways. I'm planning to fly from Singapore to Bangkok using SQ and then Bangkok to Chiang Mai using Thai Airways on the same day. Will there be any issue if I check in at Changi and have my bags transferred all the way to Chiang Mai? So I would just have to check in the transit area at Bangkok for my tickets to Chiang Mai no?

[ninja-tim]

I also have a very similar question.

I'm flying MEL-SIN-LHR (via SQ) landing at 15:40 in LHR, then onto VCE. I haven't booked the LHR-VCE leg yet as there are only 2 options for me and have yet to decide which will be easiest:
SN(Brussels Airline) @1750-2245
BA @ 2015-2325

I was thinking of booking SN as it's *A and assume it would be leaving from the same terminal as SQ. However, don't know if 2hrs is enough time to transfer/transit or check-out/check-in again.

My question obviously related to baggage.

Can I get SQ to through check from MEL to my final destination of VCE if I travel via SN or even BA? SQ do have interline agreement with both SN and BA.

Or once I arrive in LHR, can I go to the transfer desk and get checked in on my next flight and get them to re-direct my bag?

Or the 3rd option is to do the whole immigration/customs/check-in to my new flight process, in which I guess I should book BA flight as it's 4.5hr gap. Would like to avoid this option if possible as it's too much effort and waste of time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[nykelaz]

Flew SIN-LHR on SQ and LHR-EDI on BA recently. They were on separate tickets, and I didn't manage to get my bags tagged through to EDI. Had to clear immigration in LHR.

Hope this helps.

[nykelaz]

I also have a very similar question.

I'm flying MEL-SIN-LHR (via SQ) landing at 15:40 in LHR, then onto VCE. I haven't booked the LHR-VCE leg yet as there are only 2 options for me and have yet to decide which will be easiest:
SN(Brussels Airline) @1750-2245
BA @ 2015-2325

I was thinking of booking SN as it's *A and assume it would be leaving from the same terminal as SQ. However, don't know if 2hrs is enough time to transfer/transit or check-out/check-in again.

My question obviously related to baggage.

Can I get SQ to through check from MEL to my final destination of VCE if I travel via SN or even BA? SQ do have interline agreement with both SN and BA.

Or once I arrive in LHR, can I go to the transfer desk and get checked in on my next flight and get them to re-direct my bag?

Or the 3rd option is to do the whole immigration/customs/check-in to my new flight process, in which I guess I should book BA flight as it's 4.5hr gap. Would like to avoid this option if possible as it's too much effort and waste of time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I assume you are on SQ308 and your sector LHR-VCE is on a separate ticket? I did a similar sector SIN-LHR-EDI and I did not get my bags tagged through.

The issue here is not so much about which airline you are transferring to, but rather whether are both sectors on the same ticket. If both flights are on the same ticket, you are most likely to get your bags tagged through to your final destination. SQ would have to be responsible for your bags in that case. For my case, the exact BA flight that I was on was also available for booking via SQ's website, and SQ had no issue tagging my bags had I booked that flight on one single ticket. But because I booked the flights separately, the agent was unable to do so.

That being said, whether you can get your bags tagged to VCE depends on the check-in agent as well. If they can do it for you, then good for you. But they are really not obliged to do so. Even if they choose to do it out of goodwill, it does not guarantee your bags will be duly transferred to your connecting flight. You may be caught in a situation where neither SQ nor BA want to take responsiblity for your missing bags.

Personally, I would be more comfortable with your Option 3 - To clear immigration altogether. I may be a little cautious, but I won't want to risk missing my connecting flight. Another point to note is that should you take up the SN option, you will only have 2 hours of transit time. Any delay out of SIN will put you at risk of missing your flight. And because both sectors are on separate tickets, it is unlikely SN will hold back the flight for you.

[alian]

For SIA and BA check thru is possible - http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/tr...ckin-partners/

For myself I went to DOH via SIN-DXB-DOH the SIN-DXB on SQ and DXB-DOH on QR, while Qatar air was not even listed both ends did a check thru for me quite nicely which was smooth and effortless check in in SIN and picking up my bags at DOH.

What was even nicer was at the DOH side was that as I was flying J on SQ end and gave the counter guy my SIA baggage priority tag, he one up by putting Qatar Airways First class tags for me.

While I've had good experiences with Check thru I have to admit I've also heard horror stories so yes there is a risk that one has to weigh out.