question about connecting flights

On 15 Sep 2004 12:25:56 -0700, (Dirk) wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

As a general rule you will have to retrieve your baggage and
re-check. Once upon a time, though, we had separate flights on
British Airways changing at LHR (same reason, it was cheaper that
way) and when we asked at the BA counter at SFO they said they
would check our bags all the way through. That was before 9/11,
though.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On 15 Sep 2004 12:25:56 -0700, (Dirk) wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

As a general rule you will have to retrieve your baggage and
re-check. Once upon a time, though, we had separate flights on
British Airways changing at LHR (same reason, it was cheaper that
way) and when we asked at the BA counter at SFO they said they
would check our bags all the way through. That was before 9/11,
though.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On 15 Sep 2004 12:25:56 -0700, (Dirk) wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

As a general rule you will have to retrieve your baggage and
re-check. Once upon a time, though, we had separate flights on
British Airways changing at LHR (same reason, it was cheaper that
way) and when we asked at the BA counter at SFO they said they
would check our bags all the way through. That was before 9/11,
though.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

Dirk wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!


the biggest risk is that if you miss the flight you may be out the
money for the New Zealand leg -- I once had 5 hours to connect in LAX to
SQ from AA -- it ws through ticketed, so when the connection was missed
at least they had to fly me out the next flight --- but if I had been
separate ticketed, I might very well have had to eat the second flight

Dirk wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!


the biggest risk is that if you miss the flight you may be out the
money for the New Zealand leg -- I once had 5 hours to connect in LAX to
SQ from AA -- it ws through ticketed, so when the connection was missed
at least they had to fly me out the next flight --- but if I had been
separate ticketed, I might very well have had to eat the second flight

I think another potential problem could be if your first flight is late for
some reason. If you have a connecting flight then they put you in next
available flight, I'm not sure what would be their policy if you have two
different tickets.

"Dirk" wrote in message
m...
Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

I think another potential problem could be if your first flight is late for
some reason. If you have a connecting flight then they put you in next
available flight, I'm not sure what would be their policy if you have two
different tickets.

"Dirk" wrote in message
m...
Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand. I've
been looking at flights, and it costs less to buy a ticket to Los
Angeles, and another from LA to New Zealand, than to buy 1 ticket to
New Zealand with 1 stop in LA. My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?
Will we *have* to collect and then re-check our luggage in LA? Any
other issues we should be aware of?
Thanks!

Dirk wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand.

My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?

It depends on the domestic carrier (originating airline) that you have chosen
for yor cheaper solution.

Luggage:
Normally, you will have to take your luggage out and recheck it. However, if
the domestic carrier has an interlining agreement with Air New Zealand, you
*MAY* be able to have your bags checked through and not have to handle them at
LAX. You need to ask very nicely, get on your knees and offer chocolates to
the check in person because they do not have to do those when you are on
separate tickets. You need to call that airline's reseravtion desk first and
ask if they have an intelining agreement for luggage with Air New Zealand.

Check-in:
Normally, you will have to check-in completely at LAX (stand in line etc etc).
However, if the domestic carrier is United, you *MAY* be able to get your Air
NZ flight boarding pass at your point of departure, if the check in agent is
nice and experienced enough. But the default answer might be "sorry sir, we
can't do that".

IF your luggage is checked through, and IF you arrive in the same terminal as
the departing NZ flight, you may be able to just go to the Air NZ gate and get
your boarding pass printed there (explkaining your luggage is already
checked). Otherwise, you will need to go landside, stand in line to check in
and then go through security etc.

The implication is that if you have to "fully" check-in at LAX, you need to do
so within the check in deadlines (2-3 hours) and this impacts which flight you
take to get you to LAX since you need to be in LAX for far longer. If you have
a single check-in at your city of departure, then your connection time is far
shorter, usually 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on airport.

If you check in at a small uncrowded airport, it might be worth the extra
money to be able to use United and have a single check-in at the small airport
and bypass all the mayhem and time of LAX checkin.

Dirk wrote:

Hi,
We're planning a trip from the midwestern US to New Zealand.

My question: what issues will we face
if we make the less expensive choice and buy 2 tickets instead of 1?

It depends on the domestic carrier (originating airline) that you have chosen
for yor cheaper solution.

Luggage:
Normally, you will have to take your luggage out and recheck it. However, if
the domestic carrier has an interlining agreement with Air New Zealand, you
*MAY* be able to have your bags checked through and not have to handle them at
LAX. You need to ask very nicely, get on your knees and offer chocolates to
the check in person because they do not have to do those when you are on
separate tickets. You need to call that airline's reseravtion desk first and
ask if they have an intelining agreement for luggage with Air New Zealand.

Check-in:
Normally, you will have to check-in completely at LAX (stand in line etc etc).
However, if the domestic carrier is United, you *MAY* be able to get your Air
NZ flight boarding pass at your point of departure, if the check in agent is
nice and experienced enough. But the default answer might be "sorry sir, we
can't do that".

IF your luggage is checked through, and IF you arrive in the same terminal as
the departing NZ flight, you may be able to just go to the Air NZ gate and get
your boarding pass printed there (explkaining your luggage is already
checked). Otherwise, you will need to go landside, stand in line to check in
and then go through security etc.

The implication is that if you have to "fully" check-in at LAX, you need to do
so within the check in deadlines (2-3 hours) and this impacts which flight you
take to get you to LAX since you need to be in LAX for far longer. If you have
a single check-in at your city of departure, then your connection time is far
shorter, usually 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on airport.

If you check in at a small uncrowded airport, it might be worth the extra
money to be able to use United and have a single check-in at the small airport
and bypass all the mayhem and time of LAX checkin.