Bag Check-In Question

I could be wrong, but I'm going to hazard a guess that since these are two separate tickets that you cannot check the bag in Marseilles without collecting it and rechecking it in Paris for your final destination. I don't think it matters that they are sky partners since you have two different confirmation numbers. Maybe you should ask on FlyerTalk?

We have a situation with similar elements to your situation. We were able to obtain a Boston-Paris round trip flight on Delta using the so-called pay with miles option. This method only works with Delta branded flights, not with Skyteam partners such as KLM, Air France or Alitalia. We are actually continuing on to Italy, so I am looking at booking a separate flight from Paris to Venice (probably on Air France). We are expecting to collect our bags after the Boston-Paris leg and check in at CDG airport for the ongoing flight. We have been advised to allow at least four hours for the connection between these separate flights.

Somebody suggested that I could have talked to a representative to try to integrate the two legs of the trip. I did not think of this at the time, so I don't know if it would have worked. This would certainly be the best option - Air France and Delta treating this as one flight.

Can you change the Marseille - Paris flight to an earlier time, or even the day before? Another option would be to throw away the Marseille-Paris ticket and find another way to get to Paris.

Thanks to all for the responses given. But I am stuck with these flights. I have an early morning flight out of Marseille on a Monday, and my flight out of Paris leaves at a bit past 10 am. I have spoken with two Delta representatives (when you call Air France, you get Delta). The first representative said no. The second representative said yes. I have asked whether the flights could be put on the same ticket and have been told no. However, the second representative stated that when checking the bag in Marseille, I could on request have the bag transferred to my Delta flight.

"Another option would be to throw away the Marseille-Paris ticket and find another way to get to Paris." I think we may have a winner there.

Speculation Alert: I've never been in your position, but I've read comments on this forum to the effect that sometimes travelers are able to have bags checked through to their destinations even though they are holding separate tickets. It appears to depend a least partially on the helpfulness of the individual staff person you are dealing with, so it's not something I would count on. The risk of missing that transatlantic flight is just too high. The cost of a last-minute one-way ticket back home from Paris doesn't bear thinking about.

I don't know how much time you have in Paris, but stuff could go wrong even if your bag is checked through. I'd be getting myself to Paris the night before the flight if I wasn't traveling on a single ticket.

I'd want to know for sure that the request would be approved. If you can't get a definitive yes, then I would take the smaller carry on bag if transfer time is tight.

OP-

If you want to go to Paris on the day before the flight, note the train is an option.. There are inexpensive fares from Marseilles directly to CDG airport. You could stay at a CDG airport hotel and have no worries about catching your flight to the US.

Delta does have an interline agreement with Air France. Even with separate tickets, your bags can be checked through to final destination.

Richard - good luck! It seems you have a very tight connection, leaving both Marseille and Paris the same morning. Marseille to Paris is an in-country flight. You will have to go through more stringent (and likely longer time) security in Paris for your international flight to the U.S.
A smaller bag may not help. The Marseille to Paris will be a smaller plane and these flights frequently run out of overhead space before all passengers have boarded - you may be forced to check a carry-on size bag unless you're flying business or first-class. It's happened to me on more than one occasion.
I suggest you go early to the Marseille airport and try to check your bag all the way home. But keep ALL essential items (all IDs, money, phone, keys, tickets and other valuables, including documents) with you in the event your bag does not arrive in Lafayette when you do.

Another issue to consider is exit immigration in Paris - presumably CDG.

Some posts in these forums have indicated that at times the passport control lines at CDG for those departing the Schengen area can be very long. It’s not clear if the lines are any shorter for connecting passengers vs those who originate at CDG. Some folks arrive at CDG 4 hours prior to departure.

I could on[sic] request have the bag transferred to my Delta flight.

The agent, per your post, said you can make a 'request' for a through tagging, not the same as saying it can and will be done.

If you cannot check it through, you will have to retrieve and re-check it. If you do not, who will?

You need a carry on only or a re-schedule of your trip to Paris to make sure you are there in time to make the flight. ( i.e get there the evening before)

As best I can tell you have given yourself about 90 minutes to go through all the security and exit protocol at CDG and make any terminal transfers. That would be a challenge with just carry-on baggage ( and assumes your flight arrives in Paris on time). Having separate tickets is a high risk venture...... Best wishes and Good Luck!

Forgive me for thinking both your question and all the replies you've received so far are nonsensical, but I don't understand why, if Delta reps themselves are not able to give you a clear answer, anyone on this forum would know more.

I don't think you will know the answer to your question until you check in for your flight in Marseille. At that time you can explain the situation to the agent, show them your etickets, and hope they can accommodate you.

But all the replies you get from your fellow travelers, while well-meaning I'm sure, are pure speculation.

I do hope this works out for you. Do you have a plan B if it doesn't?

Thanks to all, but Baxter's response provides me with the exact wording for my request and any future questions to airline representatives, and supports what the second representative told me.

And unfortunately, getting to Paris the day before is not an option.

We recently had a similar scenario with Delta. We flew Seattle to Amsterdam on Delta and then KLM to Venice. We checked our luggage straight through. On our return flight we flew Croatia Air>Zagreb>Croatia Air>Amsterdam,Delta>Seattle. We checked our luggage straight through. We had purchased our tickets through our travel agent. Our travel agent reminded us to be sure the tag placed on the luggage was marked correctly!

Delta frequent flier here sitting in Atlanta waiting to board a delayed flight to Germany. To answer your question, you are totally at the mercy of the ticket counter agent. By policy, 2 tickets means you should pick up the bag in Paris. The ticket counter agent, however, does have the ability to check a bag all the way through, but it takes a little extra work. So, it kind of depends on the time constraints and mood of the ticket counter agent. I also think the higher your frequent flier status, the more likely the ticket counter agent will do it for you.

I‘m a low-risk guy, so I would probably go with a carryon to be safe. Keep in mind Air France carryon size is slightly smaller than US carryon size, and I have seen Air France agents check bags in the sizer and charge an extra 25 euro for a Delta (but not AF) compliant carryon; once again frequent flyer status that gets „Sky Priority“ on your Boarding Pass (gold or higher, I think) gets you out of that fee.

Monday morning, I‘m flying from Bremen to CDG on Air France. I‘ll do my best to remember to ask the AF ticket counter agent about the two-ticket dilemma and report back. I’m putting a reminder in my phone!

OP— Do you have frequent flyer status with Delta?

Lane- the replies are not nonsensical.
Richard, I don't have the link handy but google Delta interline baggage agreement. The policy is spelled out including use of two separate tickets . Air France is right on their list, you can through check.

Dave, I do. Baxter, I will Google the agreement. Thanks for the responses.

While I fly Delta all the time, I've never been in quite the same situation you describe. Having said that, I still think a couple of points mentioned above are valid.

1 - If you have status with Delta, this may help you out at the original AF counter in Marseille.

2 - The counter agent in Marseille could be your new best friend. I have consistently found AF counter personnel to be more helpful than the majority of Delta counter personnel in the US. Of course, I always smile and say please and thank you to all airline counter personnel wherever I am. Customer service are people with feelings. But I have yet to see anyone yelling at a counter agent in any country and walk away with whatever it was they wanted so loudly. (Not saying that you would yell at anyone! Just surprised that I have seen so many people try that tactic and expect it to work.)
3 - Be prepared for your best efforts to go sideways. Have a small carryon bag that you can use for anything valuable from your larger checked bag, just in case. Then once you're home, maybe Delta can find your bag in Paris. (My bag has gone missing twice going through CDG, and that was on a connecting ticket. I always plan ahead if changing planes there.)

Good luck, and please let us know how it works out???

The best thing I can find on the internet regarding baggage and 2 tickets is this “news” item on the Delta site for travel agents: https://pro.delta.com/content/agency/de/en/products-and-services/baggage/delta-s-through-check-baggage-policy-.html

I can’t get the link to the actuall policy to work on my iPhone. Perhaps it works on a regular computer?

Having read this, I stand corrected —

2 Delta tickets at a Delta counter: no problem checking all the way through

Delta ticket + AF ticket at Delta counter: no problem checking all the way through.

2 Air France tickets at a Delta counter: not specifically spelled out whether it would be checked all the way through. Given the Delta/AF/KLM joint venture and interline agreements, it would seem to follow that it would be checked all the way, but it’s not explicitly spelled out. You would be doing the opposite if I understand correctly: 2 Delta tickets at an AF counter.

I looked for an Air France policy but couldn’t find one.

You could call Delta and ask for the full through check policy and ask for the Air France equivalent policy.

The Delta contract of carriage refers to the website delta.com/bags as containing the baggage policies, but I can’t find anything there that addresses this issue.

Again, thanks to all. And the responses I received are the reason I asked the question on a forum with so many amazingly knowledgeable and helpful participants. It appears that there is an interchange agreement in effect and that the answer is yes, with the caveat that not every agent is fully aware of the interchange agreement rules and that I will need to arrive at the airport early to have the issue properly addressed. Also, I am going to pursue the issue further with Delta for written confirmation. But the two airlines are airline partners, Delta may own Air France, I bought all flights through Delta, and the details for all flights are listed in my account on the Delta website.

Richard-

Let us know how this goes. Regardless of the bag issues, I am thinking that you will still have to check in at the Delta counter in Paris.

My money is on that you will be able to check the bag all the way through and the gate agent will be able to check you in for all your flights, too. I still will ask at the AF counter in Bremen to see what kind of response I get.

I’m putting my money with Dave’s that you’ll be able to do it. Being extra nice to the counter agent, saying that you have a bit of a problem and hope they can help will get you everywhere. Hopefully, the Marseille agent will also check you in for your trans-Atlantic and print your boarding pass. I’ve linked AF flights at the last minute. Hopefully, it will be just as easy with AF to Delta.

I would call Delta back again and ask them once again to link the two flights together. If an agent can’t, just for a supervisor. Keep trying.

And PLEASE report back to us.

Friends, thanks to all. This is my report.

I have two different ticket numbers. The reason is that I paid for the flights to and from Paris with mileage points, and the flight from Marseille to Paris with cash. My memory is that either there were no seats available on the Air France flight for purchase with mileage points, or the use of mileage points on the Air France flight would have increased dramatically the number of mileage points I was using overall. However, I have been told that because one ticket was paid for with mileage points, and the other ticket with cash, the two tickets cannot be combined. I am not sure I understand the logic, but that is the reason given.

However, after speaking for the third time with a Delta telephone representative, who was the least knowledgeable of the three, I requested to speak with a supervisor (good suggestion). The supervisor could not help me with combining the two tickets, but was able to articulate clearly the reason he could not.

Further, the supervisor stated that upon showing the other ticket number and reservation to the agent in Marseille, I would not have a problem with my bag being transferred to my other flights.

I have several connections on the trip home, so I am fearful that the bag will at least be delayed. But I believe, as someone noted above, that the Air France rules for a carry-on bag are more restrictive than those of American airlines. As a result, unless I think I can get by with a carry-on bag (and Air France may charge me 25 Euro or so for a slightly bigger carry-on), the best course of action seems to be to get to the airport early and present the Air France agent with the necessary information, as suggested by the Delta supervisor.

I'm glad you got to a supervisor and got some clarification!

As far as things being delayed coming home - to me that's not as critical as when I'm heading out. Everything's dirty anyway, hahaha!

DO make sure you've got all your valuables in the cabin with you including electronics, chargers, money, credit/debit cards AND your car keys if you are driving home....just in case your bag doesn't make it.

Further, the supervisor stated that upon showing the other ticket number and reservation to the agent in Marseille, I would not have a problem with my bag being transferred to my other flights.

Hopefully the AF rep who does the check in is reading from the same playbook at the Delta supervisor.

I asked the KLM/Air France Counter Agent in Bremen this morning about flying on 2 Delta tickets. She said there is no problem “combining the tickets” on the day of departure (her words, not mine) and checking you and your baggage all the way through to the US. She acted like it was a no-brainer, so I think you’ll be in good shape. She said just to make sure that they know you have 2 tickets, which I’m sure you’ll do.

I am still wondering if you will be able to stay airside in Paris. Even though your luggage may be checked through, will you be able to transfer to your second flight as if it were on one ticket?

@Bob: According to the KLM/AF agent this morning at Bremen airport, it will essentially be treated like a single ticket.

Contact Delta to have your AF and DL return itinerary linked together so you can check your bag from Marseilles directly to your US destination. Hopefully your US destination is a Delta hub like JFK, ATL and DTW so you won't have yet another connection in which luggage can be lost.

I can only tell you about my experience with other airlines. I flew to Warsaw from Tel Aviv and then from Warsaw to Gdansk, not just on different airlines but on separate tickets. At the time, the two airlines did not have a code share agreement. When I checked in at TLV, they routed my suitcase to Gdansk. I don't remember, but I think I even got a boarding pass for the second flight at that time, since I don't remember having to go through any check-in procedures in Warsaw.

I have learned from experience to check the routing tag on my suitcase before it goes down the rabbit hole to make sure the right airport code is on it. I also ask for the agent to tag my bag with a "short connection" tag. And ask for my second boarding pass.

@Chani, thanks for reiterating "to check the routing tag on my suitcase before it goes down the rabbit hole to make sure the right airport code is on it." Great advice!

Hey, Richard. I was wondering when your trip to France is/was. If it has already happened, how did things work out with the checked bag?