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Checked baggage cost

Posted by on

I'm pretty confused about this, despite being an experienced traveler. I'm attempting to book multi city flights with up to two connections for a trip to Europe from the USA. Because the flights are operated by different carriers, I can't really determine if I would really have to pay for checked baggage, say on the flight from my smaller city to the bigger city in the USA. I've read that transatlantic flights include checked baggage while the booking websites indicate "free checked baggage on flight # 1. There is nothing to click to find the details.
For example, I see this on American's baggage policy: "In some cases, you won't have to pay the fees for up to 3 bags when traveling on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines or marketed by American and operated by a oneworld® partner."

So, how do I know I'm an "in some cases" person? Any guidance on this? The flights were are looking at are run by British Airways and their partners.

Posted by
20008 posts

Good luck. You'll have to drill down on the class of service for inter-Europe flights. Most airlines have gone to the US model of charging extra for bags for the cheapest tickets, which is what most people look at. Got caught on this once.

You should get a free bag from US to your first destination in Europe, and from your last destination in Europe home, but may have baggage fees for destinations in between. example: Fly from Chicago to Berlin with a change in Frankfurt. Free bag to Berlin. Then a flight from Berlin to Budapest later in the week, could be a bag fee on that one. Then fly from Budapest to Chicago with a change in Munich. Free bag to Chicago.

Posted by
740 posts

The usual is one checked bag from your departure airport to your destination when flying on one ticket that says so. Seattle to Rome, 2 stops, is one ticket. The boarding passes are not separate issues for your bags.. It is the final destination. When you check in and check,your bag they will ask, where are you going? You tell them the final end point, not the change in Amsterdam or any other connection.
AA airlines with 3 free bags. That seems like an anomaly and I would not trust it.

Posted by
20008 posts

you won't have to pay the fees for up to 3 bags

There's the gotcha, "UP to 3 bags". You get 3 free bags if you have a 1st class ticket. Us peons have to settle for 1.

Posted by
11151 posts

So, how do I know I'm an "in some cases" person? Any guidance on this?

If you want answers that apply to your flights, you should ( need) to advise what airline site you are booking with ( AA or BA?) and what your destinations are and what fare class you are in.

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