Checking baggage to Europe using two different airlines

The luggage depends on whether the two airlines have interline agreements or not. Make sure you also consider luggage fees, etc. You do add an extra element of risk when you ticket this way. If anything should cause your first flight to be delayed or cancelled, you risk losing the value of your second ticket entirely. If you do choose to ticket this way, be sure you leave plenty, plenty of time between the flights. Be sure to really think through if the savings outweighs the risk. Also, be very careful if this is a 3rd party ticket seller that is offering this booking. If you must do this type of booking, make sure to do it directly with the airlines involved.

As Carol notes, the answer depends on whether your travel is booked on one ticket starting at Chicago and ending in DUS for your outbound travel, or booked as two separate trips - Chicago to JFK then JFK to DUS. If booked as one journey (one ticket with a connection at JFK) you would check your baggage through from Chicago to DUS.

If you booked your travel as two separate journeys, first Chicago to JFK then a second ticket from JFK to DUS, the first airline is responsible for getting you and your checked baggage to JFK. You would need to retrieve your baggage at JFK, check the baggage with the second airline and re-enter the sterile zone. The second airline is then responsible for getting you to DUS.

Complications would arise should your baggage be delayed in getting to JFK and/or having a delay that causes you to miss your JFK to DUS flight. I'm assuming that in attempting to save money you are going non-refundable. Miss the flight and you are out. If you miss the JFK to DUS, the return would also be canceled. And of course, the time and effort of transferring baggage between airlines is on you.

Airlines have really backed away from interlining, even if they are partners, when the booking is on separate tickets. We could get our boarding passes with the partner airline last June, but they would not check our luggage through. Our example was a British Air flight to LHR and then a separate ticket on a British Air flight that was operated by Aer Lingus.

Thank you everyone for your helpful response. I will have 4 hours to get to my flight to Dusseldorf so I may try this. Maybe this would work better if I pack light and carryon my luggage.

If you are determined that this is the way you want to go, doing carryon only will not only make a huge difference on this connection, but will make it easier once you get to Europe.

I am trying to meet up with my husband who will be on the JFK to DUS flight but is coming to JFK from a different city. The cost for me using 2 different airlines is $1,000. The cost of booking the one airline is $2,700. That is a huge difference. I will be traveling on a Saturday morning in March. I am familiar with the Air Train to the extent that I have looked at the terminal map and guided my daughter from an International flight to a domestic flight last summer. Looking at the luggage carryon restrictions I understand I will have to pack light.

I neglected to mention that I the airlines do not have and interline agreement.

Another option is to fly into NY a day early. Spend part of your savings on a hotel room and still have significant savings.

That is a good idea! I may do that. Thanks.

There is a flight option that will get me to JFK 8 hours prior to departure and it is only another $70. That is another option although it makes for a longer day.

I've done the same thing - booked two separate tickets for June, from Charlotte to JFK and JFK to London (then return Paris to JFK). The cost was less than half what I otherwise would have paid. I allowed 5 hours on both ends of journey. I'll be traveling carry-on only. I realize the risk, but the savings make it worthwhile for me.

Thanks everyone for your input. I decided to book the flight that gives me 8 hours to get to the luggage etc. Its a long time, but 4 hours seemed a bit too tight on case of delays and airlines require that you check in at least three hours prior to an international flight. Shelly, I think you will be ok with 5 hours. Good Luck.

With that much time between flights, why not find out if the airline has a lounge. If they do, see what it costs to buy one day access. They are usually more comfortable, have free food, drinks, computers, wifi, TV and more.

The lounges are usually past security so once in the lounge you only have to walk to the gate.