Aerolineas - baggage

[TWB103]

Tried making sense of the information on the Aerolineas site but still not sure.

Our situation: domestic flight with Aerolineas then flight to Europe with Norwegian.

We have a paraguitas/buggy/stroller for a toddler iow not a baby therefore while Norwegian allow the paraguitas to be carried in the hold without charge Aerolineas it seems will charge. But then I also see on the Aerolineas site that Aerolineas respects the baggage limits, or something, of a connecting international flight. I presume that is relevant only if international flight is with Aerolineas too? So if we have to pay for the paraguitas in the Aerolineas hold it costs $400 online?

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Ben is your go-to guy here but my understanding is that what matters is whether you are through-ticketed end to end or whether each stage was purchased separately. If each was a separate transaction then the rules and allowances for each stage apply. If you booked all the way with Aerolineas and they chose to put you on Norwegian for the main part of the journey or you booked with Norwegian and they chose to use Aerolineas as their feeder airline then the rules and allowances for the transatlantic leg will apply to the whole journey.

I learned this lesson very expensively..... Don't ask....

 

[Ceviche]

TWB103. What elhombresinnombre said is correct.

I flew from Salta to Auckland via Buenos Aires. First leg was Aerolineas and 2nd leg was Air New Zealand. Ticket was bought via Aerolineas. But baggage rules of Air New Zealand was applied.

 

[TWB103]

TWB103. What elhombresinnombre said is correct.

I flew from Salta to Auckland via Buenos Aires. First leg was Aerolineas and 2nd leg was Air New Zealand. Ticket was bought via Aerolineas. But baggage rules of Air New Zealand was applied.

You bought the Air New Zealand ticket through Aerolineas?

 

[Ceviche]

You bought the Air New Zealand ticket through Aerolineas?

yes through aerolineas - it was cheaper than thru Air New Zealand and it was way cheaper than Buenos aires-auckland-buenos aires .

Salta- Auckland- Salta with change of flights at Buenos Aires. ( on my return trip I ended the trip in BA)

 

[TWB103]

yes through aerolineas - it was cheaper than thru Air New Zealand and it was way cheaper than Buenos aires-auckland-buenos aires .

Salta- Auckland- Salta with change of flights at Buenos Aires. ( on my return trip I ended the trip in BA)

Well.. I didn't know it was possible to buy an airline ticket through another airline. Que sorpresa..

 

[JoeGillis]

Well.. I didn't know it was possible to buy an airline ticket through another airline. Que sorpresa..

Aerolineas and Air New Zealand are code share partners, thus there are through fares to Aukland from Salta via AR. Because the flights are booked/sold via AR, and thus have a single AR flight number from origin to destination, said carrier's airfares and applicable rules from Salta to AKL will apply, even though the flight from BA to AKL is operated by NZ. Baggage rules, however, are at the discretion of both carriers.

Another example is the BA to MIA code share via American/AA and LAN Argentina/4M, the flight operated by AA. Every once in a while 4M will have a lower fare than AA, so it's always a good idea to check 4M when searching for BA to MIA fares.

 

[ben]

Most of what's been written above is correct.
Re baggage - it's a bit convoluted but basically when there are multiple airlines on a single itinerary and ticket, the rules being applied are normally those of the Most Significant Carrier, or MSC. That's actually an official term. The way the MSC is defined is... complicated.

• One has to look at the boundaries being crossed by the voyage.
  • The world is split up into three areas (Area 1 - Americas; Area 2 - Europe/Africa/Middle East; Area 3 - Asia/Pacific).
  • These are further subdivided into sub-areas (say, North America; Central America/Carribean; South America).
  • Then there are the country borders.
• The first airline to cross the most important line on the itinerary, is the MSC.
  • So, say LATAM from here to Brazil connecting to some other domestic Brazilian airline, LATAM's rules would apply because it's the one which crossed an international border.
  • But if it's the same LATAM flight to Brazil connecting to American to Miami, American's rules would govern because the most prominent line being crossed is between sub-areas, which is done by the American flight.
  • If, however, that American flight to Miami further connects to a British Airways flight to London, then the most important line being crossed would be by the transatlantic flight going from Area 1 to Area 2.
    Thus, British's rules would apply throughout.

Then there are exceptions, etc. So, it is most certainly complicated AF.

 

[JoeGillis]

Most of what's been written above is correct.
Re baggage - it's a bit convoluted but basically when there are multiple airlines on a single itinerary and ticket, the rules being applied are normally those of the Most Significant Carrier, or MSC. That's actually an official term. The way the MSC is defined is... complicated.

• One has to look at the boundaries being crossed by the voyage.
  • The world is split up into three areas (Area 1 - Americas; Area 2 - Europe/Africa/Middle East; Area 3 - Asia/Pacific).
  • These are further subdivided into sub-areas (say, North America; Central America/Carribean; South America).
  • Then there are the country borders.
• The first airline to cross the most important line on the itinerary, is the MSC.
  • So, say LATAM from here to Brazil connecting to some other domestic Brazilian airline, LATAM's rules would apply because it's the one which crossed an international border.
  • But if it's the same LATAM flight to Brazil connecting to American to Miami, American's rules would govern because the most prominent line being crossed is between sub-areas, which is done by the American flight.
  • If, however, that American flight to Miami further connects to a British Airways flight to London, then the most important line being crossed would be by the transatlantic flight going from Area 1 to Area 2.
    Thus, British's rules would apply throughout.

Then there are exceptions, etc. So, it is most certainly complicated AF.

Ben, thanks for the clarification re: IATA resolution 302 (MSC), which I notice was redefined in 2015. I retired (35 years) from the airline/travel industry (air tariff specialist - "rate desk" - and ticketing) in 2004, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of other IATA air carrier rules/regulations have changed since then. And by the way, your detailed example of MSC is crystal clear. Ah, how much I miss the world of air tariff!