Multi-airline Itineraries

Afternoon All!

I've noticed that regular fliers on here sometimes post about itineraries starting off on a VS Flight, i.e. into North America and then travelling onward on a domestic flight to a final destination with a carrier such as JetBlue, Virgin America and others.

Can I ask - in these cases have you generally just booked separate return flights leaving yourselves plenty of time for connections (and in this case what happens with baggage?) - OR do you have a way of putting each leg together on a ticket, with through-checked bags and a single PNR? If so how do you do this/who does this for you?

Sorry - I think I made it all sound more complicated than I meant to! Anyone can give me the heads-up I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
NKP

You cannot join two separate flights together onto one PNR if they have been booked separately - they have to be booked all together at the same time.

VS can do this for you but it may not be the cheapest option - but you would need to phone them.

Try looking at Expedia / Opodo etc. I wound advise against using the VS flight connections option on the VS website at it clearly states that flights are booked separatly and VS are not liable if you miss any of the flights due to delays etc i.e. no protection.

However some people are prepared to take the risk of not having protection.

As to luggage - it depends on the airlines involved as some have interlining agreements and some don't. In any event on arrival in the US you need to collect your baggage and clear customs at your first stop even if your destination is another flight away and then re-check them.

[honey lamb]

It very much depends on the airline and the interlining agreement they have with other carriers. Some of them such as Southwest operate independently and so the trick is to leave plenty of time for connections. Others will interline if you ask ever so nicely even if you are on separate tickets. In the past United and before their various mergers, Continental and North West interlined me onto VS flights without any problem y)

VS can do this for you but it may not be the cheapest option - but you would need to phone them.

Thanks - so by the sound of what you're saying VS will book flights with onward connections over the telephone that aren't available through the website?

Others will interline if you ask ever so nicely even if you are on separate tickets.

Thank you. Presumably you just ask at the check-in desk? And would this work both ways, i.e VS would check the luggage through for you on the outward leg?

Thanks very much for your responses Your help very much appreciated.

[honey lamb]

VS can do this for you but it may not be the cheapest option - but you would need to phone them.

Thanks - so by the sound of what you're saying VS will book flights with onward connections over the telephone that aren't available through the website?

Yes, VS will book tickets for onward flights over the phone. For example I booked an onward flight to Greensboro via IAD with VS over the phone. That way all the flights were on the one PNR

Others will interline if you ask ever so nicely even if you are on separate tickets.

Thank you. Presumably you just ask at the check-in desk? And would this work both ways, i.e VS would check the luggage through for you on the outward leg?

Yes, you ask at the check-in of your other airline but be prepared for them to say no as they may not have an interlining agreement with them.

No, it does not work both ways. VS will only check you through if you are on the same PNR. As tonty says, if you are arriving in the US you will have to collect your bags to clear customs and immigration at your point of entry although if on the same PNR there is usually a transfer desk for this. Even if you are returning to the UK and have a connecting flight with anyone except Little Red you will have to collect and recheck the bags if unless you are on the same PNR. For example, I have a connecting flight back to Ireland. My ticket to be on the same PNR is an Aer Lingus fully flexible fare and therefore very expensive for such a short journey but my bags will be through-checked and I won't see them till I get to Cork. However I choose to book a separate ticket because it is so much cheaper and have to collect and re-check my bags at LHR

Hope this helps.

Thank you both very much for taking the time to give me such detailed information. It's appreciated!