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#948944 by Gavla
24 Feb 2019, 19:00
Hi all,
I'm flying UC LHR-PVG and flying onto Wellington with Qantas. Anyone have any experience whether VS will interline my baggage with Qantas? I'm aware they have no mutual agreement. If not, would VS interline my baggage if I flew with ANZ from PVG even if I was booked on a separate ticket?
Thank you in advance
#948963 by Bretty
25 Feb 2019, 17:30
Hi Gavla,
That's not an easy question to answer I'm afraid. If you're an FC member it might be worth a call to check with them, otherwise, wait and see at the airport.

Sorry I can't offer anymore insight.
John
#948964 by joeyc
25 Feb 2019, 18:26
If you are travelling on different tickets then the airline will be under no obligation to through check your bags. As you say, there is no interline with QF so the answer will likely be a no if travelling with them. There is an interline with ANZ so it can never hurt to ask..

In my experience, it can go either way at check in depending on the agent on the day. I've even had to metaphorically fight with agents who've refused to check bags to final destination travelling on one ticket!! Balmy conversation that one..

What is your layover time?
#948972 by spacedog
25 Feb 2019, 23:13
Ages ago we booked a flight with VS (I called and booked it over the phone with them) on one ticket to Beijing via HKG; we flew with VS then Air China (VS partners). The check in agent had no idea of what to do and couldn't answer if our bags were checked all the way through or not. I am a really patient person but it was an extremely stressful 20 minutes of my life I will never get back. In the end the bags /were/ checked all the way through (despite her first rudely insisting they wouldn't be, then changing her mind and saying she had no idea). So, like joeyc said, it can really depend on the agent on the day. Do try calling to ask, but I wouldn't expect it to be a yes with separate tickets.
#948973 by Gavla
26 Feb 2019, 02:36
Thank you all for your responses.
If I fly QF, I’ll have around an 11 hour lay over. If it’s ANZ, it’ll be 10 hours.
#948982 by tontybear
26 Feb 2019, 12:39
please be aware that the USA is not the only country that requires you to clear customs etc even though you may only be in transit so whilst bags may be tagged through you may have to do the collect, clear customs and drop bags off again thing

I've seen the odd report on flyer talk about having to do this at some Chinese airports for example (plus some transit visa issues). Remember whilst you might think you are all on one trip 9even if on separate tickets0 immigration authorities might not see it that way.

One issue you may have is the VS agent denying you check-in / Boarding if they believe you won't be granted entry into China despite your separate, onward ticket,
#948984 by joeyc
26 Feb 2019, 13:03
tontybear wrote:Remember whilst you might think you are all on one trip 9even if on separate tickets0 immigration authorities might not see it that way.

One issue you may have is the VS agent denying you check-in / Boarding if they believe you won't be granted entry into China despite your separate, onward ticket,


Whilst this is true, if you are a UK passport holder transiting through PVG you can ask to be granted a 144 hr visa free transit at the immigration desks. You'll need to show proof of onward travel within 6 days and bookings for anywhere you are staying in China. As you are only there for 10 or 11 hours proof of onward travel will be fine. VS know about this policy.

Careful though, these queues can be long at PVG and it is very poorly signposted so my advice is to double check you are in the correct queue (was at the far left when I was there last month)

I have a visa sticker in my passport and use a different queue just labelled 'Foreigners Visa' .... the queue was massive but most of the people in it didn't have a visa and were looking for the transit stamp which is served by a different set of desks.. That caused some very long delays.

Actually 10-11hrs is quite a while, any inklings to hop on the maglev into Shanghai?
#949070 by Gavla
04 Mar 2019, 22:40
Thank you joeyc for the advice.
I was thinking of leaving my baggage and taking advantage of this visa.
Any tips spending five hours in Shanghai?
Last edited by Gavla on 06 Mar 2019, 01:11, edited 1 time in total.
#949072 by Gavla
04 Mar 2019, 22:41
Thank you joeyc for the advice.
I was thinking of leaving my baggage and taking advantage of this visa.
Any tips spending five hours in Shanghai?
#962439 by ukcobra
23 Sep 2023, 09:50
I know I am resurrecting a very old thread here. I have the same question.
Flying into PVG, and transiting within 6 hours with Eva. I am aware that there is no Interline agreement in place. I will ask at LHR, but curious to know if anyone has been successful in getting the bags checked all the way through, on separate tickets with an airline with no agreement ?
I realise this is probably asking the impossible.
Thanks
#962743 by ukcobra
05 Nov 2023, 04:53
Update : VS would not Interline with EVA. On the return with Singapore Airlines into PVG, they have an interline agreement but could not for an unspecified reason. Possibly because they operate from different terminals.
#962748 by Scarebus350
06 Nov 2023, 10:28
ukcobra wrote:Update : VS would not Interline with EVA. On the return with Singapore Airlines into PVG, they have an interline agreement but could not for an unspecified reason. Possibly because they operate from different terminals.

It's more likely to be down to accepting responsibility if your bags go missing. If there's an issue, the reposnsibility lies with the airline that checked you in first
#962756 by tontybear
08 Nov 2023, 12:10
Responsibility for dealing with delayed bagagge rests with the last carrier you travelled with on that ticket and not the one that checked you in.

A rule of thumb is you should only expect bags to be interlined when on the same ticket.

Thhere is no obligation for any airline to interline on separate tickets even if the airlines have an interline agreement it generally only applies to single ticket bookings.

VS and BA will interline when flights are on the same booking but won't on separate ones for example.

There has been a tightening up of interlining over an extended period of times. BA/AA/IB won't even interline to themselves if you have separate bookings for example. Whereas some of their one world partners will.
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