Oneworld change to make some itineraries more of a pain

Australia's Qantas has confirmed it will stop transferring travellers' checked luggage to connecting flights with oneworld partner airlines from September 01 if the connecting flight is made under a separate booking.


Oneworld recently announced its 15 member airlines no longer are required to check passengers and their baggage through to their final destination on flights where the itinerary includes multiple flights and multiple booking references. The change was effective June 1.


For passengers flying on multiple bookings, it means they now must clear Immigration at each interim port, pick up their bags, take them through Customs, check in at the next carrier's desk, hand over their luggage and collect their boarding pass; and then repeat for each subsequent international sector.


Oneworld's Michael Blunt says the new rules are 'minimum standards' and “individual member airlines are free to offer through check-in for customers travelling on separate bookings” if they wish to do so.


If the itinerary is all on one booking, then all involved carriers are aware of where the traveller and their baggage should be. This means "we can plan accordingly and ensure the best possible customer service delivery throughout the journey,” Blunt said.


Blunt added that the change was to encourage travellers to book their entire journey on a single reservation, and thereby obligate all airlines involved to help the traveller reach his/her destination.


This is important because a delay or schedule change to a flight in a journey might prevent travellers from catching an onward flight they’d booked separately, and the fare rules of the second ticket might not allow changes, he said.

Oneworld change to make some itineraries more of a pain

Australia's Qantas has confirmed it will stop transferring travellers' checked luggage to connecting flights with oneworld partner airlines from September 01 if the connecting flight is made under a separate booking.


Oneworld recently announced its 15 member airlines no longer are required to check passengers and their baggage through to their final destination on flights where the itinerary includes multiple flights and multiple booking references. The change was effective June 1.


For passengers flying on multiple bookings, it means they now must clear Immigration at each interim port, pick up their bags, take them through Customs, check in at the next carrier's desk, hand over their luggage and collect their boarding pass; and then repeat for each subsequent international sector.


Oneworld's Michael Blunt says the new rules are 'minimum standards' and “individual member airlines are free to offer through check-in for customers travelling on separate bookings” if they wish to do so.


If the itinerary is all on one booking, then all involved carriers are aware of where the traveller and their baggage should be. This means "we can plan accordingly and ensure the best possible customer service delivery throughout the journey,” Blunt said.


Blunt added that the change was to encourage travellers to book their entire journey on a single reservation, and thereby obligate all airlines involved to help the traveller reach his/her destination.


This is important because a delay or schedule change to a flight in a journey might prevent travellers from catching an onward flight they’d booked separately, and the fare rules of the second ticket might not allow changes, he said.