Booking an international flight soon? Make it one ticket or be prepared to schlep your own luggage.
New airline baggage rules go into effect Tuesday, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Separate Ticket Itinerary requires international passengers who have booked flights on individual airlines to claim their baggage and take it to the next airline.
Marianne Lindsey, of Alaska Airlines’ corporate communications, says it will be an inconvenience for those who have not purchased a single ticket.
“For example, if they’re flying Juneau to Seattle and then Seattle to Hong Kong and they’re on two separate tickets, purchased separately, they would need to, as they get off the plane in Seattle, claim their baggage and recheck it on the international carrier, paying the international carrier’s bag fees, and go back through security,” Lindsey says.
Travel writers warn that if the first flight is late and you miss your connection, the second airline could treat you as a no-show. That could mean having to buy a new ticket at a higher fare than the original ticket.
The new rule does not affect a single ticket for an international flight, or domestic flights. Lindsey says Alaska Airlines will continue to check bags for passengers traveling on separate tickets within the United States.
