I highly recommend you check the specific baggage rules for all of the carriers involved in your ticket. In general, the baggage requirements of the Most Significant Carrier, usually the marketing carrier apply, but it can can get a little complex for international flights, especially if all carriers involved are not code share partners of the booking/MSC airline. The following outlines the IATA (International Air Transport Association) guidelines on code share baggage. After you read through it, you will understand why I recommend calling each carrier to see if you get the same answer.
1) Baggage provisions are defined as free baggage allowance rules and baggage charges.
2) For the purposes of baggage provision selection, the following four-step process should apply for interline journeys:
- a) Step 1:
If the published baggage provisions among all participating carriers are the same; these provisions will apply.
- b) Step 2:
Where the one or more published baggage provisions differ between participating carriers, apply any common provisions and where provisions differ, the published baggage provisions of the Most Significant Carrier (MSC).
(In case of codeshare flights this will be the Marketing Carrier, unless that carrier publishes a rule stipulating that it will be the Operating Carrier).
- c) Step 3:
If the MSC does not publish baggage provisions for the journey concerned, apply the published baggage provisions of the carrier accepting the baggage at check-in.
- d) Step 4:
If the carrier accepting the baggage at check-in does not publish baggage provisions for the interline journey concerned, apply the published baggage provisions of each operating airline sector-by-sector.
MOST SIGNIFICAN CARRIER (MSC)
- a) For travel between two or more IATA areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one area to another.
- b) For travel between IATA Tariff sub-areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector that crosses from one sub-area to another.
- c) For travel within an IATA Tariff sub-area, the carrier performing carriage on the first international sector.
IATA area /IATA Tariff sub-area
IATA defines the world into 3 areas (IATA area 1/2/3), and defines the IATA area into small areas. (IATA Tariff sub-area)
Area IATA Area sub-areas
IATA Area 1
North America/South America/Hawaii etc. ・North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)
・Caribbean Islands
・Central America
・South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru etc.)
IATA Area 2
Europe/Middle East etc. ・Europe
・Middle East
・Africa
IATA Area 3
Japan/Korea/Thailand/Singapore/Philippines/India/Guam etc. ・Japan and Korea
・South East Asia (China, Singapore, Thai, Vietnam, Guam etc.)
・South Asia (India etc.)
・South East Pacific (Australia, New Zealand etc.)
