Codesharing & Boarding Pass

Zonda999

Hey guys, just a quick question regards a journey I'll be taking on Saturday, more out of interest than anything. Myself and a couple of friends are travelling from Cork to Los Angeles, via London Heathrow and Chicago

The flights are all booked under British Airways flight codes but aren't actually using any British Airways metal, they are all codeshares. We're travelling Cork to London with Aer Lingus obviously (Who have a codeshare with BA) and the remainder of the journey with American Airlines (Who have a codeshare agreement with BA). Aer Lingus aren't partners with American Airlines though (Other than an interline baggage agreement)

The transfer time at Heathrow is relatively tight, at 90 minutes.
I know we'll be able to check bags through, that's fine, but my question is regards boarding passes. Will we be able to get boarding passes for all the three flights at Cork, or will we still have to go to the American Airlines Transfer Counter at Heathrow to get our onward boarding passes?

Thanks

conor_ie

Your best bet is to ask when your checking in @ Cork, they will be able to tell there and then.

goingnowhere

This kind of depends, best bet is to ensure you have selected a seat on the LHR and Chicago legs so when Aer Lingus checks you in they have the seats in the system and can issue the boarding cards.

I've certainly seen American issue boarding cards for Aer Lingus, Aer Lingus have no issue issuing boarding cards for BA flights.

Just to note you will have to collect your luggage in Chicago clear customs and immigration and then check it back in again

Zonda999

Thanks for the replies guys

Yeah, it is a slightly strange one when Aer Lingus and American Airlines aren’t partners. I have the ability to just check in online with American Airlines and get boarding passes for the Heathrow-Chicago and Chicago-LAX legs before leaving home, BUT I’m a little bit suspect of doing this because I had a similar situation last year when I was transiting Heathrow again from Aer Lingus and Malaysian Airlines. That time, I had just checked in online with Malaysian and printed boarding passes at home. I had plenty time in Heathrow though, and I thought I’d check everything was in order at the Malaysian transfer counter in Heathrow. When I went to the counter, I found out everything wasn’t in order though (There was a slight visa validation issue) that there was no mention of when I had checked in online a day previous, so therefore I’m a bit suspect of checking in online and assuming everything is okay in a situation like this. This is a slight issue this time with so little time at Heathrow

Thanks

bittihuduga

goingnowhere wrote: »

Just to note you will have to collect your luggage in Chicago clear customs and immigration and then check it back in again

why do you think so?
its all on AA and on a single ticket - why do they have to collect baggage?

Zonda999

I think its because in the USA, you have to clear customs at your first "point of entry" and apparently you have to have all your stuff with you when you're clearing customs.

I haven't done this before but I think the procedure in this case is you collect you baggage, go through customs and can then drop it off again immediately, before transiting to your connecting flight

athtrasna

Zonda999 wrote: »

I think its because in the USA, you have to clear customs at your first "point of entry" and apparently you have to have all your stuff with you when you're clearing customs.

I haven't done this before but I think the procedure in this case is you collect you baggage, go through customs and can then drop it off again immediately, before transiting to your connecting flight

Precisely

ardmacha

If it is a single ticket then you should get your boarding passes at Cork, Aer Lingus are agents for BA, the fact that BA have sent you on AA metal is neither here nor there.

BuffyBot

Zonda999 wrote: »

Hey guys, just a quick question regards a journey I'll be taking on Saturday, more out of interest than anything. Myself and a couple of friends are travelling from Cork to Los Angeles, via London Heathrow and Chicago

The flights are all booked under British Airways flight codes but aren't actually using any British Airways metal, they are all codeshares. We're travelling Cork to London with Aer Lingus obviously (Who have a codeshare with BA) and the remainder of the journey with American Airlines (Who have a codeshare agreement with BA). Aer Lingus aren't partners with American Airlines though (Other than an interline baggage agreement)

The transfer time at Heathrow is relatively tight, at 90 minutes.
I know we'll be able to check bags through, that's fine, but my question is regards boarding passes. Will we be able to get boarding passes for all the three flights at Cork, or will we still have to go to the American Airlines Transfer Counter at Heathrow to get our onward boarding passes?

Thanks

I've done Aer Lingus to American LHR - LAX with another subsequent connecting AA flight (booked via BA codeshare)

Aer Lingus printed boarding passes for all 3 flights without an issue. You will still need to visit the AA connection desk at Heathrow when you get through the connection centre security check at T3 where they'll rip up the Aer Lingus one and reissue it anyway