Question re: checking baggage to connecting destination only

stevejazzx

Don't know if this is right forum - so apologies

Anyways maybe someone might know
My wife will be travelling Moscow-Amsterdam-Dublin and we have decided to meet up for a few days in Amsterdam so she'll be missing her Amsterdam-Dublin connection and then flying later.
What we can't figure out after talking to the Airline involved (KLM) is how we check her bags from Moscow to Amsterdam only. At the moment they are saying it is something we need to organise on the day at Moscow airport and there is no guarantee it can be done - seems...em..not a great system.

Anyone know?


Steve

galwayjohn89

Just ask when checking in. I've done it a good few times. Missing a flight will normally cancel any remaining flights (if any) though

smurfjed

Be careful about doing this...... the air fare might change.

At check in, tell them that you are scared of losing your bag and would prefer to check in again in AMS. I'm assuming that you are traveling back to DUB on a totally different ticket?

Oh yea, if its a return to SVO, then you might lose the return portion as well.

stevejazzx

Vuzuggu wrote: »

Just ask when checking in. I've done it a good few times. Missing a flight will normally cancel any remaining flights (if any) though

smurfjed wrote: »

Be careful about doing this...... the air fare might change.

At check in, tell them that you are scared of losing your bag and would prefer to check in again in AMS. I'm assuming that you are traveling back to DUB on a totally different ticket?

Oh yea, if its a return to SVO, then you might lose the return portion as well.

Thanks guys really appreciate responses
Meant to write in the original post that that oddly klm are saying there is no guarantee this can be done which is just a little worrying.
Cant understand why they cannot give a definitive answer very annoying having to wait until the day in question to know the procedure!

Locker10a

stevejazzx wrote: »

Thanks guys really appreciate responses
Meant to write in the original post that that oddly klm are saying there is no guarantee this can be done which is just a little worrying.
Cant understand why they cannot give a definitive answer very annoying having to wait until the day in question to know the procedure!

The Amsterdam -Dublin flight will not take off with your wife's luggage unless she is present on board the aircraft! This is the LAW ! If she just gets off at AMS Her bags have to also remain in AMS !

athtrasna

What you're proposing would be breaking the terms and conditions agreed at booking. Airlines don't appreciate this, as others have said the fare may change. There may also be frequent flyer accounts action if your wife has such a card.

Doesn't mean you can't do it, just that airlines rarely facilitate it.

arubex

Yes be very wary of doing this, particularly if it's the first part of an itinerary.

Most legacy airlines will consider it as hidden-city trickery and are very vindictive towards those who do it. They will likely cancel the Amsterdam - Dublin sector plus anything else on the itinerary, such as any return to Moscow. It's mean and inflexible, but they hold all the cards*.

It would be better to try to find a cheap fare to Dublin and meet your wife there.


* technically we do 'agree' to the T&Cs at booking, but those are adhesive contracts since the passenger has no opportunity to negotiate the terms or strike-out unacceptable clauses. They probably wouldn't stand a chance in court, so they airlines do everthing they can short of that.

LXFlyer

Why not ask them to change the booking to include a stop over?

stevejazzx

arubex wrote: »

Yes be very wary of doing this, particularly if it's the first part of an itinerary.

Most legacy airlines will consider it as hidden-city trickery and are very vindictive towards those who do it. They will likely cancel the Amsterdam - Dublin sector plus anything else on the itinerary, such as any return to Moscow. It's mean and inflexible, but they hold all the cards*.

It would be better to try to find a cheap fare to Dublin and meet your wife there.


* technically we do 'agree' to the T&Cs at booking, but those are adhesive contracts since the passenger has no opportunity to negotiate the terms or strike-out unacceptable clauses. They probably wouldn't stand a chance in court, so they airlines do everything they can short of that.

They are now asking for 275 euro to retrieve the Bags in Amsterdam
Firstly they didn't if it could be done now there's an outrageous fee
Most of the people from that flight are getting off in Amsterdam so fee of 275 to add our bags to the bunch seems crazy
Trying to cancel the second leg now so the flight is only Moscow>Amsterdam.

stevejazzx

lxflyer wrote: »

Why not ask them to change the booking to include a stop over?

Said they could't
The Amsterdam Dublin part is operated by Aer Lingus and according to AirFrance Aerligus don't sell that flight separately - which is confusing since we that's how the current booking is - pulling me hair out!

Alaba320

stevejazzx wrote: »

Said they could't
The Amsterdam Dublin part is operated by Aer Lingus and according to AirFrance Aerligus don't sell that flight separately - which is confusing since we that's how the current booking is - pulling me hair out!

What you are planning on doing is called "Hidden City Ticketing" and it is a breach of your airline contract so they are quite within their right to cancel any other flight on that itinerary, so be careful if your wife has a return trip booked also.

The €275 isn't to take your bags off... It's the difference between the price of the fight from Moscow to Dublin with a stopover in Amsterdam and Moscow to Amsterdam and then a separate flight from Amsterdam to Dublin. Can you really not see what you are doing and why the airline has an issue with it??

stevejazzx

Alaba320 wrote: »

What you are planning on doing is called "Hidden City Ticketing" and it is a breach of your airline contract so they are quite within their right to cancel any other flight on that itinerary, so be careful if your wife has a return trip booked also.

The €275 isn't to take your bags off... It's the difference between the price of the fight from Moscow to Dublin with a stopover in Amsterdam and Moscow to Amsterdam and then a separate flight from Amsterdam to Dublin. Can you really not see what you are doing and why the airline has an issue with it??

What?

Not sure you follow! - they are not providing a separate flight for us from Amsterdam to Dublin - we rebooked that ourselves.
I am capable of understanding the agent on the phone - she said the charge was to retrieve the bags at Amsterdam. We could've just easily booked just Moscow Amsterdam had we known at the time so hardly qualifies as hidden city if the flight is available in every permutation from Moscow to Amsterdam anyway.

The only issue we have and what this thread is about, is organizing the bags at Moscow to be checked off at Amsterdam as they will be technically checked in until Dublin unless we get that changed.

Since Air France couldn't accommodate changing the date of the Amsterdam Dublin part of the itinerary we have had to book a separate return flight. I do not see where the airline is inconvenienced more that some kind of admin fee.

athtrasna

I'm not sure you understand hidden city ticketing. Using this example it may be cheaper to fly Moscow to Dublin than Moscow to Amsterdam. The 275 would be the difference in fare. Airlines do not charge to retrieve baggage, the charge is for altering the end point of the ticket.

I'd consider yourself lucky they haven't cancelled the ticket entirely.

steve-o

The ticketing rules don't allow a stopover (over 24 hours) in Amsterdam, so it's not possible to simply change the date.

If Amsterdam-Dublin is the last leg of the ticket, the simplest solution is to bring hand luggage only (if possible) and just leave the airport in Amsterdam. Technically it's against the rules of the ticket but the airline won't bother to do anything about it unless you are repeat offender.

Otherwise you have to pay for the change.

smurfjed

stevejazzx, airline ticketing rules are extremely complex and there are certain rules that would allow you to fly a further distance for less money. In your case, SVO-AMS-DUB will be cheaper than SVO-AMS. This has created a scam where people will book the longer flight and then get off in the intermediate city, in bygone years i remember seeing a certain Cork based travel agent creating reservations from Africa to 6 or 8 cities for someone who only wanted to fly from Cork to London, that way they were able to issue the Cork - London ticket for peanuts.

Airlines try to stop this, so while the lady might be telling you that the extra cost is to collect your bags, the reality is that its a fare change due to the shorter flight.

stevejazzx

Lest I appear ungrateful thanks for all the input / feedback

However it wasn't cheaper to book it the way did.
It was unequivocally cheaper to fly just Moscow to Amsterdam at time of booking plus trip operated by two different carriers

Moscoo-Ams - KLM
Ams-Dub - Aer Lingus

I appreciate there is complexity but I'm at a loss to see how we could've got around the system here by booking it the way we did - we paid more in the beginning than we needed to (had we known we didn't need the Dublin part) - and we've paid for separate return flights.

goingnowhere

Did you book a ticket SVO-AMS-DUB (the operating airline is irrelevant, Aer Lingus are under contract with AF/KLM for AMS-DUB) its a single ticket issue.

If you did skip the AMS-DUB section AF/KLM may subject to the exact terms of the contract be able to void the rest of the ticket. Also at check in AF/KLM do the visa check to confirm you were good to enter Ireland not the Netherlands (you can transit non schengen to non schengen in AMS without needing to pass immigration) If you bail at AMS and immigration refuse you AF/KLM get fined and have to carry you back to SVO at their expense.

If you bought two separate tickets SVO-AMS and AMS-DUB then you could not check the luggage through from SVO to DUB as it as not the same ticket

There are various tax and airport charge issues here also which may vary based on flight origin, aircraft size, transit or non transit etc.

stevejazzx

goingnowhere wrote: »

Did you book a ticket SVO-AMS-DUB (the operating airline is irrelevant, Aer Lingus are under contract with AF/KLM for AMS-DUB) its a single ticket issue.

If you did skip the AMS-DUB section AF/KLM may subject to the exact terms of the contract be able to void the rest of the ticket. Also at check in AF/KLM do the visa check to confirm you were good to enter Ireland not the Netherlands (you can transit non schengen to non schengen in AMS without needing to pass immigration) If you bail at AMS and immigration refuse you AF/KLM get fined and have to carry you back to SVO at their expense.

If you bought two separate tickets SVO-AMS and AMS-DUB then you could not check the luggage through from SVO to DUB as it as not the same ticket

There are various tax and airport charge issues here also which may vary based on flight origin, aircraft size, transit or non transit etc.

Yeah there are no visa issues we all have Irish Passports
Talked to them no solution on altering flight available
However we are going to use carry on luggage 12kg each so all sorted.
Thanks for the help all - certainly highlights the complexities of trying to alter flights - jeez!

Steve