Oneworld’s new check-in rules could slow you down
Changes made to encourage more single reservation bookings for multiple flights.
If you're a Oneworld alliance traveller booked on connecting flights, getting yourself checked through to your final destination may be more difficult under new interline rule changes.
It is no longer a requirement of Oneworld alliance airlines to check-in passengers flying multiple journeys with different airlines on more than one booking all the way through to their final destination.
The rules have been in place since 1 June, according to Australian Business Traveller.
For example, if you book yourself on a Qantas Airways flight from Sydney to Hong Kong and then separately purchase a connecting Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, you won't necessarily receive a through-ticketed itinerary when you first check in.
Previously, you would have obtained boarding passes and baggage transfers for both Oneworld flights when checking in with Qantas at Sydney.
However, under the new rules you may be forced to clear immigration in Hong Kong, retrieve any baggage (as it might not be transferred) and check-in again via customs for your onward journey.
Passengers who book multiple flights on single itineraries won't be affected by the changes.
A spokesperson for Oneworld told AusBT the amendments to the alliance group's interline agreement were aimed at encouraging travellers to book entire journeys on one reservation.
Schedule changes and flight delays can affect separately booked tickets, as airline and booking agent fare rules may differ. Late last month we reported that more than a third of Aussies travelling overseas are inconvenienced by delays and cancellations.
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