Hi guys, I have a question for a friend who is currently in the air and has a predicament, He is traveling now from Pittsburgh to LAX for a 730pm local time arrival 1230pm local

Hi guys,

I have a question for a friend who is currently in the air and has a predicament, He is traveling now from Pittsburgh to LAX for a 730pm local time arrival 1230pm local here in Aus (1 hour ish)

This is plenty of time for him to check in for his 1015 VA flight to Sydney, however he is flying into LAX from Pitsburgh on Delta, on a seperate PNR to his VA flight, and it seems his luggage did not get on board the plane to LAX, and the next available time for his luggage to arrive is 11pm local. So after the VA flight, question is what is his best course of action?

As it is a separate PNR the luggage wont just go automatically on the next available flight to Sydney, it will hang around (I assume) at LAX looking for its owner.

Has any one in the community experienced this problem before? Is best course to speak to VA and see what they can do in LAX?

Sorry for long question just trying to help a fellow business traveler out!

When he got on at Pittsburgh did he not get the luggage checked through all the way to Sydney? I think you can do that despite being on a separate booking. Otherwise yes the luggage will just languish in LAX forever without being able to check itself to Sydney. Maybe the VA check in staff will have a solution. 

Last time my luggage didn't get on the same flight as me from SFO - LAX, LAX groundstaff told me it'd be fine and it'd meet me in Sydney. I've never seen that luggage again. 

I think he thought he had enough time, he was on a previous earlier Delta flight to LAX that got cancelled and he was put on standby, got on the flight arriving at 730 but for some reason was told his luggage wasn't going to make it on board.

Guess as it was seperate PNR's he didn't check it through to Sydney.

Definitely speaking to the VA staff is the best and probably only solution. As VA and Delta codeshare then he may have the best chance through them.

Gian,

Your friend should file a a lost baggage report with with Delta upon arrival at LAX.They Delta are part of the IATA Interline agreement.Your friend will be asked for ID and boarding passes for the ongoing VA sectors.If all goes as it should the bagage should be transfered from Delta to VA at LAX to the next available flight to SYD.Which probably will be the next day...check the schedual.Make shore the friend retains a copy of the report/receipt .And good luck.

ADVICE FOR ALL IF YOU TRAVEL SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WITH IN THE USA THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE INTERLINE AGREEMENT.

Thanks heaps Robert, I have passed this on! Cheers.

Hi.

I agree with Robert.  It's the operating carrier's respnsibility to transfer your bags so on arrival at LAX he should go to the Delta Baggage Desk.  Make sure he takes boarding passes & bag tag receipts. Get a reference number too.  Good luck

Cheers mate.

Yes Robert is correct. File the report.

My bag was 'misplaced' on the way to Madrid. The next day I had a flight with another carrier (seperate booking) to Istanbul. A week later Iberia ended sending the bag home to Australia - my understanding is that it is the airlines responsibility to deliver the bag to you if they lose it (although, I don't know about Southwest - as Robert has suggested).

Southwest airlines in the USA is not a party to the IATA interline agreement.To annyone traveling in the to the US you can not thru check a bag from Australia be it  on QF/VA/UA/DL/NZ/FJ and vice versa Southwest will not do the same.If you do Southwest give yourself plenty of time,because eg leave say Vegas on Southwest you will have to pick up the bag say LAX term 1 then carry it to TBITor wherever for the conecting flight.I stress this as manny enjoy the low Southwest fares but are not aware they and other carriers do not transfer bags between each carrier.The friend shuold be fine as booth Delta and VA apart of the agreement.