Im travelling on UA307 (Baltimore-Los Angeles) and connecting to QF15 Los Angeles - Brisbane), all booked on the same ticket on Qantas.

Im travelling on UA307 (Baltimore-Los Angeles) and connecting to QF15 Los Angeles - Brisbane), all booked on the same ticket on Qantas.com. The layover in LAX is approximatley 3hrs. Will this give me enough time to get from United's terminal to TBIT? and will my bags be checked through the whole way, or will I need to re check them in? - thanks

3h is more than enough time for you to collect your bags, walk over to TBIT and re-check with Qantas. The walk from United's terminal is a lot longer than the walk from AA Terminal 4 but it's definitely do-able.

I would not bother to check bags through at BWI for the following reasons:

• I feel more comfortable knowing my bags are going to get safely into the belly of the Qantas 747. If something happens and my bags didn't make it to BNE, I know it is Qantas that has has ownership of the bags and not in some unknown location at BWI or LAX.
• If I have any status with Qantas or OW, rechecking my bags with Qantas TBIT, will allow the bags to be appropriately tagged with priority labels. Even if you were flying First Class on BWI/LAX sector, I'm not sure how effective the Star Alliance priority tags are for baggage handlers at BNE, let alone if the tags have the appropriate barcodes for priority delivery.
• Lastly, since your BWI/LAX flight gets in at the United Terminal, you will have to walk to TBIT and clear security all over again. You might as well take your bags with you. The only time I would consider checking bags through to AU is if I could catch the shuttle bus from LAX Terminal and avoid the security clearance at TBIT. But even then, I find the shuttle ride arduous and cramped with passengers.

Important point though is that you can check through all the way at BWI, and get boarding passes BUT request the agent to short-check your bags to LAX. That way if the BWI/LAX is delayed and you're at the risk of missing the LAX/BNE connection, the QF agents are aware and you'e on their radar (as opposed to a no show).

If it's all the same ticket your bags will be checked in the whole way. Yes, as TRB points out, your bags can be lost... but I would suggest that is the exception rather than the rule.

The time saving and not having to worry about carrying the luggage is worth checking it in all the way through at BWI.

Agreed.

hutch is correct in that your bags can be checked through all the way and lost baggage is an exception rather than the rule. I'm just a bit of a control freak and want to make sure I dont get pangs of anxiety on the 14h flight across the Pacific :p

A trans-pacific crossing can be one of the most relaxing flights ever, when you're able to get in the zone.

The baggage service in LAX is really good

We were flying Phoenix to LA to AKL to BNE on 2 seperate tickets the delta staff in phoenix tagged our bags all the way through to BNE and our first flight was in First, Premium Economy, Business with Delta -> NZ -> NZ

In Brisbane the Skyteam priority tags worked like a charm coming out before the business class bags cause it had "First Class" on it