Confused About Transit

[wileycoyote]

My travel agent has said that KLM will thru-route luggage to Chiang Rai.

However I am on separate tickets KLM to Bangkok-then Air Asia to Chiang Rai.

I have never done thru routing except with TG,can you confirm I still have to check baggage/Immigration Bangkok,then take luggage to Air Asia for Domestic to Chiang Rai

It would save the Coyote Family a lot of headaches if there was thru check-in

Yours Hopefully

Wiley Coyote

[Thanyaburi Mac]

My travel agent has said that KLM will thru-route luggage to Chiang Rai.

However I am on separate tickets KLM to Bangkok-then Air Asia to Chiang Rai.

I have never done thru routing except with TG,can you confirm I still have to check baggage/Immigration Bangkok,then take luggage to Air Asia for Domestic to Chiang Rai

It would save the Coyote Family a lot of headaches if there was thru check-in

Yours Hopefully

Wiley Coyote

Take a careful peek at at the baggage tags when you initially check in with KLM. If the tag reads CEI via BKK you're probably OK, the bags will be loaded on the Air Asia flight. Oh, yes, the Air Asia flight number should also be on the tag(s).

Mac

[lomatopo]

KL cannot interline bags to FD so you'll need to clear Immigration at BKK, fetch your bags, clear Customs then head up to level 4 to check-in with FD.

If your bags could be interlined, say to a legacy carrier like TG, then you'd clear Immigration in BKK but get your bags at your final destination, provided it was an international airport, and clear Customs there.

[Cuban]

Take a careful peek at at the baggage tags when you initially check in with KLM. If the tag reads CEI via BKK you're probably OK, the bags will be loaded on the Air Asia flight. Oh, yes, the Air Asia flight number should also be on the tag(s).

This is correct.

Also. When you check in at Schiphol (?) if your luggage is marked for 'final destination' Chaing Rai, you will probably be checked in for the BKK - CEI leg of the flight and have boarding cards issued to you. Confirm with KLM when you check in. Don't loose the luggage tags.

[lomatopo]

Thai AirAsia is a LCC so sorry, it is impossible to book Air Asia on an itinerary with connecting flights, as Air Asia flights are all operated on a point to point basis and they do not offer any services at all for connections; no through check in, no baggage checked through, no accommodation should you misconnect whether it is their fault or not.

You will not be able to check your bags through to CEI, nor will you be able to check-in for your FD flight to CEI in AMS, thus you will not be able to get boarding cards for BKK-CEI. All those perks cost money and the whole point of operating an LCC is to keep costs low.

I find it hard to believe others here are offering contrary advice?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Thai AirAsia is a LCC so sorry, it is impossible to book Air Asia on an itinerary with connecting flights, as Air Asia flights are all operated on a point to point basis and they do not offer any services at all for connections; no through check in, no baggage checked through, no accommodation should you misconnect whether it is their fault or not.

You will not be able to check your bags through to CEI, nor will you be able to check-in for your FD flight to CEI in AMS, thus you will not be able to get boarding cards for BKK-CEI. All those perks cost money and the whole point of operating an LCC is to keep costs low.

I find it hard to believe others here are offering contrary advice?

NOT "contrary," note the operative word here, "probably."

"If the tag reads CEI via BKK you're probably OK,...."

IF no "CEI" then you're NOT OK, and have to go to Plan B.

Mac

[flightcrew1]

I am asked this question nearly every flight that I work into BKK. Air Asia (FD or AK) have no interline baggage agreements with any airline. There is no probably. Your luggage will be checked only to BKK. Collect upon arrival. Go through customs and upstairs and recheck your luggage to Air Asia. Remember if KLM gave you 20Kilos per bag, Air Asia will not.

It's not just Air Asia but as far as I know all low cost carriers do not have interline agreements, baggage or otherwise. This is one of the way to keep costs down.

[Krub]

My travel agent has said that KLM will thru-route luggage to Chiang Rai.

However I am on separate tickets KLM to Bangkok-then Air Asia to Chiang Rai.

I have never done thru routing except with TG,can you confirm I still have to check baggage/Immigration Bangkok,then take luggage to Air Asia for Domestic to Chiang Rai

It would save the Coyote Family a lot of headaches if there was thru check-in

Yours Hopefully

Wiley Coyote

No through check-in possible with Air Asia

Not possible for bags not possible for passengers

You need to retrieve your bags in BKK go through immigration and customs and check-in for your Chiang Rai flight

[Ricardo]

Agreed, Air Asia will not interline your bags, this is why Family Ricardo pays the extra to fly the domestic-leg with Thai, going through to Chiang Mai. TG also accepts that, if you're allowed more than 20 kgs on your international leg(s), then they will carry the extra without question or extra charge on the domestic connection, even if your Royal Orchid Silver (allows 10 kgs extra) has lapsed !

But while Thai continue to split their BKK-operations between the two airports, this doesn't help you, going to Chiang Rai.

Air Asia won't even interline you, or your bags, when you're connecting via BKK between two of their Thai domestic flights.

As Air Asia Express gets more planes & grows, this failure-to-interline in KUL even with themselves may cause them more commercial problems, because the opportunity to gather customers and increase load-factors for the long-haul, via their short-haul network, is deliberately being impeded. One hopes that they might eventually see sense on this ... but don't hold your breath !

[wileycoyote]

Thanks everyone,this will help us plan & give the young coyotes something to do (and complain about)

Wiley Coyote