Checking Bags Thru to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui

[PJLDAWN]

Quick Question: Am departing from Dulles Airport via different airline, but connecting to Air Tahiti Nui after 4 hour layover at LAX.

Am inclined to check bags to LA, pick them up, and recheck into Air Tahiti Nui. Have folks successfully checked bags all the way to Tahiti from airports other than LAX when boarding Air Tahiti Nui in LA? Many thanks.

[FlyerTalker]

And the "different airline" is...??? (Yes, it does matter)

 

Are these two separate tickets, or one?

 

Yes, many people make that connection. Whether you will even be able to is the reason for the questions posed above?

[PJLDAWN]

Oh, will be flying American to LAX then boarding Air Tahiti Nui.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We were surprised last year when Air Canada checked our bags straight thru to Papeete for us from Toronto. Did not expect this, but was happy. So there's hope, if that's what you want.

[ShelbysMom]

We flew American from SFO to LAX then Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete and were able to check our bags all the way through to Papeete. This was in late 2007.

[FlyerTalker]

AA and TN have an interline baggage agreement. Now, if the two flights are on one issued ticket, then for sure you will be able to have AA check the bags at IAD through to PPT, as your LAX stop is a standard connection. If you purchased two separate tickets, it would be at the discretion of the agent - you would have to show your info on the two tickets and ask for an interline through baggage check.

 

That's why I asked if it was one ticket or two.

[Elquailo]

Bags can be checked through with any of the ATN partner airlines, such as American. Three weeks ago we checked our bags through with Northwest from Boston through Minneapolis to LA, then on to Papeete with ATN, and coming back this week checked our bags through with ATN to LAX, did customs and immigration in LAX, and immediately did the re-check in the international terminal at LAX. Our bags made it through Deteoit and back to Boston on Northwest, no problem. We had different, unconnected tickets for the Northwest flights between Boston and LA, and the ATN flights between LAX and PPT. Here's what you need to do:

 

1) When checking in, show the American agent a printed copy of your Air Tahiti Nui itinerary (you can print this from the ATN website), and be sure to tell them what you want to do (have the bags checked through).

2) When arriving in LAX, go to the ATN counter in the international terminal (just around the corner from the American terminal in LAX - couldn't be closer - we had to walk a bit further for Delta/Northwest) show your American claim tickets to the ATN agent, and tell them to make sure that they confirm your bags to be moved to ATN and loaded on hte ATN flight. Pick up your ATN boarding passes. Your bags will be moved from American to ATN in LAX by the LAX staff behind the scene, and should arrive in Papeete.

3) On your return, do the same things in reverse - show the ATN agent in Papeete a copy of you American Airlines itinerary (you can print this from the AA website), and recheck your bags in the international terminal in LAX just after going through customs and immigration.

4) Walk out the door and around the corner to the American Terminal in LAX, and show your ATN claim tickets to the American agent to confirm them for your flight, and pick up your American Airlines boarding passes. The bags should arrive just fine back home.

 

Cheers,

Ken

[egret]

On most of our trips to FP we have had our bags checked through with no problem. The lone exception was our first trip when we had an extended layover in LAX with a day room at the LAX Hilton, courtesy of Radisson.

Coming home, I think at least once we had to haul our bags from the International terminal to Continental check in.