help! can you prebook baggage on internal usa flights

chardonnay_2

people who holiday in america, could you help me with a query. my mum and dad are cruising to new york then flying to vegas via lax. at booking they were told they would need to pay $15 fee to transfer their baggage between planes. on checking their tickets it says they have no baggage allowance. have been told they cannot pre book luggage in america due to regulations, is this true? flying virgin america. They have been told they will now need to pay min $25 a bag at each airport. is there a cheaper method of doing this. travel agents are going to check recording of booking saying they should have been told this at time of booking but parents are positive they were not. they are flying home with delta and their baggage is booked on?

pogofish

It may be news to you but the US has not been part of the UK since 1776!

browneyedbazzi

I've done several trips in/through the US and my tickets always included a luggage allowance and bags were usually checked through from departure to the final destination (except once in Houston or Chicago - I can't remember which - when I had to collect my bag then re-check it for the second leg of a journey.

It's been a few years since I've been there, so I suppose it could have changed, but it seems odd for an airline not to have a standard luggage allowance included or allow pre-booked bags. I'd call the airline direct to see what they say rather than rely on the agent.

Finefoot

Some airlines let you use the international baggage allowance as its a continuation of your journey. Some do not have a luggage allowance as you have to pay separately for bags. You really need to check the individual airline.

C_Mababejive

im no expert but presumably the complication arises because the flight part of the journey starts in the US and not at some international destination hence the different rules.

SW17

From their website it looks like you can prebook baggage at online checkin.

http://virginamerica.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/503/session/L3RpbWUvMTQxNTg2MzgwMi9zaWQvcGpEX3VpN20%3D

And looks like the fee is USD 25 per bag per flight on a non-refundable ticket, regardless of whether you pay online or at airport.

https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/vx-fees/#/baggage

Not sure if it's possible to have booked it when making the original reservation, but if it was, it should really have been offered to them, given their itinerary (assuming the whole trip was booked with one agent).

It's not clear from the website if any taxes will be added to these fees.