Are travel agencies scamming people with flights from Europe transiting through US?

rosiesposies

It’s 2 routes. Not 1

Westin

rosiesposies said:

It’s 2 routes. Not 1

Sorry @rosiesposies
Don't understand your post. Please can you clarify.

rosiesposies

As in booking a flight from Europe to Mexico with a connection on the states isn’t 1 route. 

Westin

OK, yes - the OP would be on two flights if flying via the USA.  Also, they would be connecting in the USA and not transiting in the USA as the US does not offer international transits. Passengers have to clear US immigration from their first overseas flight.  This often creates its own problems if insufficient time is not factored between the two flights.  Some US entry points used to have long immigration wait times (pre covid) as well. LAX, JFK, MIA and ATL often the worst.

rosiesposies

Sorry really meant it as a point to the OP. It’s not one route the agent is selling its two reason why they are still selling it!! 

epm-84

rosiesposies said:

It’s 2 routes. Not 1

But if it's booked as a UK to Mexico in a single booking it means it's been sold as one service.  Some airlines have in their T&Cs that will not release your luggage at your interchange airport unless you pay a surcharge, even if your connecting flight is on their coding sharing partner.

Obviously if you bought a Stansted to Milan flight from Ryanir and then a Milan to Tel Aviv flight off Alitalia then you've purchased two separate independent services but as far as we know that is not the case here.

Tigerchaser

Thanks for replying everyone!
My ticket is owned by United, although the majority of the flight is with Lufthansa. They've allowed me to cancel and rebook but only a United flight, there are no United flights that don't transit though the USA as far as I can see. 

Westin

epm-84 said:

rosiesposies said:

It’s 2 routes. Not 1

But if it's booked as a UK to Mexico in a single booking it means it's been sold as one service.  Some airlines have in their T&Cs that will not release your luggage at your interchange airport unless you pay a surcharge, even if your connecting flight is on their coding sharing partner.

Obviously if you bought a Stansted to Milan flight from Ryanir and then a Milan to Tel Aviv flight off Alitalia then you've purchased two separate independent services but as far as we know that is not the case here.

This however would not be the case for a USA bound flight (which the OP connects via) as all baggage must clear US Customs at the first port of entry.  
US arrivals collect baggage, proceed through US customs, then have the opportunity to recheck bags with the airline prior to leaving the arrivals area.

Westin

Tigerchaser said:

Thanks for replying everyone!
My ticket is owned by United, although the majority of the flight is with Lufthansa. They've allowed me to cancel and rebook but only a United flight, there are no United flights that don't transit though the USA as far as I can see. 

That seems to be the case.  

Even the Lufthansa services (with a UA code share) from Frankfurt or Munich are not direct and connect via the USA with an onward UA flight.

Who did you actually book the ticket through?

Any reason for not booking a direct UK > Mexico service in the first place (at least prior to any new covid restrictions)?

Tigerchaser

Im travelling from Spain, flight was booked with trip.com, they've converted flight into a voucher. Lufthansa actually do operate operate some direct flights but my ticket appears to be wholly owned by UA.