Take note: DL checked baggage process

Effective for travel on or after January 15, 2013, Delta Air Lines will change its checked baggage process when travelling on separate tickets.

The airline’s policy will be to check a passenger’s baggage between the origin and destination points that are indicated on a single or conjuncted ticket exclusively.

If a second ticket is presented for travel on another airline beyond the destination of the first ticket, the passenger will be advised that Delta will only check the bag to the destination on the first ticket(s). The passenger must collect the baggage at baggage claim for their first ticketed destination, and then re-check their baggage with the down-line carrier for the next flight.
 
Previously, in cases where a passenger presented more than one ticket to a Delta airport agent at the origination point, Delta would offer to check the baggage from the origin on one Delta ticket to the final destination on the second ticket, collecting both Delta’s and the other airline’s fees. This was done on a courtesy basis but has never been part of an official policy.
 
The policy update does not apply to interline itineraries, wherein the passenger has an entire journey on one ticket. In these situations, Delta will continue to check baggage through to the ticketed destination as normal policy.

Below are examples of a single-ticket and multi-ticket scenarios.
 
Single ticket example:  

• Ticket 1 - ATL-LAX on a Delta flight connecting to another airline operating LAX-NRT.
Delta Policy: Delta will check the baggage from ATL to LAX to NRT.
 
Multi-ticket example:
 
• Ticket 1 – ATL-LAX on a Delta flight
• Ticket 2 – LAX-NRT on a different airline
Delta Policy: Delta will check the baggage for the ATL to LAX flight only.  Upon the flight’s arrival at LAX, the passenger must collect the baggage at the Delta baggage claim and then proceed to check it with the down-line carrier for the next flight LAX to NRT.
 
Delta recommends ticketing on a single ticket instead of split ticketing as a general, best practice in order to ensure that Delta will be able to check baggage to a passenger’s final destination.
 
If a ticketing agency chooses to issue a multiple ticket itinerary on behalf of its customer, the issuing agency must:

• Inform the passenger to claim and re-check baggage if a passenger’s itinerary is issued on multiple tickets.
 
• Ensure that the itinerary booked allows passengers sufficient time to claim and recheck baggage. (NOTE: Interline minimum connect times in a GDS do not apply in the event multiple tickets are issued.)
 
• Inform the passenger that Delta is not responsible for missed connections including flight irregularities or delays that result in a missed connection to a flight that is ticketed separately.
 
Visit delta.com for complete information on Delta’s baggage polices.