Jump to content

TSA Pre Check When Booking On American Airlines but Flight Is British Airways


Keith1010
 Share

Recommended Posts

As background we have Global Entry which includes TSA Pre Check.

 

I know that if I book a British Airlines flight from my home airport in the USA for a flight to London I would not get the TSA Pre Check on the boarding pass.

 

Question:

 

If I book the flight with American Airlines where it say American Airlines Flight xxxx operated by British Airways since my boarding pass will be issued by American Airlines will I get the TSA Pre Check?

 

Logic tells me I will but would like to hear from someone who has purchased a ticket in a similar fashion to this.

 

I did call American Airlines but the person I spoke with did not know.

 

Thanks,

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We, too, have Global Entry and have pre-check when we fly domestic out of BOS. However, when flying overseas, security at the terminal requires us to remove shoes, belts, even DH's watch, all electronics must be removed. On my most recent flight, TSA had me remove my scarf; it had a few metal threads and set off the alarm. At least in BOS, the security process is controlled by TSA and the terminal from which you leave. We've flown Delta, Virgin, BA, Air France, KLM and Aer Lingus - same process.

 

When checking in for our return flight with BA at LHR, I was able to do the on-line check-in while on the cruise, but when we arrived at the airport, could not print the boarding pass at the kiosk. We were required to get in line to present ourselves, luggage and passports, answer a few security questions and then received our boarding passes.

 

Darcy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope

Your boarding pass will be issued by British Airways since your flight is on British Airways metal.

When you check in, you will check in at the British Airways ticket counter, if nothing more than to show your passport.

 

This is counter intuitive.

 

 

In my example I will be booking it on the American Airlines Site. There is an AA flight number (different then the BA number). They also told me that I would check in at the American Airlines check in counter.

 

Are you assuming in your post how this will work or have you actually done this before?

 

I want to be absolutely sure how this will work before I book it. Because this will determine how I book it.

 

Please note that BA and AA are part of the One World Alliance.

 

 

Thank you.

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is counter intuitive.

 

 

In my example I will be booking it on the American Airlines Site. There is an AA flight number (different then the BA number). They also told me that I would check in at the American Airlines check in counter.

 

Are you assuming in your post how this will work or have you actually done this before?

 

I want to be absolutely sure how this will work before I book it. Because this will determine how I book it.

 

Please note that BA and AA are part of the One World Alliance.

 

 

Thank you.

 

Keith

 

Keith,

 

I have booked both ANA and Lufthansa (both Star Alliance) on the United website. ANA did not have a codeshare United flight number, Lufthansa did. In both cases I checked in with ANA and Lufthansa at the desk. Now, in both cases there is just one flight per day from Houston to Tokyo and Frankfurt and I think the people who checked me in were actually United employees with changed ties and scarfs!! So, I'm not sure what this says. Oh, in both cases United gave me their confirmation number and one for ANA and Lufthansa and I had to use the ANA/Lufthansa number to check in their sites and pick my seats.

 

Patty

 

P.S. In both cases United has flights to Tokyo/Frankfurt that leave within 30 minutes of ANA/Lufthansa, but the foreign carriers were cheaper and I get the air miles on my United account, so win/win!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is counter intuitive.

 

Not really. Boarding passes and check-in are a function of the operating carrier.

 

In my example I will be booking it on the American Airlines Site. There is an AA flight number (different then the BA number). They also told me that I would check in at the American Airlines check in counter.

 

Ah!!!....the amorphous "they" strikes again. I suspect that AA may provide the staffing, but it is still a BA process.

 

Are you assuming in your post how this will work or have you actually done this before?
No, I have not flown your specific route from "your home airport" to London. I have flown on tons of codeshares though over the years. I have yet to check in with the marketing carrier as opposed to the operating one for the start of an itinerary. Connections are a different story for onward travel.

 

I want to be absolutely sure how this will work before I book it. Because this will determine how I book it.
OK. Here's how you can research it. Buy a fully-refundable one-way ticket to London for a flight next week that is marketed by AA but operated by BA. On the day of your flight, go out to the airport and check-in. You will see on your boarding pass whether or not it says "Pre-Check". You'll also find out exactly who the check-in counter is with, either BA or AA. Then cancel your fully-refundable ticket before the flight departs for a full refund . You are only out the possible credit card interest (if carrying a balance) or possible cash flow if the refund is in a different billing period.

 

And even then, you still may not be 100% "absolutely sure", since Pre-Check is never guaranteed.

 

Please note that BA and AA are part of the One World Alliance.
Noted. Not a factor.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is very intuitive. It doesn't matter where you booked your ticket. You check in with your operating carrier - BA - who issues your boarding pass.

BA doesn't participate in TSA pre-check so you'll be going through the regular security line.

Many airline phone agents have no idea what they're talking about.

Note, you're going to have to pay for advance seat selection if you fly BA, even in business class, unless you have high enough status.

Have you priced this booking directly on BA's webpage? Sometimes prices vary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Patty, FlyerTalker and klfrodo:

 

I checked the pricing of the BA flight and the AA flight that would be on BA aircraft and it is the same. I believe that by booking it on the AA web site I will get more AA miles this way then booking it with BA given my status with AA (I think I am right) and I was hoping that the added benefit would be to go through the TSA Pre Check line.

 

But the more I think about this, it probably won't happen and it will probably be as Patty described with her recent experience.

 

FlyerTalker thanks for the suggestion of how I could test it out.

 

I know that I've booked a flight before via AA that used British Airways but it was before TSA Pre Check but I am going to try to think through the check in process at the airport. I need to figure out what year it was and maybe I can jog my memory.

 

Thanks you GruGrats. I knew that BA doesn't do the TSA Pre Check but was hoping since I would purchase it on the AA web site (Marketed as AA but really British Airway flights) I would get around the issue and get TSA pre check but I suspect based on all of the feedback it won't happen. I think we're just spoiled with the Pre Check.

 

Thank you all again.

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can buy a ticket from Air France, to fly from my home airport of Charleston to Paris (via Atlanta.) Both legs operated by Delta, but ticket purchased from Air France. I'd have a tough time checking in with Air France at CHS though, seeing as they have no presence there whatsoever. Many, many similar examples; you check in with whoever actually operates your flight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've argued this point in the past. I will not speak for all airlines, but if you bought a ticket via AA, they allow you to check at their counter, regardless of whose metal is used. I lived in Dallas for four years and flew those routes regularly. if the ticket was bought from AA, I checked in with AA, and got my boarding pass. I called AA , a few months ago, and verified this was still the case. May not be with Delta or other alliances, but the question was about AA and BA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've argued this point in the past. I will not speak for all airlines, but if you bought a ticket via AA, they allow you to check at their counter, regardless of whose metal is used. I lived in Dallas for four years and flew those routes regularly. if the ticket was bought from AA, I checked in with AA, and got my boarding pass. I called AA , a few months ago, and verified this was still the case. May not be with Delta or other alliances, but the question was about AA and BA.

 

Interesting. I suspect this probably won't work for British Airways because AA use SABRE and BA use Amadeus. I'd be surprised if AA staff all had access to both GDSs just for cases where people want to check in with the marketing carrier. Would require a lot of investment for very marginal cases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fbgd;

 

It is highly obvious that the two systems communicate freely with each other.

 

Here's a simple question for you. If you buy a ticket on AA, or most any airline, and don't check in for the outbound flight, what happens to your reservations for the return flight? Cancelled, is the answer! What I'm saying is the systems are already tied together. You can check in for that outbound AA issued ticket on BA with BA and AA doesn't cancel your return flight on them, and they know you checked in. Or you can check in on AA and BA knows you're there.

 

Let me add another one. You are aware of BA's policy on seat selection I hope. I can check in for my flight with AA in the States and get my seat selection and boarding passes for my BA connection out of LHR. The systems already talk to each other quite well!

Edited by pinotlover
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fbgd;

 

It is highly obvious that the two systems communicate freely with each other.

 

Here's a simple question for you. If you buy a ticket on AA, or most any airline, and don't check in for the outbound flight, what happens to your reservations for the return flight? Cancelled, is the answer! What I'm saying is the systems are already tied together. You can check in for that outbound AA issued ticket on BA with BA and AA doesn't cancel your return flight on them, and they know you checked in. Or you can check in on AA and BA knows you're there.

 

Let me add another one. You are aware of BA's policy on seat selection I hope. I can check in for my flight with AA in the States and get my seat selection and boarding passes for my BA connection out of LHR. The systems already talk to each other quite well!

 

I think "freely" may be a stretch, there are certainly limitations.

 

I've had situations with cross-GDS reservations and it has caused issues, including between BA and AA. I've had what looks like a boarding pass printed but it essentially told me to check-in with the operating carrier for flight #2. And if you book AA flights through BA with a BA flight number you'll find the systems get sent into an infinite loop when trying to assign seats online. This is why you'll end up with multiple PNRs when you have reservations split across multiple GDSs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've argued this point in the past. I will not speak for all airlines, but if you bought a ticket via AA, they allow you to check at their counter, regardless of whose metal is used. I lived in Dallas for four years and flew those routes regularly. if the ticket was bought from AA, I checked in with AA, and got my boarding pass. I called AA , a few months ago, and verified this was still the case. May not be with Delta or other alliances, but the question was about AA and BA.

 

Thank you very much.

 

What you have said is consistent with what the AA Reservation person told me. She said I would go to the AA desk and get an AA Boarding pass.

 

What I remember last time I did this (some other flights) is that I couldn't do my seat assignments but I called AA back and got the corresponding BA Record Locator Number and then I could go on the BA system to do seat assignments.

 

 

I cant' remember what happened next at the airport.

 

 

Well now I have to think all of this through.

 

The other issue is on the return flights AA obviously has flight from LHR (I think terminal 3) but the actual flight will be with BA (terminal 5) so my preference would be to check in at the BA counter. Do you remember how that would work?

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son traveled from MTY to HAM via DFW and LHR and return. He flight with AA from MTY to LHR and then BA to HAM , the ticket was purchase with AA. Here at MTY during check in at AA he got all boarding passes and seat assignments in the BA segment.

Same happen in HAM in the return flight he check in in BA, he got the BA and the AA boarding passes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The other issue is on the return flights AA obviously has flight from LHR (I think terminal 3) but the actual flight will be with BA (terminal 5) so my preference would be to check in at the BA counter. Do you remember how that would work?

 

Go to the operating carrier. If you are flying on BA go to Terminal 5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son traveled from MTY to HAM via DFW and LHR and return. He flight with AA from MTY to LHR and then BA to HAM , the ticket was purchase with AA. Here at MTY during check in at AA he got all boarding passes and seat assignments in the BA segment.

 

Yes, no one is saying you won't get all of your boarding passes at check in, even if segments are flown on partner carriers. (although sometimes you won't) They are simply saying that you generally need to check in with the operating carrier of your first flight segment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
We, too, have Global Entry and have pre-check when we fly domestic out of BOS. However, when flying overseas, security at the terminal requires us to remove shoes, belts, even DH's watch, all electronics must be removed. On my most recent flight, TSA had me remove my scarf; it had a few metal threads and set off the alarm. At least in BOS, the security process is controlled by TSA and the terminal from which you leave. We've flown Delta, Virgin, BA, Air France, KLM and Aer Lingus - same process.

 

 

 

When checking in for our return flight with BA at LHR, I was able to do the on-line check-in while on the cruise, but when we arrived at the airport, could not print the boarding pass at the kiosk. We were required to get in line to present ourselves, luggage and passports, answer a few security questions and then received our boarding passes.

 

 

 

Darcy

 

 

 

I’ve never flown out of Boston, but we do international flights out of EWR and we get TSA pre-check all the time. No removal of shoes, belts, watches, electronics (unless I have my laptop and that’s only recently), or 3-1-1 bag and we went through the old scanners.

 

We are usually flying on United or Delta, and we have Global Entry, but we only got that a few months ago.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...