[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by azstar

Airlines cannot "check in" each others passengers. They can interline the bags, but check in can only be done by the airline that operates the flight.

Actually your statement is not true. If both airlines are codeshare partners and/or members of the same alliance then one should, with very few exceptions, be able to check-in once for the first flight of a multi-segment trip and be issued a boarding pass for the connecting flights.

I do this all the time. For example if I have a combination of Alaska and American operated flights or Continental and Northwest and/or Delta (with the current codeshare/alliance agreement) or United and US Airways I can obtain boarding passes for all of my flights on a given day when I check-in for the first flight segment. It doesn't always work with respect to online check-in but at the airport the originating airline should be able to issue boarding passes on a partner/codeshare carrier.

When it gets dicey is when there is a mix of non-partners as in KarmaRocks' parents situation. Yes the flight was an Alaska codeshare and had an Alaska flight number but the flight was operated by American and connected to a Continental flight. Had the original flight been operated by Alaska then boarding passes for the connecting flight could have been issued because currently Alaska and Continental are partners who codeshare on each other and have reciprocal mileage earning and redemption. Since the first flight was operated by American and American and Continental are not in the same alliance and are not codeshare or milage partners then their systems are not inter-connected to facilitate checkin for connecting flights.

[azstar]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

Actually your statement is not true. If both airlines are codeshare partners and/or members of the same alliance then one should, with very few exceptions, be able to check-in once for the first flight of a multi-segment trip and be issued a boarding pass for the connecting flights.

I do this all the time. For example if I have a combination of Alaska and American operated flights or Continental and Northwest and/or Delta (with the current codeshare/alliance agreement) or United and US Airways I can obtain boarding passes for all of my flights on a given day when I check-in for the first flight segment. It doesn't always work with respect to online check-in but at the airport the originating airline should be able to issue boarding passes on a partner/codeshare carrier.

When it gets dicey is when there is a mix of non-partners as in KarmaRocks' parents situation. Yes the flight was an Alaska codeshare and had an Alaska flight number but the flight was operated by American and connected to a Continental flight. Had the original flight been operated by Alaska then boarding passes for the connecting flight could have been issued because currently Alaska and Continental are partners who codeshare on each other and have reciprocal mileage earning and redemption. Since the first flight was operated by American and American and Continental are not in the same alliance and are not codeshare or milage partners then their systems are not inter-connected to facilitate checkin for connecting flights.

You're correct. There are some agreements in place that allow printing "downline" boarding passes. Very few, though.