gate-checking luggage for Air Berlin long-haul at JFK?

We booked over-the-pond flights thru JFK using AA miles on Air Berlin. Ye gads, their carry-on restrictions are terrible - somehow I'd assumed that AA rules would prevail, but they don't. Now I'm reading about AB lost-baggage nightmares on flyyertalk.

Because of the strict rules, we'll have to check bags. Last trip to Europe, our domestic flight to NY was delayed, causing us to miss our transatlantic flight = checked luggage didn't make it, and we weren't reunited for almost a week.

JFK has always been the most chaotic place for luggage in my experience.

Since we can carry everything onto our domestic AA flight, can we gate-check a bag at JFK w/o going back thru security? Air Berlin rep can't answer me, told me to call JFK. Haha, no answer. At least doing it this way would increase chances our checked bag would fly to Europe on the same plane as we do.

Hi Laurie,

Did you try one of the phone numbers on the list in this link ?

Good luck.


Richard

Also you can try:

Contact Info:
Phone Contact Numbers

You can reach a TSA customer service agent between 8 AM and 11 PM Monday to Friday or 9 AM to 8 PM Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Customer Service: 1-866-289-9673


Richard

Laurie said:

Since we can carry everything onto our domestic AA flight, can we gate-check a bag at JFK w/o going back thru security? Air Berlin rep can't answer me, told me to call JFK. Haha, no answer. At least doing it this way would increase chances our checked bag would fly to Europe on the same plane as we do.

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It's remarkable how we're always in each other's footsteps. We're just back from Air Berlin flights that I booked with my AA miles, JFK-Dusseldorf-Thessaloniki and Heraklion-Dusseldorf-JFK. Outbound was business class (recline to a flat bed!) with a five-hour connection that passed nicely in the Air Berlin lounge in DUS, and the return was economy with a three-hour connection.

My flights start at JFK, so I don't have an answer to your question. For what it's worth, our AB flights were all on time and our bags checked through JFK-Thessaloniki and Heraklion-JFK with no problems. The AB economy seats are reasonably comfortable but the seat pitch is awfully close.

Our carry-on suitcases are international size so we met the AB requirements, but there didn't seem to be much size-inspecting going on. On the return flight, because my checked bag had wine and olive oil, in addition to the carry-on suitcase my personal item was a rather large misshapen bundle of clothes. This attracted stares from the flight attendants but they let me pass.

Thank you!

I found a # to an Air Berlin rep at JFK terminal 8 (different from what AB German rep had given me) and she answered that question (yes we can gate-check) plus another to which I had received 2 conflicting replies from AB reps in Germany (can a CPAP travel as a separate carry-on piece in addition to carry-on limits?) She even gave me her name, in case I have a problem. I may confirm CPAP Q with the TSA number you gave below Richard, since both AB website and one AB rep said no to that.

Conan, our parallel travels do amaze me - and we're also connecting thru Dusseldorf. How I wish we had business class tix this time, alas not.

My concern about their carry-on rules is the 2g aka 4.4# limit on the "personal bag" and was told they're strict on that. Ours are always weighted down with electronics, cameras, notebooks, tablets, headphones etc. Our empty personal bags alone weigh more than that. And I like my big real-paper guidebooks which I pack in my suitcase along w/clothes. So both bags would exceed weight limits - this is why we'll have to check bags. (Since I weigh < 100# I sure wish they'd give me a break here on that personal bag weight limit - just in this one instance! Mostly kidding.) Conan, did you notice any checking weights, if not size?

Laurie said:

Conan, our parallel travels do amaze me - and we're also connecting thru Dusseldorf. How I wish we had business class tix this time, alas not.

Conan, did you notice any checking weights, if not size?

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Boarding is kind of a mob scene, and they have to re-inspect passports as well as boarding passes. I doubt they would hold up everything to weigh a carry-on.

Regarding the Dusseldorf connection: your cross-Atlantic flight lands in a different terminal than your intra-Europe departure. We landed in Dusseldorf at about 6:00am. A walking path is laid out for connecting passengers; it would be about a 5-minute walk that leads through passport control and keeps you inside security. But at that early hour a connecting door between terminals was locked. We had to double back, exit the first terminal through baggage claim, walk the long way around, and go through security again at the second terminal. More than 20 minutes and lots of walking!

Laurie said:

Thank you!

...My concern about their carry-on rules is the 2g aka 4.4# limit on the "personal bag" and was told they're strict on that... ...So both bags would exceed weight limits - this is why we'll have to check bags. (Since I weigh < 100# I sure wish they'd give me a break here on that personal bag weight limit - just in this one instance! Mostly kidding.) Conan, did you notice any checking weights, if not size?

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Laurie,

Just in case you didn't see this recent Tug thread on Digital Luggage Scales


Richard