Reader Question: Does Thai Airways Check Through Back To Other Airlines On Separate Itineraries?

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a question about whether Thai Airways would check a bag through to SAS on a separate ticket.

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You can access SAS here and Thai Airways here.

Reader’s Question:

I will travel on 22/3/26 BKK-ARN with TG (business class) departure 00.05, arrival 06.55

Am then looking to book a connecting flight ARN-BRU (separate reservation) with SAS via CPH departing 09.00 same day

My question is :

Can I book my bags all the way through to BRU when leaving Bangkok ? Don’t want to have to collect them at ARN and go through immigration / check in etc. Possible ?

Am TG Gold but don’t know how this works with a change of airline / alliance.

This wouldn’t have even been a question a decade ago when all airlines were more than happy to check bags through on separate itineraries to any airline with which they had an interline agreement.

Most established full-service airlines have these agreements in place, regardless of whether they belong to the same alliance.

At some point, airlines began to realize that they were losing revenue when people booked separate tickets to save money. Then, some, but not all, airlines decided to limit through-checking of bags to only flights within the alliance or just on their own flights, and some, like BA, won’t even do this if the tickets are separate.

Airlines in Asia, outside of LCCs, are still service-oriented, and I have never been denied through checking bags if on separate itineraries, but I have not done that recently.

Thai Airways and SAS were part of the Star Alliance until the latter decided to switch to SkyTeam last year after Air France–KLM acquired a stake in it. SAS was the cofounder of the current Thai Airways back in 1960.

Conclusion

The reader must clear immigration in Stockholm when they enter the Schengen area, even if they continue to Brussels.

If Thai Airways checks the reader’s bag through to Brussels, the reader’s bag then clears customs at the destination instead of Stockholm.

I would have been hesitant to book a two-hour connection in Stockholm on separate tickets, however, as there can always be delays.

There are frequent flights with and without connections between these two cities, and you can also fly to Amsterdam and take a train from there. The last-minute fares can be high, and I would have felt more comfortable with a longer transit time on separate tickets.

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