Connecting flight cancellation and baggage claim
I have an Air India (round trip) flight from Chicago (ORD) to New Delhi (DEL) to Kolkata (CCU). However, due to some emergency I have to be in Delhi for a couple of days on my way to Kolkata. As a result I am planning not to take the connecting flight from New Delhi (DEL) to Kolkata (CCU).
Can I cancel my connecting flight and claim my baggage at Delhi Airport?
While returning I will fly from Kolkata (CCU) to Delhi (DEL) and finally to Chicago (ORD).
Best Answer
You absolutely must talk to the airline. Buying an A-B-C ticket and flying A-B is called hidden city ticketing and airlines generally frown at it and most definitely do not allow normally to claim luggage in B. In fact, your ticket is A-C with B just being a coincidence. If there is a problem the airline has absolutely every right to route you through A-D-C or even A-D-E-C as the contract between the airline and you is for A-C and nothing else (although in this case you will likely be late and there might some compensation due to that but that's an aside).
The reason here is that it's not unheard of to A-B-C be cheaper than A-B alone! Flights are not priced by distance or number of connections, they are priced by supply and demand. So perhaps there's a competitor which flies A-C direct but this airline wants to undercut it so they will sell A-B-C for cheaper -- but B in this case is a hub and A-B very well might only be served by this airline and so it might be more expensive than A-B-C.
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What happens to my luggage if connecting flight is Cancelled?
The airline will reroute your checked bag to your destination (or wherever you ask them to) as best it can, and it will deliver the bag to you at no charge (although you may wait a day or two or even longer, depending upon how bad the delay is).Do you claim your baggage between connecting flights?
When you purchase a connecting flight, checked baggage is usually forwarded to your final destination, and will change planes when you do. The agent at check-in will usually ask if you want your luggage checked through to your last stop.How do I get my luggage back if my flight is Cancelled?
Cancellations are always easier to handle if you only have carry-on bags. But if that's not the case, the airline will reroute your checked baggage to your destination \u2014 it just might not arrive at the same time you do, at which point the airline will deliver your bags to you at no cost.Lost luggage: What happens to your baggage after check-in
More answers regarding connecting flight cancellation and baggage claim
Answer 2
You will have to contact Air India because your situation technically becomes three separate itineraries (ORD -> DEL, DEL -> CCU, CCU -> ORD). You can most definitely cancel and reschedule your flights and retrieve your bags at DEL, although there may be cancellation/rescheduling fees associated with that.
If you cancel within 24 hours, there is no fee.
Answer 3
In a nutshell:
Not flying any segment for any reason cancels the rest of the ticket, including the complete return trip.
So even if you are successful in getting your luggage, you will lose the rest of the ticket. If you want to keep it, you must work with the airline and change the booking (and accept the fees).
Answer 4
To answer the specific question: Can I cancel my connecting flight and claim my baggage at Delhi Airport?
YES. You can cancel the DEL-CCU segment once you arrive in DEL and if you did not claim your baggage in order to clear Customs, it should be offloaded and returned. However, this will also cancel the entire itinerary, including the return.
Your options are:
- Contact Air India to change the Itinerary. It will be repriced and you will almost surely have to pay more.
- Keep your itinerary with Air India and book a separate CCU-DEL trip.
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