Flying from US. Do I need to recheck my bags at Heathrow for a UK domestic flight?
I am flying from the US to Edinburgh, UK. My layover is at Heathrow. Will I need to go through customs and check bags again at Heathrow before I take the next flight?
Best Answer
Promoting some comments to answers - it all depends...
If you are on a single ticket (so a through booking from the US to Edinburgh), then no. Your bag will be checked all the way through from the US to Edinburgh. When you arrive at Heathrow, you will need to clear UK immigration in Heathrow. You'll do that at the departing terminal, having followed the purple Flight Connections signs for the airside transit (if not the same terminal). On arrival into Edinburgh, you will collect your bags, and then clear customs with them in Edinburgh. (Edinburgh should be fine for this, but if you connected onto a flight to a smaller UK airport you might have to use the special phone in the baggage hall to contact Customs if you have something to declare)
If you are on two tickets, but within the same alliance (eg American Airlines onto British Airways, or Delta onto Virgin Atlantic Little Red), then you should be able to ask at checkin for them to check your bags all the way through. Generally speaking, if the two legs are on the same alliance, they'll check it through onto the second leg. You'd then follow the above.
If it's two tickets without an alliance (eg flying in on American Airlines, carrying on with Virgin Atlantic Little Red), then you will be required to clear immigration, collect your bag, and clear customs. After that, you then take the free train or bus to change terminals (as required), then check in for flight #2 and check bags there.
Easy summary - 1 through ticket or 2 tickets but same alliance where you can show both tickets and ask them to check through:
- Follow flight connections to get to your departure terminal (if different)
- Go through Immigration (UK connections)
- Go through Security
- Fly
- Collect bags
- Go through appropriate Customs exit (may need to call them if you have something to declare and there's no-one there)
2 tickets from airlines who won't check through:
- Follow arrivals, go through Immigration
- Collect bags
- Go through Customs
- Change terminal if needed (train or bus landside)
- Check in
- Security
- Fly
- Collect bags
- Exit
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Do I need to recheck my luggage at Heathrow?
It depends on your airline \u2013 often your baggage will be checked through to your final destination and you won't need to touch it at Heathrow. However, this service isn't available for all flights so check with your airline before you fly.Do you have to recheck baggage on connecting flights domestic?
When you purchase a layover flight, you will need to claim your bags when you land at your layover destination, and recheck them the next day when you continue your flight(s).Do I have to go through customs for a connecting flight in London Heathrow?
Unfortunately it's not possible for you to go through customs and passport control to meet the person transferring flights unless you're also checked-in for a flight leaving that airport terminal that day.Do I have to recheck bags on a connecting flight with different airlines?
If it's headed to the layover country, you'll need to recheck your bags there. If it's headed to the final destination, you won't need to recheck your bags. This is the most accurate way of knowing whether you'll need to recheck your bags or not.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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