How can we recheck luggage without leaving the transit area because of visa issues?
My wife is Philippine national and needs a visa for a lot of countries. When she came to live with me in Aruba, I booked 3 different tickets: Cebu to Shenzhen (China), Shenzhen to Brussels (Belgium), Belgium to Aruba.
Now, some of these airlines will not send her checked luggage to her end destination. So, to solve the visa problem, she travelled without checked luggage and only her hand luggage, because she could not leave airside to get her luggage and re-check it.
Are there any another option or idea how to do this, so she is able to travel with luggage?
We are going to travel in April/May to the following:
Aruba - CEBU (Philippines) / Cebu - Nanning (China) / Nanning - Aruba
She has no USA visa and probably won't be able to get one. So, the only way is through Holland. If we buy Aruba - Cebu (Philippines) through Holland with KLM the ticket cost Euro 2100.00 while, if we buy them separately it's about $1500.00 - $1600.00. This is per person.
Best Answer
It's possible, but it might depend on luck/kindness of airport staff, and perhaps time if you're in a rush - it might be tricky.
Example: I was flying from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan via Tashkent, Uzbekistan (layover) on two separate tickets, which were very cheap. I realised as I landed in Tashkent that I had no visa for Uzbekistan, and my bags would come out on the carousel, where I couldn't get to them.
I spoke to a staff member, who radio'd a colleague, who found my bags and rechecked them for me to the new destination.
Something similar happened to me once in a transit in Manila, although I wasn't sure how or why. I was escorted under armed guard out to the baggage carousel to identify my bag, so that it could be checked in again. Which was weird as that time it was a single ticket with a 3 hour stop in MNL.
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Do I have to recheck my luggage with connecting flights?
If your flights were booked under one ticket, your bags will be checked through to your final destination. If your flights were booked under separate tickets, you will need to collect your bags and recheck them before your connecting flight.Can I get my luggage checked to a layover city instead of final destination?
Finding Out at the Check-in CounterIf it says that it's heading to the layover destination, not the final one, then you'll get your checked luggage when you land at the layover destination. You can also ask the airline employee at the check-in desk to confirm its destination.How do I get my luggage if I miss a connecting flight?
In the event that you missed a connection, or got held up in security and your checked luggage has gone ahead without you, immediately find an airline representative. The airline may be able to track your bags and hold them for you until your arrival.Lost luggage: What happens to your baggage after check-in
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