I'm travelling from Heathrow to Toledo in the USA with 2 connections, will I need to see to my luggage before I get to Toledo?
I'm worried as it's my first trip on my own. All my flights are American Airlines and I have connections at Raleigh/Durham and at Chicago O'Hare, however there are no terminal changes, just connection times of under 2 hours, so will my luggage be automatically transferred plane to plane? or will I need to re-check them?
Best Answer
Yes, you will need to collect your luggage at your first US airport, and clear customs with them. You'll then re-check them (there's normally a baggage drop just outside customs for this), then they'll carry on to your destination without you needing any more involvement with them.
It doesn't matter who you're flying with, if you fly into the US from an international destination, and continue onto a domestic flight, you will always have to collect your bags at your first US airport, and take them through customs with you.
For almost all International -> US -> International flights, i.e. ones where you're changing between international flights at a US airport, you will also have to collect your bags, clear customs and immigration, and re-check them. Except for a couple of obscure cases, US airports don't offer airside transits, and you'll need to "enter" the US before you can board the next plane.
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Do I have to pick up my luggage on a connecting international flight?
If you're connecting in the U.S., they require everyone from international flights to re-check their baggage upon the first landing point.Is checked luggage automatically transferred on connecting flights?
Unless the connecting flight takes place in a country that requires all passengers to go through Immigration and Customs, checked baggage will automatically be transferred to the next flight.Do I need to take my luggage during transit?
You do not need to clear immigration or collect your baggage at the transit point as your baggage will be tagged and transferred to your final destination.Do you go through customs twice on connecting flights?
You only go through once. If you connect through another country, you will just have to go through security and not customs. Incorrect, it all depends on the country and the airlines you're traveling with. Remember customs and immigration are different things and in some cases you'll clear then in different airports.i
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