Time to Recheck Bag?

I hold an American passport and will be returning from Amsterdam. The flight goes from Amsterdam to KEF in Iceland, there is 2 hour layover, then I continue to Newark. This portion of the trip was purchased on the same itinerary, so I am not worried about rechecking my bag during this portion.

However, I will then be traveling from Newark to Nashville on a different airline, purchased on a separate itinerary. I arrive to Newark at 7:00pm on Iceland Air and my flight to Nashville departs at 7:55pm on United. These airlines are both in Terminal B.

Questions:

Is it possible to go through customs, recheck my bag, and make my flight in this short window of time?
If I was to leave my bag at Newark in order to make my flight, would I have any avenues for regaining it?
If in dealing with customs and rechecking my bag I miss my flight to Nashville, will United put me on standby/rebook me for a future flight or would I have to buy a whole new ticket?

Best Answer

I'm going to guess that you're not actually flying Continental as they haven't existed for over 3 years. Odds are you're actually flying United Airlines which is who they merged with.

United Airlines flights depart from either Terminal C or Terminal A. For this flight, given it's on a regional jet, it's most likely Terminal A. United do NOT have check-in facilities in terminal B, so you will need to catch the train to terminal A to check-in, and you must have completed check-in/bag drop by 45 minutes before your flight departs. Thus you would have 10 minutes to get off your flight, go through immigration, collect your bag, go through customs, catch the train, and then check-in. I don't think I need to tell you this isn't possible.

To answer your specific questions :

1) No. It's not possible to make this connection with luggage.

2) If you attempt to leave your bag it will be confiscated by US Customs. It may be possible to get it back, but it will be a difficult and likely expensive process. Even then, the chances of you getting through immigration/customs/check-in/security and then catching your flight in 55 minutes (keeping in mind that technically you need to board 15 mins before the departure, so it's really 40 minutes) is still extremely close to zero. It took me ~25 mins to get through security alone at Newark last week, and I have priority access...

3) United has a "flat tire" rule that if you arrive at the check-in counter within 2 hours after your flight departs they will attempt to put you on a later flight for no charge. Given that you are on the last flight of the day to Nashville, they may or may not do this for you. Technically they have absolutely no obligation to you given that you are not on a single ticket.

Pictures about "Time to Recheck Bag?"

Time to Recheck Bag? - An Elderly Man Looking at his Wristwatch while Walking on the Street

Time to Recheck Bag? - Woman Holding a Clock and a Plant in Plastic Bag

Time to Recheck Bag? - Woman Brown Coat Wearing Silver Analog Watch While Hand in Her Pocket

How long does it take to pick up checked baggage?

How Long Does It Usually Take To Get Checked Luggage After Landing? While it varies per airline and airport, in general, passengers can expect to pick up their checked luggage anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes after arrival.

Do I have to recheck my bags on a connecting flight?

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.

Is 3 hours enough for self transfer?

Factor in a minimum three-hour window when flying to high traffic airports or traveling during peak days or hours. It's also important to know if you have to exit your terminal, collect your bags, and go through security again. If so, it's best to add another hour cushion for self-transfer flights.

Is an hour connection enough time for a checked bag to make it?

There is never any guarantee that bags will make a connection, but a longer layover does increase the chances. A 53-minute connection will work under normal circumstances, but your chances would be far better will an additional hour or so, especially if your first flight is slightly delayed.

#AmericanAnswers - Do I have to recheck my bags after customs when traveling internationally?

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Polina Kovaleva, Barbara Olsen, DS stories, freestocks.org