What is checking the bag at layovers and how does it affect the traveler?

I have been looking at various conversations like this one. I will be traveling Mumbai(BOM) -> Doha (DOH) -> Cape Town, South Africa (CPT) in a roundtrip manner. I have a layover of 22 hours in Doha till the next connection, both ways. Both the legs and ways I am flying Qatar Airways, so it's Qatar Airways all the way.

Does checking in luggage has to do with making sure nobody took items out or your luggage or it has not been torn ? I will be doing the plastic roll around my backpack but it would be good to have a bit more idea.

Edit - @zach-lipton Is there a way to know it before starting what the process would be, maybe at the check-in counter before boarding at the first leg of the journey for the second itself, or do I have to go to the baggage claim and see if my baggage turns up ?

Also does it mean that I would have to keep the luggage with me for those 22 hours (or/and store it at a storage locker) for that amount of time.

Best Answer

What this refers to is the necessity of claiming your baggage, going through customs once more, then re-checking it again for your next flight. The process is pretty straightforward so you already know what you need to do, just as if you had arrived at your final destination, go to the carousel get your bag, proceed to customs, then to the airline counter to check it again.

If you were planning on leaving the airport of course that means you'll have your luggage with you, but plenty of large airports have lockers and temporary storage for such scenarios.

Some countries do not differentiate between transiting passengers and those whose final destination is the country in question, so everyone has to go through customs. On the other hand, some places do and the airline will automatically transfer your luggage to your connecting flight without you needing to do anything