Will my Luggage go all the way even if Im not on the plane?
My boyfriend and I are going to take the flight Lima (Peru) - Madrid (Spain) (1 hour layover) - London Heathrow (3 hours layover) - Stockholm Sweden. Our booking was made through Iberia and the whole trip has already been set; in Heathrow we will fly with British Airways but with an Iberia flying code.
However, my boyfriend will only be flying to Madrid because he has to stay there for one day and then he'll come to Sweden the next day with another new flight.
Since he has to catch the train in Madrid fast after landing we prefer that his luggage goes all the way to Stockholm Sweden with me so I can take it home with me. But we are afraid that once they realize that he is not on board from Madrid-London-Stockholm that they will take out his luggage in London and keep it there.
Does anybody know how it works? I've called Iberia and they only say you will have to see at the airport which is not helpful at all. Does someone know or has any experience?
Best Answer
Unaccompanied bags are only allowed in freight not on passenger flights.
As you will have to show your boarding pass at the gate at Heathrow, this will be checked against the luggage loaded. If the passenger is missing or hasn't boarded, their luggage will be offloaded due to security concerns.
This is normal practice across almost all airlines/airports I have traveled to; and to tell you the truth, it causes a large amount of delay as the plane is generally boarded but can't taxi from the gate as they have to open the luggage hold to find the passengers luggage, offload it, possibly re-bin the rest of the luggage, load it again and then adjust the manifest.
It would be very rare case that your boyfriend's luggage traveled unaccompanied - I can imagine this if you don't deplane at your transit points - but this is highly unlikely given your itinerary.
I can offer you two solutions:
Simply check in together and have his luggage tagged with your reservation; that way the bags won't be offloaded even if your boyfriend is.
Have your boyfriend courier/cargo his luggage in advance. That way his luggage will be at the destination even if he doesn't fly (or is late), plus you don't have to worry about overweight fees and hauling luggage around the airport.
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Will my luggage go straight through?
If you booked the flights together at the same time, luggage will usually be "checked through" to your final destination. If you booked them separately, especially if it's different airlines, you'll probably have to pick up your luggage and check it in again.Can I check my luggage all the way through?
The Basics Good news first: in principle, it is possible to have your luggage checked through to your final destination, even if you have two separate tickets. But all airlines that are involved in your trip must have some kind of cooperation. There are various forms of agreements between airlines.Do checked bags go straight to your destination?
When you purchase a connecting flight, checked baggage is usually forwarded to your final destination, and will change planes when you do. The agent at check-in will usually ask if you want your luggage checked through to your last stop.Does luggage always go to final destination?
Transfer with the same airline or with a partnerYour baggage is almost always sent to your final destination. There are some exceptions, such as North America, Australia and South Africa. If you have a transfer there, you must always collect your luggage at the baggage claim and check in again for the next flight.Lost luggage: What happens to your baggage after check-in
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Answer 2
Considering that airlines typically won't ship luggage that's not connected to a flying passenger, your best bet, if you can't check in your boyfriend's luggage, is for you boyfriend to travel with his luggage himself.
Unless you get clear confirmation his luggage will travel all the way to Stockholm, I suspect you run the risk of his luggage being offloaded in either Madrid or London.
Answer 3
Even if you were to make the luggage come off in London, this is not the end of your troubles. I spent 3 hours at a Qatar Airways desk waiting to get baggage that could not be short-checked/ short-tagged for a 20 hours overnight stop. I'm not sure Heathrow will be better.
Off the top of my head, I also think that they are subject to security searches if nobody claims the bag, especially if the owner is nowhere to be found (such as wondering if he can get his bag at the service desk). There are also suggestions online that some airline are quick to 'fine' you to give your bags back.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Pixabay, Hadi Slash, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio