Do I have to collect my luggage on a connecting flight?

When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.



Whether you must collect your luggage depends primarily on the nature of your itinerary and the country of your first landing. If you are on a single ticket (one PNR) with an "interline agreement" between airlines, your bags are typically "checked through" to your final destination, and you won't see them at your layover. However, there is a massive exception for international arrivals in countries like the United States or China: even if your bag is tagged to your final destination, you must usually collect it to pass through Customs at your first port of entry, then drop it back off at a "Baggage Re-check" counter immediately after. If you booked "separate tickets" on different airlines (self-transfer), you are 100% responsible for collecting and re-checking your bags. Always check your physical baggage tag at the start of your journey; if the three-letter code on the tag matches your final destination, you are likely in the clear unless customs regulations dictate otherwise.

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It depends on how your ticket was booked. 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.

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Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.

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For a trip that includes one or more connections: We'll check your bags to your final destination and apply the charge for checking a bag from your origin to your destination. For a trip that includes a voluntary stopover: We'll check your bags to your stopover point, where you'll collect your bags.

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Airlines will transfer your checked bags if a codeshare or interline agreement exists between them. You can find out what agreements your airline has by visiting their website.

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If you're traveling on a single ticket with the same airline within the US, you shouldn't have to recheck your baggage. However, it's still worth double checking with the airline to confirm that your bag will be checked through to your final destination, especially if you have a long layover.

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The recommended layover time for domestic flights is normally one hour. However, as previously stated, you may require longer if your flights are booked with two different airlines, if you are traveling to a very busy airport or if you require special assistance.

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A direct flight is identified by a unique flight number. A transit flight, with a connection, has two distinct flight numbers. A flight that is not direct, or connecting flight, involves a change of aircraft.

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To put it simply, having a connecting flight means you will have to change planes. You will not be flying directly from A to B, but there will also be C. You will fly from A to C, and then from C to B. Sometimes there will be more than a single stop.

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Arriving international connecting to International:
When connecting from outside of Canada to another country (excluding the United States), if your baggage is checked-through to your final destination you may not need to claim your checked-bags in Toronto.

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You need an eTA to transit through Canada by air if you're from an eTA-required country. You don't need an eTA if you're transiting through Canada and you enter by train, bus,boat or cruise ship. You do need to bring the right travel documents.

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What happens if a flight is delayed and you miss your connection? If you miss your connection due to a delay, usually the airline is responsible for providing you with a replacement flight to your destination. They will have to book you on the earliest possible flight available.

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Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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A connecting flight or transit flight is to reach the final destination through two or more flights, namely, traveling without any direct flights.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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Another point of confusion is layover vs stopover or transit. Once again, a layover is a stop that lasts less than 24 hours, while a stopover lasts 24 hours or more. On the other hand, Transit is simply the act of returning to the same aircraft after your layover at the airport.

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Each airline, and even sometimes each airport, will have different rules about what is and is not allowed. As a general rule, most airlines will NOT automatically check your luggage through for an overnight connection. You will normally need collect your luggage when you land, and re-check it the following morning.

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