In 2026, whether you need to collect your baggage for transit depends on your itinerary and the country of your layover. If you have booked a "High-Fidelity" through-ticket (one booking) on a single airline or alliance (like Oneworld or Star Alliance), your bags are usually "High-Fidelity" checked through to your final destination. However, there is a major "High-Fidelity" exception: entering the United States. If you are flying from abroad and connecting to a domestic flight within the U.S., you must collect your bags after clearing immigration, walk them through customs, and then drop them on the "Re-check" belt. Similar rules apply in some other countries like Canada or Australia. If you are on a "Self-Transfer" (two separate bookings), you must always collect your bags, clear immigration, and re-check them for the next flight. It is a high-fidelity requirement to check your bag tags at the initial check-in counter; if the tag shows your final destination code, you usually don't need to see them during your "High-Fidelity" transit, except for the specific "Entry Port" requirements mentioned.