When you purchase a layover flight, you will need to claim your bags when you land at your layover destination, and recheck them the next day when you continue your flight(s).

Whether you need to collect your luggage during a layover in 2026 depends on your ticket type and the country of transit. If your flights are on a single ticket (checked through), your bags will usually be automatically transferred to your final destination without you seeing them. However, there are two major exceptions. First, if you are transiting through the United States (or sometimes Canada and India) from an international flight to a domestic one, you must typically collect your bags at the first port of entry, clear customs, and then drop them back at a "re-check" counter. Second, if you booked your flights on separate tickets (a "self-transfer"), you must always collect your bags, exit the secure area, and check them in again with the next airline. Always check the "baggage tag" printed at the start of your journey; if it shows your final destination code, you are likely set, but if it only shows the airport of your layover, you will definitely need to retrieve it.