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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For domestic layovers, your checked luggage will be tagged to your final destination, so there's nothing for you to do while on your layover. Your bags will get taken off the first flight and loaded onto the second 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.
Many airlines offer complimentary transit visas or VOA (visa on arrival) and hotel accommodations to transiting passengers with extra-long layovers. In such cases, they tag your bags to the final destination and you cannot reclaim them even if you wish.
If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight.
So how long do you need? It's really hard to put an exact number on how long you need for your layover. At a minimum, I'd say you should plan for one hour for domestic layovers and two hours for international layovers. But this is not a hard, fast rule!
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.
In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.
Short layovers aren't just a problem for you; they're a problem for checked luggage too. It takes time for baggage handlers to unload the plane, and then for the luggage to get sorted out and redistributed to connecting flights and baggage claim. Even if you make your connection, your bags might not.
If the time between flights is 1–2 hours, your checked baggage will probably make the connection. If there's more than three hours between flights, there's no excuse for your baggage not making it.
You can simply check-in your baggage at the starting airport, and the airline will transfer it to your final destination. However, if you are traveling on multiple tickets, i.e., each flight is booked under a separate ticket, you will need to collect your baggage at each layover and re-check it with the next airline.
If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight.
It can take as little as 5 minutes or as long as 90 minutes depending on a multitude of factors as well as the motivation of the baggage runner. Airlines are aware of tight connections way before the plane hits the ground. Whenever possible, an expedite runner is sent to connect Shocons (short connections).
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.
If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.
In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.
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.