Until recently, there were agreements in place between major U.S. and international airlines that allowed passengers to check a bag on one airline and have that airline connect that bag onto a second airline for a continuing flight.
Now more and more airlines are refusing to do so.
What does this mean?
If someone connects at an international destination it could cause seriously delays, since it requires a traveler to go through customs and enter the country just to get his/her luggage.
Then he/she must take those bags, check in again, and go back through security.
It’s not easy. It’s time consuming, and believe me, it’s not fun.
But now we need to adjust for this. If a layover is less than 90 minutes between flights, a passenger could easily miss a connecting flight—and so could those bags.
What’s the takeaway here? Always ask the primary airline if they will transfer bags on a connecting flight.
If not, give yourself at least two hours between flights so you can handle the bags.
For more information about traveling with luggage, check out:
- Delta Creates New Tracking System for Checked Luggage
- The Truth About Airline Baggage Sizers
- DOT Cracks Down on Airlines for Damaged Luggage
Keep reading for more travel tips.
