I am traveling from the United States to Madrid with a 1hr 20 min layover before I board a flight to Brussels (final destination) This is the first time that I make a flight to Europe and need to know the process for the bags that I checked in at Miami, Fl . I will be flying on Iberia from MIA to Madrid then after my one hour and 20 minute layover I board a flight to Brussels. What is the process for my checked bags? Do I have to go through customs and immigration pick up my bags that I checked in Mia, And then recheck them in to board my flight heading to Brussels. If so, can one hour and 20 minutes be enough time to do all of that can anybody explain this to me and break it down thank you. My flight heading back to the United States leaves Brussels on British Airways lands in London Heathrow and then I board a flight on American Airlines to MIA. How will the process be for that leg of my trip?
Thanks
Posted by
4473 posts
You must indicate if the flights were booked together or separately.
Posted by
Bend, OR
819 posts
Are your flights all on one ticket? If they are, your bags will be forwarded to your next plane.
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2517 posts
You check your bags in Miami and collect them in Brussels; you go through immigration in Madrid. If you have any item to declare at customs you do that in Brussels when you get your bags back.
On return, you check your bags in Brussels and collect them in Miami. At Heathrow, you go through security but not immigration.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
I purchased the round-trip ticket altogether through American Airlines, which then place me on Iberia and British Airways coming home but it’s under one record locator number through American Airlines.
Posted by
Europe
254 posts
You are fine since everything is under one booking. Ramblin's answer was correct.
Posted by
Freedonia
15213 posts
From Miami to Brussels:
Your bag will be checked through to Brussels where you will go through customs. Unless you have something to declare, customs is just a walk through.
You will go through immigration (passport control) in Madrid. Here is where you enter Schengen and will get your passport stamped.
On your return, you will go through exit immigration in Brussels (And get your passport stamped again) and follow "Flight Connections" at Heathrow. You will go through security at Heathrow but no immigration or customs. Your bags will be checked through to Miami.
Your flight into Heathrow lands at Terminal 5 and your flight out of Heathrow departs from Terminal 3.
Use this website to plug in your flight information and it will give you step by step instructions on what to do at Heathrow:
http://www.heathrow.com/flight-connections.
Do not follow the crowd to passport control. Follow the "Flight Connections" signs. This will take you to an airside bus that transport you from T5 to T3.
You should have enough time in either direction. However, since it is on one ticket, and you miss a connection due to the lateness of your first flight, the airline has to put you on the next available flight at no charge. You may even get compensation.
In Miami you go through both immigration and customs. If you don't have Global Entry, look into the "Mobile Passport Control" app to save you time when entering the USA.