I have a flight coming up from Raleigh-Durham to Charlotte to Heathrow to Bologna, and a return flight from Malpensa to to JFK to Raleigh-Durham. The amounts of time in between flights has been lengthened considerably, and so, although I normally do carryon, I’m seriously considering checking my wheelie bag as much as possible, especially since I find it difficult-to impossible to hoist bags into the overhead bins on the really big planes. (Someone always helps me, but I tend to feel that they shouldn’t have to.). Am I correct in thinking I could check the bag all the way from Raleigh-Durham to Heathrow, then retrieve it to go through Security, and conversely do the same from Malpensa to JFK?
Thanks!
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5865 posts
Is this all on one ticket?
If it is all on a single ticket, most airlines will not allow you to “short check” a bag. They will check your bag through to the final destination. There are some exceptions like overnight layovers or tickets that require you to change airports.
If you are on one ticket and check your bag, I would expect it to be checked through to Bologna and you would not retrieve the bag until you arrive in Bologna. In Heathrow, you would go through security (without your checked bag) and the airline would handle your bag.
On the way home, your bag would be tagged for Raleigh-Durham, but you would have to pick up your bag at JFK to go through customs and then drop it off.
Posted by
Minnesota
573 posts
If your flights are all on one ticket, the airline should check the bag all the way through to BOLOGNA. You would not need to pick the luggage up at Heathrow to re-check it. When you check in, be sure the agent correctly tags the luggage.
When you return to the US, the airline will tag the luggage through to Raleigh BUT you will still need to retrieve the luggage at JFK to go through customs (usually a walk-through) and then re-check it in the other side (most airlines have a place to do this right after you exit customs).
However, if you have booked legs of your trip as separate tickets on different airlines, then you would need to retrieve the luggage and check-in with the next airline.
I hate dragging my luggage around the airport and also have trouble lifting the bag over my head. So, although I use a carry-on size bag, I always check it. I may be pushing my luck by writing this, but in 50 years of travel, I have only had one delayed bag and no lost bags.
Posted by
OP
North Carolina
2499 posts
Thank you, Laura and Renee! It is all on one ticket. I'll be very glad not to have to deal with the bag until reaching Bologna. Cool beans!