Do I need to collect my luggage during a layover?

Whether you need to collect your luggage during a layover depends on several factors:

Basic rule:

• If your flights are booked under a single ticket (even with different airlines), your luggage is typically checked through to your final destination.
• This is especially true for airlines within the same alliance (Star Alliance, OneWorld, SkyTeam) or those with interline agreements.
• However, the final decision is always made by the staff at the check-in counter.

Important exceptions:

• For some layovers, you must collect your luggage even if your flights are booked under a single ticket.
• Notable exceptions include layovers in Johannesburg, where luggage is often not checked through.
• When changing airports (e.g., between New York JFK and LaGuardia), you must always collect your luggage.

Special attention required when:

• Having layovers in countries with specific entry requirements like the United States. As a US citizen returning home with an international connection, you'll still need to clear customs, collect your bags, and recheck them for your domestic leg.
• Other countries requiring similar procedures include China, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• In these countries, you typically need to go through immigration, collect your luggage, clear customs, and check it in again.

How to be certain:

• You'll receive definitive information at the check-in counter.
• Explicitly ask the check-in staff if your luggage will be checked through to your final destination.
• Check your luggage tag - it indicates the final destination of your luggage.