Checking bags-Customs
 

Anyone know if you are flying from the USA to Europe, with a stopover, if you have to claim your bag at the first stop for customs like you do in the US, or can you check it all the way through? Like New York-Amsterdam-Rome? Will your bag just meet you in Rome?

Also curious about return, plan to fly from Rome to Amsterdam, staying at the in airport hotel. Hoping we don't have to claim our checked baggage until we get back to the US.

Thanks for any help

In most cases you do not have to claim your bags in Europe until you reach your final destination.

Going back, it may depend on how long your layover is and how your ticket is written (i.e., is this a stopover or just a long layover ... one ticket or two. But if you are staying overnight, you generally pick up your bags.

There are posters in the Europe forum who have a lot more personal knowledge about this than I do, so you may want to re-post there. But there are also a lot of savvy Europe travelers in this forum.

In general (assuming one ticket or partner airline) you will go through immigration the first place you land in Europe, and Customs at your final destination. The bags should be checked through.

On the return . . . do you really want to leave your bags overnight?

Most western European countries are in the so-called "Schengen zone," in which the country of the first entry (in your example, the Netherlands) is responsible for passport control and immigration. The UK and Ireland are NOT Schengen countries, so if your stopover is at Heathrow, for example, you will not go through passport control unless you plan to leave the airport.

<i>Customs,</i> which relates to your bags, cargo, etc., is the responsibility of the country of final arrival, so in your example you'd go through (bag claim and) customs in Italy. This usually amounts just to walking through a door (usually green) with "nothing to declare" as you exit the bag claim area.

I would generally not entrust my luggage on an overnight connection. In your case I'd just check my bags to Schiphol and claim them. The hotel shuttle buses at AMS have plenty of room for luggage; there are also inexpensive left luggage services at the airport, if you don't fancy hauling them on the buses. Unlike US airports, luggage trolleys are free.

<i>I would generally not entrust my luggage on an overnight connection. In your case I'd just check my bags to Schiphol and claim them.</i>

That depends what is meant by the "in-airport hotel". If they mean the Yotel, I'd not bother claiming the bags.

I purchased a through ticket on AA - I picked up luggage at final European destination...


.On the return i picked it up at the first US stop...ie where I stopped at Customs....And self transfered to a waiting luggage attendant after picking up at baggage claim, b/c i had one more US leg to finish and I was not about to carry on that behemouth luggage.


It was strange, but i guess this is how One World Alliance functions.

No, that is how customs functions in the US. You claim your bags and go through customs the first stop in the US, then put it back on the belt for your next US flight. It has nothing to do with which alliance your airline belongs to.

>>It was strange, but i guess this is how One World Alliance functions.<<

Kathie is correct - Nothing at all to do w/ One World (or any airline for that matter.

That is what you do when arriving in the US and connecting onwards. Collect your checked bags, go through Customs, and re-check your bags.

And that is for a US connection. The OP is asking about connecting in Europe/Schengen, not the US

Well I did not have to do that on United from Barcelona with the transfer at Newark, so this is NEWS to me.

zashikibuta : 're-check' is probably the wrong way to describe it -- you simply place your checked bags on a conveyor for it to be put back on your next flight.

But AFAIK you must go through customs at the first place you land in the States (many regional airports don't even have Customs personnel)

The only exception I know of to going through customs at your first point of entry to the US is when US customs has set up a customs/immigration check in the foreign airport. For instance, the Vancouver, BC airport has this, as does Heathrow. I'd be surprised if Barcelona has it, but it is the only reason I can think of that you wouldn't have to pick up your luggage, take it through customs and put it on the conveyer belt for your next flight at Newark..

<i>US customs has set up a customs/immigration check in the foreign airport. For instance, the Vancouver, BC airport has this, <b>as does Heathrow.</b></i>

Not true. Heathrow does not have pre-clearance. Only Canada, Ireland, Aruba, the Bahamas, and Bermuda have pre-clearance.

Thanks for the correction, travelgourmet. I thought I'd read that Heathrow now did - must have been wishful thinking.