Houston IAH connection, baggage question.
 

I usually travel on AA and connect through DFW, JFK, MIA, etc to travel back to Canada. I have always had to clear customs and immigration when I arrive in the US and claim my checked baggage at these airports and drop the checked baggage off for connecting flights.

My upcoming trip will be on CO, I am travelling from Mexico to Canada and I will connect through IAH. I have never connected through IAH and I have read on CO's website that:-

"If you are departing the same day on another international flight operated by Continental or Continental Express, your checked baggage will be directly transferred to your departing flight."

This is exactly the opposite of what I have experienced in the past. I called CO and was told the bag will be checked to my final destination. Based on this information it sounds like I only need to clear immigration and security and not claim my checked baggage.

Do things just work differently with CO and IAH?

I can't answer your specific question.

But the pracice you describe isn't unique in the US.

If you make a westbound, all-One World, international-to-international connection at MIA your bags are through-checked, just like they'd be in the civilised world (well, not quite of course. You still have to go through immigration. And, bafflingly, the system's different on eastbound flights). It also works that way at LAX with some all-Air NZ international-to-international connections.

Just as in Canada, these things vary both by airport and by carrier. You just have to assume they're telling you the truth.

I fly through IAH a lot though I haven't taken your specific route of Mexico to Canaca, but my understanding is that your bag will be checked through as stated on their web site.

Fri morning fumble - obviously I meant "Canada".

I also don't know the answer first hand, but I know such automatic transfer of luggage for international transit has been available for AA in MIA for a while, so this won't be an unique situation.

Thanks everyone.

I didn't know MIA was also automatically transfers luggage, I had connected a few months ago thru MIA and I had to claim my checked luggage after I cleared immigration. I was travelling on AA.

You learn something new all the time.