Right now we have a flight on United from O'Hare back home to Detroit after arriving in O'Hare on Aer Lingus on a Sunday night. We gave ourselves lots and lots of time to clear customs, but that puts us home really late. There is 1 flight we might be able to catch ahead of ours. How does that work with our luggage? When we recheck our bags after customs, will we then be able to find out if we can get on the earlier flight? I know my mother-in-law won't take the earlier flight if our luggage is still going to end up on the later flight. But I want to get home!

From what I can see post September 11 you no longer just dump your luggage and run. You have to stand in a long line and talk to a real person. That would be the point to deal with the standby issue. You also might check with the airline [or on the airline site] to see if seats are available.

The reasons I'm saying "from what I can see" is that I live in the Chicago area so I have never had to do this.

After you clear immigration/customs at any US airport, you exit the secured area and then drop off your luggage right outside. Your luggage should be tagged through to DTW in Ireland, so what do you is no different.

Then you go to the UA gate for the earlier flight and see put your name at standby. At that time, you also give them your luggage tags and they'll <b>try</b> to track them down for you and transfer your bags to the new flight.

In my opinion, if you get cleared for change with a lot of time left before <b>the earlier</b>, then they may have time to get your bags retagged and transferred. If it's kind of tight, then forget it.

Sorry. I meant to say you need to get cleared for the standby with a lot of time before THE EARLIER FLIGHT.

Also, about what sfowler says, I flew through ORD immigration a couple years ago, after 9/11. The process of dropping of heavy luggage seems to be no different from other airports. Don't recall any long line.

Like sfowler, I have never connected beyond O'Hare. But when I left the O'Hare customs hall several weeks ago, I'm pretty sure I saw United ticket counters/agents in the same area as the one where you drop off your luggage. Perhaps if you check in at one of those before you drop your luggage, they can advise on standby possibilities and procedures before you transit over to Terminal 1.

Thanks everyone. That is good to know that there will be UA people there. I'm sure with radios and whatnot, they might be able to direct us. We'll be sure to keep our tags handy too, in case they have to pull our bags. I really want to be on the earlier flight. Getting home from Europe at midnight (6 am their time!) doesn't sound like fun.

Flew United from Frankfort to O'Hare a month ago, with a connecting flight to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Had adequate time for the connection, including customs, reclaiming our luggage and it getting to the proper areas. However, upon arrival at Cedar Rapids, our luggage didn't make it, nor did about half the other passengers suitcases. Fellow there, very nonchalantly, stated our luggage was still at O'Hare in baggage holding, happens all the time he said. It arrived at our home the next day and the delivery man said he had been to our little town four days in a row delivering things that had been delayed at O'Hare.

For me, coming home with a suitcase full of dirty laundry is no big deal whether it arrives with me or the next day.

If you can get on the earlier flight do it. Explain to your MIL that there is a fairly reasonable chance your luggage won't be on your flight -- whichever one you take.

Baggage delays are not uncommon - but UA will deliver them to your home the next day.

How would MIL feel insisting on taking the late flight - only to end up waiting in Detroit for luggage that doesn't come down the carousel?

better to have a good night's sleep at home and IF your luggage doesn't get there when you do -- worry about it the next day.

since there is never any guarantee you are going to get your bags anyway.. just try to get earlier flight.

1) if you have enough TIME, most logical set up is to NOT put your bags on the re-checking belt but go WITH bags to the ticket agent right there and get re-booked, if possible , on earlier flight.

2) or drop bags as planned and go for it and see at gate of the earlier flight, as suggested, if they let you proceed with/without bags. i certainly would rather get on a plane, even if they couldn't pull my bags.. because, at least you know you are actually LEAVING the airport and on your way . the next flight may not be punctual or even cancelled. who knows.

Another reason I like to have carry-on only.

On the way home it's of little concern to me. The single time my suitcase was delayed homeward bound, it was delivered by a service to my apartment early the next morning after I arrived. Honestly, I wish I could figure out a way for that to happen every trip (was my thought!).

Do not check your luggage in for your connecting flight before you are ticketed for the earlier flight home. We did this same thing last year, but were told it would not have worked had we re-checked our luggage after clearing customs. Something about security and having all luggage accounted for by passengers.

I worked for United and they are way too busy to be searching for individuals bags.

I travelled to OHare from Heathrow and if we wanted to catch the earlier flight we were told not to go the baggage re-check but to go to the reservations desk and check our bags there. It seems to be the rule that you are supposed to &quot;travel&quot; with your bags although I find it illogical when the airline sends your bags on a later flight as their decision.

I think the logic behind it is quite obvious, although it can cause inconvenience to those without the extra time this can take.

Yeah, good points by many of you. Go to the UA's counter before rechecking the luggage. I was wrong in my original reply.

Flying Standby

I fly UAL all the time -and standby a lot. if you are going to try and fly standby you CAN'T have already checked luggage for your &quot;actual&quot; flight or they will NOT let you go standby.
You also need to register at the UAL ticket counter at least 2 hours before the flight you WANT to take if you want to try and check bags on that flight.
If you want to be confirmed on the earlier flight (earlier than 20 min before flight time) they will charge you $100 per person. SOMETIMES an agent will waive it if the earlier flight is light and the later one is heavily booked but don't count on it.
So you get on line, register as standby, you will get blue DM cards shoing the time you checked in to try and standby. The easrlier you check in the better, as they clear people for standby based on time checked in. (and FF status but that's another story)
In most cases you will be at the gate for the earlier flight waiting till 20 minutes before flight time to see if they will let you on. If you have more than carryone there is no guarantee your bags will follow on the same flight - but if oyu ahve checked in before the 2 hour window they might.

Hope this helps. I have never stood by for the domestic leg after a euro trip.

However you will have to decide whether to leave MIL behind as it is a good chance you luggage will NOT follow you on the earlier flight.

Good luck

Thanks all for the replies. I will digest all this info and decide what we will do. Thanks for all the great advice!