Claiming and re-checking baggage
 

Afternoon.
Quick question regarding indirect flights as I'm getting differing answers.
When booking direct with an airline a indirect flight via a US airport, do we need to collect the bags and re-check them in for connecting flight?
I realise we will do immigration at the layover but not sure if baggage goes straight through and we dont see it until Orlando?

Thanks :wavey:

Yes you go through immigration, pick up bags and re-check the bags in then go back through security. As you leave the baggage hall there’s usually a sign for connecting flights and people waiting to re-check bags in for you, you don’t go to the usual check in desks.

you MUST collect your bags at the US airport on your way to MCO

procedure is as follow

deplane
go through immigration
collect bags
go through customs
drop bags off right after customs (there will be a desk, or employees and they will put your bags back on a belt, it takes litteraly 20 seconds
then you'll go through security (think about duty free and liquids, you have the same requirements as in your uk airport)

on the way home to the UK, bags are checked through you don't see them until the UK

Just a slight variation; there is no customs anymore.
This is dealt with by the immigration officer now before you collect luggage & the separate dedicated customs desk/line has gone.
It hasn’t been there at either Tampa or Orlando for a while now.

You must collect your bags and clear customs at the 1st airport on arrival into US - if a connecting flight this means collect and then drop them off again. Often the drop off is immediately after the customs.

As mentioned above, the customs bit has changed, you will go through customs but possibly not even realise it (similar to coming back to UK) as you leave the baggage hall you will be screened/watched and random or profiled persons pulled aside for checking. Normally you will just walk straight out and not realise you’ve just gone through a customs point.

Do you then have to go through immigration and customs at MCO or are you cleared already?

You can go straight through in MCO as you’ve already done immigration

There definitely still is Customs - but it's all discreet now, much like in the UK. The days of having to go up to the Customs desk and hand in the form are long-gone.

You can, however, guarantee you are being watched / there are sniffer dogs in the bag reclaim area & behind the scenes. As soon as they see something they are not happy with then people will be stopped.

Also, should there be another outbreak of foot & mouth disease in the UK, then expect the Customs officers to reappear. Back in the last outbreak everyone off our flight from the UK was being sent down the customs screening line to have out bags x-rayed for anything agricultural.

If you are going from London/man/gla via an other US city then, yes, collect your bags at that city, through the customs and hand tge cases back.

This is the same if you go via an EU country I.e. Lon to Frankfurt to Orlando

The only exception us if you go via Dublin and your next landing us in the USA, as you go through customs at Dublin,your cases are checked through to Orlando.

Or via a Canadian airport where you can also get pre clearance.