Connecting Flights – What you Need to Know
If you are about to take your first trip abroad and you have a connecting flight to contend with, then you will probably find yourself a little worried about it. This is no surprise; it can be quite a daunting feeling being in a different country on your way to another and not being sure what you need to do.
One of the things that a lot of people find themselves worrying about is knowing whether or not they need to pick up their luggage on a connecting flight. For the most part, your luggage will automatically transfer to the next flight without you having to do anything. However, there are a few exceptions.
Exceptions for Luggage on a Connecting Flight
As mentioned above, there are some exceptions, regarding whether or not you will need to claim your luggage on a connecting flight. If you are getting straight on a connecting flight, then your luggage will follow you automatically in most cases. However, there are a few times in which you may need to claim it. Here are some examples:
- Overlay – If you are travelling to a destination where you will be stopping overnight, then the chances are that you are going to need to claim your luggage once you arrive at your overlay destination. Once you have done this, you will simply need to recheck your luggage once it is time to catch your connecting flight. This may sound daunting, but it is a simple process and won’t add much time to your journey at all.
- Multiple Tickets – If you have multiple tickets rather than just one for your entire journey, then you may find that you will have to claim your luggage and then recheck it once your connecting flight has arrived. If you are unsure about this, then the best thing to do would be to ask a member of staff who will be able to tell you whether or not you will need to claim your luggage and recheck it. The staff will be friendly and more than happy to help.
Tips for Finding Out about Claiming Luggage and Connecting Flights
As with anything, it is always best to make sure that you are prepared for your journey ahead of time so that you don’t have to add extra stress to the stress that you will already be feeling from traveling. Here are a couple of tips for things that you can do, in order to make sure that you don’t have any trouble when it comes to your luggage and connecting flights.
- Talk to Travel Agents – When you go to book your holiday, it is always a good idea to ask as many questions as you possibly can, so that you can make sure that you know exactly what to expect from the traveling process. Travel agents book hundreds of holidays every single day, so they will know all of the information that you need to know. If they don’t have the answers immediately, then they will be able to contact the airline who will. Simply ask them whether you will need to claim your luggage on a connecting flight and they will find out for you.
- Contact the Airline – Once you have your tickets booked, you should be able to talk to the airline directly, either via email or telephone. These are usually the best people to talk to regarding luggage claims and connecting flights. They will be able to tell you about all of the rules that you need to follow and walk you through the process of what you need to do with your luggage and connecting flight.
- Internet Forums – If you are really stuck and feel like you can’t get the information that you need from anywhere else, then there are always plenty of internet forums where you will be able to get the information that you need regarding luggage and connecting flights. A simple Google search for the airline details and the question that you want to ask should give you the information that you are looking for.
For a first time traveller, the prospect of catching a connecting flight is daunting enough as it is, without the added worry of potentially losing your luggage. However, with some careful preparation and arming yourself with the information that you need, you shouldn’t run into any difficulties when it comes to making sure that your luggage travels with you on your connecting flight.
Never be afraid to ask members of staff at the airline about anything that you are unsure of as they deal with customers every day who will have asked similar questions to you. They are there to help and will be able to tell you the information that you need.
