<p>I’ve searched the internet and can’t find the answer to this question, so am asking the CC world travelers.</p>
<p>I’m planning a trip to Europe in February. The flight out is nonstop, but the return changes planes in Chicago. My understanding is that I’ll have to get my bags in Chicago, go through customs, and recheck them to my final destination. The flights are on different airlines, but both are Star Alliance and on the same itinerary. I’ll need to pay baggage fees for the first flight, will I have to pay again when I recheck the bags in Chicago?</p>
<p>Um, most international flights give you first bag free I think?..No idea if you will have to pay again in Chicago; I would think not, but no idea…</p>
<p>You will go through Customs in Chicago and then re check the bags in a special area near Customs. I don’t know for sure, but there should not be an additional bag fee.</p>
<p>Thanks, Kajon, that’s just what I needed to know. I found airline-specific rules but nothing about what happens at an international-to-domestic transfer. Since there is a separate area I bet they won’t ding me.</p>
<p>As long as it’s on the same itinerary (i.e. the same ticket/PNR number/etc), you shouldn’t have to pay new fees when you transfer to the domestic flight. I’ve had to do the same thing on trips to Europe and S. America. They tag your bags to your final destination at the foreign airport when you leave and once you clear customs in the US, you just drop your bags on a conveyor belt and they get put on your domestic flight. </p>
<p>This actually works out well as it allows you to put more stuff in your checked bags if you need to - I’ve noticed a lot of people will put liquor they bought in the duty-free store or onboard the plane in their checked bag at this opportunity in customs since they can’t take it through the TSA checkpoint to their domestic flight.</p>
<p>When you initially check in, the tag on your luggage should have your final destination. After you go through customs, rechecking your bag really means just handing it to an employee who puts it on a conveyor built. It isn’t really “checking” your bag like to you do initially. </p>
<p>Most airlines that I’m aware of allow you one free checked bag on an overseas flight (I have had to pay for flights to Canada), but they are usually very strict about the weight. Make sure and put any heavier items that you can in the outside pocket so that if you are slightly over the limit, you can remove a heavy piece of clothing, pair of shoes or some books/papers and put them in your hand luggage.</p>
<p>When you initially check in, the tag on your luggage should have your final destination. After you go through customs, rechecking your bag really means just handing it to an employee who puts it on a conveyor built. It isn’t really “checking” your bag like to you do initially. </p>
<p>Most airlines that I’m aware of allow you one free checked bag on an overseas flight (I have had to pay for flights to Canada), but they are usually very strict about the weight. Make sure and put any heavier items that you can in the outside pocket so that if you are slightly over the limit, you can remove a heavy piece of clothing, pair of shoes or some books/papers and put them in your hand luggage.</p>
<p>For my international flight, the first bag is free, the second is $70, and going over 50 lbs adds $150!!! I’ll start throwing things away if they find a bag overweight. The carry on has a weight limit, too, so I’ll wear a coat with giant pockets.</p>
<p>I’m planning to pack light, believe it or not, but also intend to do some shopping while abroad and am thinking that I might use a second bag for the return home. I especially like the tip on adding duty-free purchases to the checked bags during the transfer in Chicago.</p>
<p>No problem. We had to pay a fee when the first leg of our out of country flight had us changing planes (airlines?) domestically, but none on the return trip last winter. It was also interesting to pay different fees coming and going within the country depending on which airline started us…</p>
<p>While you do have to recheck your bag, there is no fee to do so and the process is usually like what tango14 mentioned. In reality, you are checking your bag to its final destination, but have to prove that the bag is yours once you arrive in the US. At this point, the rechecking process is the preferred method of doing so, but if you enter the US via a preclearance station such as those found in Canada or Ireland, you will often be shown a picture of your bags instead.</p>
<p>In terms of checking bags, the fact that both airlines are part of the same alliance is irrelevant. What is important is that all airlines have interline baggage agreements with each other. With the notable exception of Southwest, most major airlines have interline ticketing and interline baggage agreements with each other and will check your bags onto the other airlines’ flights for no additional fee. In fact, the connecting flights don’t even have to be on the same itinerary; they just have to be scheduled to depart within a certain number of hours (usually 12) after your arrival in the connecting city. </p>
<p>As a general rule, the checked baggage allowance and fees is determined by the airline you are checking in with for that part of the itinerary. The exception is if you are connecting to an international flight with a higher baggage allowance, then the international flight’s baggage allowance will [usually] apply.</p>