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International Flight Question from Newbie


bakersdozen12
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So I just booked out flights for our Mediterranean cruise next year, and this will be the first time I will be flying internationally. My husband hasn't flown overseas in years, so he won't be of any help.

 

I have a question in regards to our luggage. We will be flying Boston to Barcelona on TAP Portugal, with a layover in Lisbon both ways. On the way there, we have a 3 hour layover. Am I correct in assuming that our luggage will be transferred over to the next leg without us having to collect it and recheck it?

 

On the way home, we have a 21 hour layover and will be staying overnight in Lisbon. In this case, do we collect our luggage after reaching Lisbon, and then recheck it the next morning before our flight home to Boston?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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You've not provided enough details. Is it all on one ticket? If it is on one ticket then it will be checked to your destination when you fly to Europe. You will collect your bags and clear customs at your destination (BCN). If it is not one ticket then you will need to collect your bags and head landside at whereever your ticket ends to start afresh for the new ticket (LIS).

 

When you fly back to the US you will clear US immigration and customs at your first point of entry into the US. You will want to ask TP's current policy with regards to your overnight connection. As it is less than 24hrs and a layover then you will probably be able to through check it. However, they may require you to collect it at LIS because it is overnight.

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So I just booked out flights for our Mediterranean cruise next year, and this will be the first time I will be flying internationally. My husband hasn't flown overseas in years, so he won't be of any help.

 

I have a question in regards to our luggage. We will be flying Boston to Barcelona on TAP Portugal, with a layover in Lisbon both ways. On the way there, we have a 3 hour layover. Am I correct in assuming that our luggage will be transferred over to the next leg without us having to collect it and recheck it?

 

On the way home, we have a 21 hour layover and will be staying overnight in Lisbon. In this case, do we collect our luggage after reaching Lisbon, and then recheck it the next morning before our flight home to Boston?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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Yes, if sold on the same ticket, in Lisbon your bags will be automatically transferred to final destination.

 

Coming back normally it would also be automatically transferred however, the airlines sometimes have restrictions that if the connection is more than a certain number of hours they will not do the automatic transfer. 21 hours is a pretty long transfer not certain of the specific TAP rules.

 

You will do immigration (passport check) in Lisbon and customs in Barcelona.

 

At the final destination (Barcelona), bags originating within Europe have a green stipe on the side of the tag and those from North American do not. That is how they tell the difference. In practice nearly everyone heads for the Nothing to declare exist and you are done.

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Thank you both! All flights were booked at the same time (same ticket), so I guess that answers my question, and explains why I have seem people comment about having to pick up their bags between flights. I didn't realize people booked some legs separately. In any case, I will be sure to get clarification on the overnight layover. Thanks again!

 

 

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Regarding the return flight to the USA, the airline is not all that relevant. Whenever you return to the USA on an International flight you will first have to clear Passport/Immigration control. After that step you are directed to a luggage area where you claim your checked luggage and proceed through Customs. Once through Customs you then recheck your luggage for your domestic flight. If the European airline has properly tagged your luggage to your final destination this is just a matter of dropping your luggage at the domestic drop point (usually very close to Customs). If your European airline did not tag your luggage to the final destination, there is a desk where you can get the proper luggage tag. Once you have rechecked your luggage you then proceed back through domestic TSA security...after which you can proceed to your gate for the domestic flight.

 

The time to do all this varies (greatly) depending on the airport, time of day, time of year, etc. We have actually missed connecting flight in Atlanta (ATL) despite having more then 2 hours between flights. On other occasions we have breezed through the entire process in about 30 min.

 

Hank

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If your European airline did not tag your luggage to the final destination, there is a desk where you can get the proper luggage tag.
Not the case at many, if not most USA airports. There is usually just a drop point, when baggage handlers put your bags on a conveyor belt and whisk them away. They are NOT agents who can issue a new luggage tag. In addition, even if there is a "desk", that is likely to only be for the airline that you came in on. If the bag is being interlined, you won't necessarily find an agent from your new airline sitting there waiting for your arrival.

 

Have found this out through experience. For example, AF cannot tag more than three segments due to their system limitations. Another example: Alaska does not station agents at LAX in locations where partner airlines arrive.

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Regarding the return flight to the USA, the airline is not all that relevant. Whenever you return to the USA on an International flight you will first have to clear Passport/Immigration control. After that step you are directed to a luggage area where you claim your checked luggage and proceed through Customs. Once through Customs you then recheck your luggage for your domestic flight. If the European airline has properly tagged your luggage to your final destination this is just a matter of dropping your luggage at the domestic drop point (usually very close to Customs). If your European airline did not tag your luggage to the final destination, there is a desk where you can get the proper luggage tag. Once you have rechecked your luggage you then proceed back through domestic TSA security...after which you can proceed to your gate for the domestic flight.

 

 

 

The time to do all this varies (greatly) depending on the airport, time of day, time of year, etc. We have actually missed connecting flight in Atlanta (ATL) despite having more then 2 hours between flights. On other occasions we have breezed through the entire process in about 30 min.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

I don't think this would apply to our situation, though, since we don't have a domestic flight. That is, if I'm assuming correctly that domestic is considered between two US airports. We are going from Boston directly to Lisbon, then from Lisbon to Barcelona. And the reverse on the way back.

 

 

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I don't think this would apply to our situation, though, since we don't have a domestic flight. That is, if I'm assuming correctly that domestic is considered between two US airports. We are going from Boston directly to Lisbon, then from Lisbon to Barcelona. And the reverse on the way back.

 

 

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You should be good.

 

Does not apply in your case, general rule is clearing US customers always involved collecting and depositing your bags into the system again. The one exception is if you clear US customers/immigration transferring at a Canadian airport. At major Canadian airports the transfer automatically.

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