Airport Customs & baggage

[aurora]

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

Your final destination, especially if it’s a smaller airport, may not have a customs presence. If it doesn’t have “International” in the name, it won’t. So there has to be a way for people who have something to declare to actually declare stuff. Also, it may not look like they’re observing you or your luggage, but they are (drug sniffing dogs, other scanners, BEFORE baggage claim….and they use baggage claim as a way to tie you to the suspect luggage when you grab it off the belt).

So yeah, pain in the butt for everyone who is following the rules, but it serves an important purpose.

[frlcb]

Aug 30, 2023 9:29:28 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

Your final destination, especially if it’s a smaller airport, may not have a customs presence. If it doesn’t have “International” in the name, it won’t. So there has to be a way for people who have something to declare to actually declare stuff. Also, it may not look like they’re observing you or your luggage, but they are (drug sniffing dogs, other scanners, BEFORE baggage claim….and they use baggage claim as a way to tie you to the suspect luggage when you grab it off the belt).

So yeah, pain in the butt for everyone who is following the rules, but it serves an important purpose.

She makes a good point about Europe though. For example, we fly to Newcastle in the UK via London Heathrow. We don't pick up our bags at Heathrow, and when we get to Newcastle there is no customs to go through, it is considered a domestic flight so we just get our bags at a regular baggage claim and walk out. I agree they do observe luggage with stuff before baggage claim but I wonder why we have to do it in the US but not in other places?

[basilosaurus]

I have picked up at transit airports in Europe sometimes and others not. Idk. In Singapore they didn't have the transit lane to go to a different terminal, which required a bus that wasn't in the secure area, so another pickup.

Lax is the biggest pita because you get thrown out into the regular security line for with thousands of your closest friends unless in business or first.

I've only had mia as final, and that was years ago. There were definitely drug dogs as my sister and I waited nearly 2 hours. We were 18 and 17 with 3 week old laundry so it was a cursory look once we put them through scanners

I kind of just thought it was your first entry point to your final country and/or a combo of how long your layover is and various inexplicable airport logistics.

[aurora]

Aug 30, 2023 9:29:28 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

Your final destination, especially if it’s a smaller airport, may not have a customs presence. If it doesn’t have “International” in the name, it won’t. So there has to be a way for people who have something to declare to actually declare stuff. Also, it may not look like they’re observing you or your luggage, but they are (drug sniffing dogs, other scanners, BEFORE baggage claim….and they use baggage claim as a way to tie you to the suspect luggage when you grab it off the belt).

So yeah, pain in the butt for everyone who is following the rules, but it serves an important purpose.

Oh, I definitely understand going through Customs at the first point of arrival. That's usually quick and easy. It's the luggage part -- with no obvious review of any sort -- that gets me. We were never even asked if we had anything to declare! (We both have Global entry, and that process now is super fast without the standard older questions.)

Maybe there was some scanning of the luggage elsewhere in on the process (per your point -- it would make sense if that's why baggage claim was so slow). I also hadn't thought about that's how they link people to suspect bags.

[mala]

As mentioned above but also sometimes the baggage areas are disconnected, especially if you're switching airlines and terminals. There might not be a way to get a bag from one flight to another through a secure (automated) path.

[aurora]

Aug 30, 2023 11:33:55 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

I have picked up at transit airports in Europe sometimes and others not. Idk. In Singapore they didn't have the transit lane to go to a different terminal, which required a bus that wasn't in the secure area, so another pickup.

Lax is the biggest pita because you get thrown out into the regular security line for with thousands of your closest friends unless in business or first.

I've only had mia as final, and that was years ago. There were definitely drug dogs as my sister and I waited nearly 2 hours. We were 18 and 17 with 3 week old laundry so it was a cursory look once we put them through scanners

I kind of just thought it was your first entry point to your final country and/or a combo of how long your layover is and various inexplicable airport logistics.

I've only had my first entry point be MIA twice now and has a terrible experience the first time, so this one was only mildly annoying by comparison. It just seemed like such a big waste.

I don't think they (Customs) care at all about your layover time. Some friends missed their connection at DEN (entry point to the US for that trip) after it took over 2 hours for our bags to be unloaded.

[aurora]

Aug 30, 2023 12:59:52 GMT -5 mala said:

As mentioned above but also sometimes the baggage areas are disconnected, especially if you're switching airlines and terminals. There might not be a way to get a bag from one flight to another through a secure (automated) path.

This explanation doesn't make sense for this circumstance. When I was with my luggage, it was always in one area (international baggage claim and drop off, not the main ticket/check in area). So, clearly there were airport personnel bringing the bags to this area and picking them up again from the same location to get them to my connecting flight. I just walked them from one part of the carousel area to the other, maybe 200 yards (again without talking to anyone or having any obvious checks). In other words, I didn't add any connectivity.

ETA we were on the same airline and in fact our arrival gate was only a few down from our departure gate, so our bags went much further than they would have if both flights had been domestic. (Upon arrival we were routed through the separate international hallway to Customs, of course.)

[goldengirlz]

Aug 30, 2023 13:07:58 GMT -5 aurora said:

Aug 30, 2023 12:59:52 GMT -5 mala said:

As mentioned above but also sometimes the baggage areas are disconnected, especially if you're switching airlines and terminals. There might not be a way to get a bag from one flight to another through a secure (automated) path.

This explanation doesn't make sense for this circumstance. When I was with my luggage, it was always in one area (international baggage claim and drop off, not the main ticket/check in area). So, clearly there were airport personnel bringing the bags to this area and picking them up again from the same location to get them to my connecting flight. I just walked them from one part of the carousel area to the other, maybe 200 yards (again without talking to anyone or having any obvious checks). In other words, I didn't add any connectivity.

ETA we were on the same airline and in fact our arrival gate was only a few down from our departure gate, so our bags went much further than they would have if both flights had been domestic. (Upon arrival we were routed through the separate international hallway to Customs, of course.)

But it was everyone’s bags, right? Like even people connecting to a codeshare flight (including another international flight) or leaving the airport?

I know on domestic flights, they would check all the way through, but maybe it’s too much of a logistical headache to screen, process and then transfer them to various terminals.

[aurora]

Aug 30, 2023 13:49:18 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Aug 30, 2023 13:07:58 GMT -5 aurora said:

This explanation doesn't make sense for this circumstance. When I was with my luggage, it was always in one area (international baggage claim and drop off, not the main ticket/check in area). So, clearly there were airport personnel bringing the bags to this area and picking them up again from the same location to get them to my connecting flight. I just walked them from one part of the carousel area to the other, maybe 200 yards (again without talking to anyone or having any obvious checks). In other words, I didn't add any connectivity.

ETA we were on the same airline and in fact our arrival gate was only a few down from our departure gate, so our bags went much further than they would have if both flights had been domestic. (Upon arrival we were routed through the separate international hallway to Customs, of course.)

But it was everyone’s bags, right? Like even people connecting to a codeshare flight (including another international flight) or leaving the airport?

I know on domestic flights, they would check all the way through, but maybe it’s too much of a logistical headache to screen, process and then transfer them to various terminals.

Yes, everyone's. But I maintain that the baggage handling logistics aren't substantially different than for domestic flights (some bags go to baggage claim since final destination, some go to connecting flights on the same airline or others, all of which happens without me having to walk the bag a couple of hundred yards). That also requires the ability to process and move between different parts of the airport.

If indeed screening is done out of sight of the passengers (as @villainv mentioned), and then they want to make sure to get the right person for suspect bags, then that would make sense as a difference from domestic only travel. It still doesn't explain why we do it one way and Europe another, but I do recognize that different countries can have different rules.

[lolalolalola]

Aug 30, 2023 9:37:19 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:29:28 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Your final destination, especially if it’s a smaller airport, may not have a customs presence. If it doesn’t have “International” in the name, it won’t. So there has to be a way for people who have something to declare to actually declare stuff. Also, it may not look like they’re observing you or your luggage, but they are (drug sniffing dogs, other scanners, BEFORE baggage claim….and they use baggage claim as a way to tie you to the suspect luggage when you grab it off the belt).

So yeah, pain in the butt for everyone who is following the rules, but it serves an important purpose.

She makes a good point about Europe though. For example, we fly to Newcastle in the UK via London Heathrow. We don't pick up our bags at Heathrow, and when we get to Newcastle there is no customs to go through, it is considered a domestic flight so we just get our bags at a regular baggage claim and walk out. I agree they do observe luggage with stuff before baggage claim but I wonder why we have to do it in the US but not in other places?

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

[supertrooper1]

This might have something to do with the Customs border search authority. I think if you go through a preclearance airport, where you speak to U.S. Customs prior to leaving the foreign country, your bag is checked to your final destination. By picking up your bag and rechecking it when you land at your first airport, you have established intent to enter the U.S. with baggage.

[loira]

Aug 31, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:37:19 GMT -5 frlcb said:

She makes a good point about Europe though. For example, we fly to Newcastle in the UK via London Heathrow. We don't pick up our bags at Heathrow, and when we get to Newcastle there is no customs to go through, it is considered a domestic flight so we just get our bags at a regular baggage claim and walk out. I agree they do observe luggage with stuff before baggage claim but I wonder why we have to do it in the US but not in other places?

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

I've had to do this when re-entering Canada on flights that connected in Toronto. Because Toronto was my first point of entry, I had to go through customs, then pick up my bags and walk through a declaration zone before putting my bags on a special conveyor for domestic flights. Admittedly this was 10+ years ago now so maybe they've changed the system.

[frlcb]

Aug 31, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:37:19 GMT -5 frlcb said:

She makes a good point about Europe though. For example, we fly to Newcastle in the UK via London Heathrow. We don't pick up our bags at Heathrow, and when we get to Newcastle there is no customs to go through, it is considered a domestic flight so we just get our bags at a regular baggage claim and walk out. I agree they do observe luggage with stuff before baggage claim but I wonder why we have to do it in the US but not in other places?

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

You can't get to your connecting flight without walking through baggage claim after passport control, so you would realize it!

[lolalolalola]

Aug 31, 2023 16:27:53 GMT -5 loira said:

Aug 31, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

I've had to do this when re-entering Canada on flights that connected in Toronto. Because Toronto was my first point of entry, I had to go through customs, then pick up my bags and walk through a declaration zone before putting my bags on a special conveyor for domestic flights. Admittedly this was 10+ years ago now so maybe they've changed the system.

I have connected internationally through YYZ 5x over the past few years and haven’t had to pick up my bags at all.

I do recall when I travelled a lot for work 15-20 years ago that was the case but I don’t think it’s been that way for a while. I think it has to do with the technology and systems at each particular Airport.

[cattledogkisses]

Aug 31, 2023 17:37:00 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Aug 31, 2023 16:27:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've had to do this when re-entering Canada on flights that connected in Toronto. Because Toronto was my first point of entry, I had to go through customs, then pick up my bags and walk through a declaration zone before putting my bags on a special conveyor for domestic flights. Admittedly this was 10+ years ago now so maybe they've changed the system.

I have connected internationally through YYZ 5x over the past few years and haven’t had to pick up my bags at all.

I do recall when I travelled a lot for work 15-20 years ago that was the case but I don’t think it’s been that way for a while. I think it has to do with the technology and systems at each particular Airport.

This has been my observation, that it seems to vary airport by airport.

More anecdata, but we flew from Boston to Bordeaux this summer, connecting through Paris, and our bags were checked all the way to our final destination; we didn’t have to claim them in Paris. And there was no customs in Bordeaux because it was a domestic flight.

[AAM2012]

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

Yes there are definitely screening’s done before you even saw your luggage.

Not everyone on your flight at a connecting flight.

If I was on your flight, had something in my luggage, on me, my carry on, etc. that wasn’t legal, an insect, fruit, produce, etc that isn’t good for the US (example) and my final destination was or even not at your connecting flight airport I would hope it to be caught before I leave or get on my next flight to mitigate the risk.

Also, rules for what you can/can’t carry on in your luggage vary by country but there are definitely international countries in which you don’t have to do this due to international agreement or whatever but I don’t believe US has anything of that nature for inbound flights…and I’m ok with that.

[basilosaurus]

Aug 31, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:37:19 GMT -5 frlcb said:

She makes a good point about Europe though. For example, we fly to Newcastle in the UK via London Heathrow. We don't pick up our bags at Heathrow, and when we get to Newcastle there is no customs to go through, it is considered a domestic flight so we just get our bags at a regular baggage claim and walk out. I agree they do observe luggage with stuff before baggage claim but I wonder why we have to do it in the US but not in other places?

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

Real question without snark or judgment.

Do people not normally ask when they check in whether the bag is checked to final destination? And then check the tags to make sure?

It may be a result of my "mom" being a travel agent when I was a kid, but it's basically a reflex for me to do this. And that was even when I had far fewer airports and airlines for long flights. (Record now is 5, not counting origin, with final bring not small and intl.)

Last time I was in the states, I cleared in Houston with final in KC. I definitely had to pick up bags in Houston and go through the nothing to declare scanner line.

I'm pretty sure the us tries to make it as confusing as possible. My poor seatmate from Ethiopia (our flight originated in doha) basically clung to me to sort her baggage situation as the airline did actually fuck it up. She spoke perfect English, but no one would help her, and while she traveled intl before many times this was something neither she nor I had encountered. But brown with an accent vs white without, guess who easily got answers. I don't think I'm too cynical to say it's by design. I actually ended up helping a few others from that flight.

So maybe my answer had changed from logistics to intentional now that I'm remembering my travels. I've certainly seen intentional bs in other countries, so why not "were number 1?"

[basilosaurus]

Aug 31, 2023 23:43:37 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Aug 30, 2023 9:13:28 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm musing about this after returning from an international trip recently where we connected through Miami before flying to our final destination.

What is the actual point of having to pick up our checked luggage before catching our next flight? I could see if someone actually looked at it or asked us questions, but literally all we did was wait for an hour in the crowded carousel area and then walk the bags over to the drop off to be loaded onto our next flight. Nobody even talked to us in that time. When we've flown to Europe and connected, we've never had to do that (bags are always checked through to final destination, even though we go through Customs at our first stop).

It seems like such a waste of time and personnel.

Yes there are definitely screening’s done before you even saw your luggage.

Not everyone on your flight at a connecting flight.

If I was on your flight, had something in my luggage, on me, my carry on, etc. that wasn’t legal, an insect, fruit, produce, etc that isn’t good for the US (example) and my final destination was or even not at your connecting flight airport I would hope it to be caught before I leave or get on my next flight to mitigate the risk.

Also, rules for what you can/can’t carry on in your luggage vary by country but there are definitely international countries in which you don’t have to do this due to international agreement or whatever but I don’t believe US has anything of that nature for inbound flights…and I’m ok with that.

I'll disagree slightly. All flights bound to the us have American tsa agents and very likely a secondary screening at the gate. As far as I can tell they exist to make you throw out the water you filled at the station just outside the gate. So everything would be prescreened with hand luggage and checked.

[loira]

Aug 31, 2023 17:37:00 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Aug 31, 2023 16:27:53 GMT -5 loira said:

I've had to do this when re-entering Canada on flights that connected in Toronto. Because Toronto was my first point of entry, I had to go through customs, then pick up my bags and walk through a declaration zone before putting my bags on a special conveyor for domestic flights. Admittedly this was 10+ years ago now so maybe they've changed the system.

I have connected internationally through YYZ 5x over the past few years and haven’t had to pick up my bags at all.

I do recall when I travelled a lot for work 15-20 years ago that was the case but I don’t think it’s been that way for a while. I think it has to do with the technology and systems at each particular Airport.

Oh this is good news! I haven't had to connect in a long time because for the past few years I've always been able to fly from my destination (usually London) direct to YVR.

[waverly]

We switched airlines but we did go through immigration in Miami, I do remember that. I think we did have our bags on us when we went through that check point. It's a bit of a blur. There was no line and it was fairly easy, so not sure if they broke up the process to separate areas of the airport. The we rechecked our bags on Delta and they were screened again.

We also had a wheelchair person with us so every effort was made to accommodate us better and faster than the usual person, except they never came to load him on the plane because they were too busy.  

[AAM2012]

Sept 1, 2023 0:16:14 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Aug 31, 2023 23:43:37 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Yes there are definitely screening’s done before you even saw your luggage.

Not everyone on your flight at a connecting flight.

If I was on your flight, had something in my luggage, on me, my carry on, etc. that wasn’t legal, an insect, fruit, produce, etc that isn’t good for the US (example) and my final destination was or even not at your connecting flight airport I would hope it to be caught before I leave or get on my next flight to mitigate the risk.

Also, rules for what you can/can’t carry on in your luggage vary by country but there are definitely international countries in which you don’t have to do this due to international agreement or whatever but I don’t believe US has anything of that nature for inbound flights…and I’m ok with that.

I'll disagree slightly. All flights bound to the us have American tsa agents and very likely a secondary screening at the gate. As far as I can tell they exist to make you throw out the water you filled at the station just outside the gate. So everything would be prescreened with hand luggage and checked.

Which part specifically are you disagreeing with?

[bugandbibs]

It’s been so long since I checked a bag, this was interesting to read. There is so much variation in airports

[4speedy]

Aug 31, 2023 16:27:53 GMT -5 loira said:

Aug 31, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

We don’t have to do to in Canadian airports. Strange you have to in the US. I never realized that and probably would have left a bag behind!

I've had to do this when re-entering Canada on flights that connected in Toronto. Because Toronto was my first point of entry, I had to go through customs, then pick up my bags and walk through a declaration zone before putting my bags on a special conveyor for domestic flights. Admittedly this was 10+ years ago now so maybe they've changed the system.

This post made my mind take a couple of jumps and remember something that I learned while living in Korea.  loira you and the other Canadians might be the only people who will appreciates this story.  In Seoul, directly across from the Canadian embassy, there is a giant maple tree that is at least 100 years old, so there long before the embassy was in that location.  Maple trees are common in the mountains around Seoul but pretty rare in the actual city so it was just dumb luck to have such a grand maple in front of the Canadian embassy.  It was so big that the roots were pulling up the sidewalk.  One day a truck pulled up and started to cut the tree down in order to save the sidewalk.  The Canadian workers inside the embassy were quite attached to the tree and ran outside to block the city workers from cutting down the tree.  The embassy staff quickly called Ottawa to find out if the could prevent the tree from being removed.  The officials in Ottawa called the mayor of Seoul and offered to buy and maintain the tree and ground around it.  The deal was done and there is now a mini “park” in front of the embassy.  There is a little square, about maybe 4m X4m with the tree, grass, a bench and a decorative wrought iron fence.  There is a sign welcoming people to Canada and inviting everyone to enjoy the shade of the tree.  When people sit on the bench, they are technically in Canada since the land is owned by the country of Canada.  Bet you didn’t know you have territory in Korea.

[loira]

4speedy, that's really cool! H and I used to live in Bucheon but I never had to go to the embassy so we wouldn't have seen the little park. I just looked up where it is and it's so close to a bunch of places we visited (museum of history, Gyeongbokgong) - too bad we never noticed!