Mauibaby2008

I have a question about bags.

I bought a flight SDQ JFK BUF, my car is at JFK but my final destination is actually BUF but I will be driving there instead. If I miss the JFK BUF leg, would I be able to pick my bags up later in BUF, or would my bags stay in NYC?

BenA

Your bags would be offloaded in JFK when you noshow for the BUF flight. This is what is sometimes happening when a flight is delayed right after the door closes - the baggage handlers are fishing around in the hold for someone's stuff who didn't show up on time.

You can theoretically ask at checkin for your bags to be short-checked only to JFK, but this will expose that you intend to fly a hidden city itinerary. If you do it once in a blue moon, and use a plausible excuse ("last minute business meeting in New York came up"), they'll probably let you get away with it occasionally, but you may be charged the fare difference if the agent is in a bad mood or if your account shows a history of this sort of thing.

The only safe thing to do is to plan to travel with carryons only.

btonkid12345

Yes. Your bags will continue to the final domestic ticketed location. You can go to the Baggage Service Office at the BUF airport with your claim receipts and pick up your bags there.

Note: you don't need to even mention to anyone in the Baggage Service Office why you are picking up the bags late, that you didn't take your last flight, etc. Just simply go in when they are open and state you would like to pick up your bags, and give them the claim receipts.

TTT

Since the OP is flying from an international origination, their bags will be returned to them in JFK for customs processing.

It's been a while since I passed through T4 with bags, but I think the OP could just walk out with them and to their car. No need to re-check them in at JFK for the JFK-BUF flight.

MEMLawGuy

Gotta love it. One question with three totally different answers. Which one is it???

3Cforme

Answers 1 and 3 don't really conflict with each other.

As with fake news and real news, check the statements carefully and assess the reliability of the sources.

guv1976

I think that Posts 2 and 3 overlooked the fact that the OP is originating at SDQ. Unless and until the U.S. opens a Customs and Immigration preclearance facility at SDQ, Post #4 accurately describes what should happen to the OP's checked baggage.

UKtravelbear

#4 by TTT is the correct answer.

You will have to collect your bags to clear US Customs as this is your port of entry into the US and you can then just walk out.

MEMLawGuy

Sounds like some alternative facts shenanigans to me....

TTT

Looks like it is in the works and slated to open as early as sometime in 2017 (though I didn't see anything more specific).
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/nationa...n-preclearance

BenA

Yup, I overlooked the international origination. Good catch. With no preclearance, OP will be able to retrieve their baggage at JFK and carry it with them in their car to their final destination.

If they choose to re-drop it on the belt past customs, though, I would not expect DL to transport it onward to BUF if they noshow for the second segment. Transporting the luggage by ground in their car would be the prudent choice here.

Paplover

SDQ is scheduled to get Pre-Clearance and it might open this year.

TTT

I don't think there is positive bag matching on domestic flights any more. So the odds of domestic luggage being offloaded are small.

MEMLawGuy

And just to be clear, my earlier post was a bit tongue in cheek. I was highlighting the fact how such a single, simple question can garner 3 totally different responses as to what the outcome will be. That is:

1) You'll need to short check them or they get pulled off plane and you get them who knows where and when.
2) No worries, just pick them up in Buffalo.
3) No worries, they'll be handed to you at customs in JFK where you can then just leave.

BenA

I mean, it's a fair point. I missed the international origination (although preclearance does throw a confusing wrench in those works).

And the posters who say they would be forwarded to BUF and not offloaded aren't necessarily wrong - it's true domestic bags aren't positively matched. But it's by no means a guarantee: it could literally depend on the time when the bags are loaded on the plane and the time when the GA removes OP from the flight. With the scanners Delta has been using, I believe they can alert a baggage handler when a bag should not be loaded as the bag is being placed in the hold...

I've actually had this happen to me when i change my flight plans with multiple checked bags at the last minute - depending on the time they're loaded, two bags have ended up in two separate places!

Long story short, I believe there's a very real chance OP's bags could end up in JFK with Delta under no obligation to transport them to BUF; that may not even be the ordinary case, but it's likely enough that OP should be prudent and plan to either short check the bags or pick them up in the customs inspection area.