Okay to skip bag pickup/transfer at IAD on Intl->Domestic connection?
Likely scenario for me at some point this year with checked bags:
Arrive late at at IAD midfield customs, with short connection time to last domestic flight of the day from IAD -> Destination. I have Global Entry -- can I head quickly through immigration and customs, *skip collecting my bags at midfield* and go straight to TSA in order to make the last flight of the day out of IAD... and on arrival at destination submit paperwork for lost bags? Any reason not to do this if waiting for bags means I might miss the last flight out?
So you proposing not to clear customs with your bag and you are hoping UA/CBP/someone will forward your bag without any custom check or paperwork?
Yep, that's what I'm proposing -- I don't care since I am heading home if the bag is delayed but I presume that since the bag is tagged to desination that eventually it would make it way there -- or will customs never clear the bag? Forgive me if the question is stupid and I am ignorant, but this board seems like the perfect place for ignorant people like me to ask stupid questions
It occurs to me that there must be times when a bag is not properly loaded on the departing flight from Europe to the USA and ends up arriving at IAD on a later flight, long after traveler has moved on, and I bet the bag makes it to its desintation somehow...
Programs: UA 1K, CO Platinum, Flying Blue Gold, AAdvantage, TrueBlue, SPG
Posts: 1,394
Quote:
Originally Posted by shdflyer
Yep, that's what I'm proposing -- I don't care since I am heading home if the bag is delayed but I presume that since the bag is tagged to desination that eventually it would make it way there -- or will customs never clear the bag? Forgive me if the question is stupid and I am ignorant, but this board seems like the perfect place for ignorant people like me to ask stupid questions
It occurs to me that there must be times when a bag is not properly loaded on the departing flight from Europe to the USA and ends up arriving at IAD on a later flight, long after traveler has moved on, and I bet the bag makes it to its desintation somehow...
Any left luggage is usually automatically inspected by CPB. Like fully opened and searched. It will then be turned over to UA most likely to take to their BSO or forwarded on to your final destination.
Good luck trying to file a 'lost luggage' claim once at your final destination. You voluntarily abandoned your bag and will probably get nothing more than a phone call from UA for you to come get your bag if/when it finally arrives.
I've done this before and it works exactly as you described. When you get to your destination go to the BSO and tell them you never got your bag at IAD, they will treat like any other misconnected bag. I am not sure how the process though customs works but people get separated from their bags on every international flight, continue on without them, and are reunited.
Yep, that's what I'm proposing -- I don't care since I am heading home if the bag is delayed but I presume that since the bag is tagged to desination that eventually it would make it way there -- or will customs never clear the bag? Forgive me if the question is stupid and I am ignorant, but this board seems like the perfect place for ignorant people like me to ask stupid questions
It occurs to me that there must be times when a bag is not properly loaded on the departing flight from Europe to the USA and ends up arriving at IAD on a later flight, long after traveler has moved on, and I bet the bag makes it to its desintation somehow...
very true, but Ua can refuse to send it to your final destination, since it will be very obvious to them since its still on the Air side of CBP, and they will see you flew on your connecting flight.That you on your own left it at IAD.
I would expect a bill for clearing it and sending to your home. It does cost UA $$ to do that, they dont bill the passenger when its not the pasengers fault. eg I was tkted after arriving from aTPAC into LAX to go LAX-SFO-JFK when the LAX-SFO was Delayed where I was going to misconnect to the SFO-JFK the RCC rep rebooked me on the LAX-NRT flight , in teh end UA didnt off load my bags. When I went into the baggage office long story short the rep knew who I was w/o saying my name and told me since I vol and changed flights I would either have to return to claim my bag or pay for it to be delievered. Only after having him look at the PNR did he agree that it was UAs fault and it would be delivered free of charge.
Since its not UAs job to move and recheck your bag, you may get lucky where they will only charge you for doing it for you.Otherwise they can simply say its sitting on the Airside of CBP you can come to IAD and get a pass to retrive it and take it thru Customs by yourself
This is something I wouldnt even think of trying to get away with doing, even if others posted they were lucky and got away with it
Any left luggage is usually automatically inspected by CPB. Like fully opened and searched. It will then be turned over to UA most likely to take to their BSO or forwarded on to your final destination.
Good luck trying to file a 'lost luggage' claim once at your final destination..
While it sounds creepy, this was the verbatim suggestion of the agent @IAD when my bag did not surface. She said that filing it here would take too long and it would be better to file it at the final destination.
While it sounds creepy, this was the verbatim suggestion of the agent @IAD when my bag did not surface. She said that filing it here would take too long and it would be better to file it at the final destination.
I insisted on filing it right there ...
by You UA will beable to confirm that in fact it didnt arrive with You into IAD. With the OP it most likley will arrive so he will be Abandoning it which is something else completely and who knows how UA will handled it.
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, TrueBlue, VX Gold, IHG Plat Amb, SPG Gold, National Exec Elite, Avis PC
Posts: 527
YES from past experience:
Parents and I were flying AZ back in 2004 MIL-EWR with 70min connection time to BOS which was also the last flight of the night to BOS. Flight delayed departing Milan which left only us only 30 min to clear immigration, get bags and clear customs, and board flight upon arriving in Newark.
Long story short but after clearing immigration, we bailed on picking up our bags and sprinted to the gate with only minutes to spare.
The next day our bags were waiting for us at the Continental baggage claim desk. They were inspected. At time none of us had any status on any airline. Granted, we had to drive to pick them up but all things considered they arrived safe and sound.
The only thing that surprised me is the CBP inspection without your presence or consent.
When we were in a similar sitation in the EU (in this case a bag gone astray) we needed to sign and fax a form to the airport giving permission for them to inspect our bag without our presence. After we faxed the form they put the bag in a taxi to our hotel.
__________________
UA: Still waiting for miles from my SIX US segments to post...
The only thing that surprised me is the CBP inspection without your presence or consent.
When we were in a similar sitation in the EU (in this case a bag gone astray) we needed to sign and fax a form to the airport giving permission for them to inspect our bag without our presence. After we faxed the form they put the bag in a taxi to our hotel.
EU is different to US (and the rules will vary from country to country even in the EU)
But as a passenger I sure as heck want the CBP (or similar authorities in other countries) to be opening and checking any non collected bags.
Because it's the UA mid-field terminal, this is all a little bit different. UA knows there's a bag scanned into the mid-field FIS and not dropped at re-check. Means it was abandoned.
UA may ship it to the final destination airport as a customer courtesy, but it's highly unlikely to deliver it for OP, meaning OP has to schlep back out to his destination airport when it does arrive or make arrangements with a courier service to retrieve it.
CBP will also note the bag based on OP's name and that may result in added scrutiny the next time through.
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, United Club Life Member
Posts: 805
It's incredible how many checked bags are left on the carousels in both Customs facilities at IAD.
In all cases the unclaimed bags are first collected by the airline involved. They then "clear" those bags through customs: every bag is x-rayed and some of them are opened for physical inspection based on various parameters (what showed on the x-ray; what airline and/or origin is involved). The airline then handles the bags per their normal procedures for unclaimed checked items - in particular, sending it on to its final tagged destination. Whether they will deliver it to you personally, or require you to retrieve it from the destination airport, will vary with the circumstances.
