Originally Posted by vfw614

I have never done this, hence my asking:

I have 8 hours in-between two (domestic) Air Canada flights at Quebec YQB on two separate tickets next week. I want to go downtown for a little bit of sightseeing, but do not want to haul my luggage around. Apparently there is no left-luggage facility at the airport and Air Canada only allows baggage drop-off 4 hours before departure so that I cannot check-in my baggage with them immediately after arrival on the incoming flight. So the only option to leave the suitcase at the airport would be the somewhat unusual solution to not reclaim it in the baggage hall when arriving, but only when returning from the city before checking-in for the outbound flight (assuming that all unclaimed suitcases get collected at the belt after a while and are not left there on their own for a day or so).

There are lots of unclaimed suitcases at airports every day, of course, and so collecting a suitcase at a later point is not too unusual - but I am not sure if such a manoeuvre entails some risks I do not spot and should better avoid (other than the risk resulting from baggage reclaim being located landside so that everyone can access luggage - a concept I have never understood, to be honest, as passengers are not necessarily in the baggage hall befire their luggage)..