Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
The full rule states
You'll need to go to baggage claim and re-check your bags if:- You chose to have a layover
- You make a connection that involves an overnight stay
- Your connecting flight departs more than 12 hours after you arrive at the airport
- You’re connecting to an itinerary booked on a separate ticket that doesn't include a Star Alliance™ partner airline
- You’re traveling internationally and connecting to a domestic flight within your destination country
I mean, I don't even know what that means. "Layover" isn't defined, and if it were truly someone's "choice," then presumably they should "choose" to have a 45-minute layover and short-check bags on any flight. Since we know that's not true in practice, I don't put a ton of stock into this.
Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
Having a greater than 4 hour break between flights should. per UA's CoC.
So a little more complicated than just 4 hours
OK, so if you want to get into the CoC, the rule you want is actually Rule 23:
(A) 5. Baggage will not be checked:
- To a point that is not on the Passenger’s Routing;
- Beyond the Passenger’s next point of Stopover or, if there is no Stopover, beyond the final Destination of the Ticket;
- Beyond a point to which all applicable charges have been paid;
- Beyond a point at which the Passenger is to Transfer to a connecting flight, if that flight is scheduled to depart from an airport different from the one at which the Passenger is scheduled to arrive; or
- To an intermediate point unless the intermediate point to which the Baggage is to be checked is a permissible Stopover point at the fare paid (except if the Passenger is making a connection to the first available UA flight departing from such intermediate point and the connection exceeds four hours, the Passenger may reclaim his/her Baggage at such intermediate connecting point).
So, I'd agree that the rule permits short-checking bags. I still suspect that this would take a manual override, though. I really, really don't think the computer cares about 3h59m vs 4h01m. And I still think it's going to be a lot less work to buy separate tickets.
