transiting on AA thru MIA from EZE onward to YYZ
 

Transiting thru Mia en route to Toronto from EZE on one booking. Can someone please tell me will AA check my bags thru to YYZ and if so will I still have to collect them in MIA before clearing US customs - I assume I'll have to clear US customs in MIA before boarding to go to YYZ
THANKS in advance

Assuming the connection is to another AA flight (or on a carrier with agreements with AA, which I assume from the single booking), AA will check your bags through.

Yes, you will have to clear immigration, collect your bags, and go through customs in MIA. Once you clear customs, you can drop off the bags just outside the customs hall.

Thanks but I've just read that at MIA if transiting internationally to Canada you can have the bags checked all the way thru to Canada but you have to clear US customs ...it seems confusing as I'm getting different answers and I hope AA at EZE will have the answer. But I'm not going to assume they will

The confusion is caused by the fact that unlike many other countries, there are NO intransit facilities in the US since the 9/11 attacks.

It is no big deal to go through US immigration, find your bags, walk them to the re-check and drop them off.

This can be a problem for some Canadians but one hopes, not for you.

That's exactly what MRDEBIT just wrote. To break it down into steps:

1. AA will check your bag at EZE through to YYZ (presume you are on AA all the way through or, if connecting to another carrier, that AA has an interline agreement with that connecting carrier).

2. There's no such thing as "transit." You will enter the USA at MIA and clear immigration & customs. Even though your bag is checked through to YYZ, it will be delivered to a carousel in MIA, you will carry it through Customs and drop it bag off (with its tag intact) after Customs.

3. You will then depart for YYZ, claim your bag, clear Canadian entry formalities and be on your way.

Thank you . The process as described is clear HOWEVER, the reason for my question is 4 yrs ago when returning from COZ thru DFW en route to YYZ on AA we did exactly as described and were told we had to collect our bags at the carousel then proceed thru US customs and drop the bags at the bag drop. The bags never came and we tried to fill out lost bag forms or let someone from AA know but there was no one and we only had a short connection. We we're told by US customs no less it happens a lot on AA and you won't be able to get anywhere until you get to Toronto. So we left for YYZ and spent an hour filling out forms only to see our bags come off the carousel from DFW in Toronto
Thus my confusion.
I will look for the bags in MIA I've got a 3 hr layover

To not have to retrieve your bags and process them through CBP-Customs before the bag drop would certainly be exceptional. Plan on immigration and customs.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

I do not know if it is still the case, but there was a period of time when passengers transiting MIA from an international arrival to an international departure did not have to claim and re-check their baggage at MIA. Although the passengers still had to go through all formalities, their checked bags were not seen until arrival at their final destination.

Perhaps someone with more recent experience transiting MIA can clarify whether the same process is still followed today. Or the OP might try contacting U.S. Customs at MIA.

Same thing happened to me a few years back flying SJO-DFW-PHX... No bags on the customs carousel in DFW and the AAgents told me I'd have to claim lost baggage in PHX anyway, but when I got to PHX, lo and behold, there were my bags on the carousel. Judging by the rifled state of affairs inside of them, I assume that they were pulled off for some sort of secondary inspection.

Miami International Airport website:

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

From the same website:

"Baggage Claim during Connections:

International flights connecting to US destinations - claim luggage before clearing US Customs.

International flights connecting to international destinations - confirm with your airline that your luggage was checked directly to your final destination."

Thanks JD. AA at EZE were very helpful. Tagged the bags to YYZ but said we should get the on the carousel at MIA and drop them to go to yYZ after immigration in MIA. By the way it is a complete mad house at EZE. Took over 2 hrs to get thru security.

And....it's not 4 years ago.

If the USA, TSA, et al can figure out a way to make things more awful for travelers, they will. This is an example.

MIA used to have an ITI facility not only did you not handle your checked luggage but you went through a combined customs/immigration/TSA area and exited back into the terminal.

Now if you think by getting rid of that they've reduced risk, they haven't.

Arrive MIA. Go to immigration. If not US or Canadian, go to the alien line (alien as in non-resident, not alien as in ET) . Wait in line an hour or more. Go downstairs. Wait 20-30-40 minutes. Get bag. Go through customs. Follow the yellow dots on the floor to the TSA dudes. Drop off bag. Take elevator nearby up to departures. Find the best security which might be right there as you get off at E or walk to D and use either the huge one full of non-priority folks or walk farther and use Priority AAccess also in D.

This is based on this year BTW. It hasn't changed since February. Though I have Global Entry and don't check bags so the first wait, for me, is one minute and the second zero. But January I had a bag bringing stuff back from Central America.

MIA was a real treat this morning. After a 15 min walk and a train ride to customs we waited an hour to clear customs. Said we had nexus they said makes no difference - wait in the visitor line. Ok we did....by then of course the bags were all off loaded. Only thing we didn t have to wait for. Then as described exited gave bags to the boys waiting walked back up to security 22,000 passengers - 2 checks. No concept of Priorty as most other countries in fact getting here late makes it faster as all you have to do is say your going to miss your flight, show the BP and off your taken to the from of the line while the rest wait and wait and wait getting nowhere....disorganization at its best and the actual security screening is a joke... Had some things in my carry on from EZE that could have been questioned. Got through without even a blink of an eye !!!
Heathrow is criticized alot but i'll tell you it's quick safe and very organized
EZE was a farce in terms of security and lenght of lines and MIA if busy need 2 hours from an inbound international to a connecting flight. We landed at 06:17 and didn't hit the AC at D30 till 8:27

Thanks for the sad update, aircrashsurvivor. US CBP and TSA procedures at Miami are an abominable joke, often resembling an undeveloped cuontry in its shambolic approach, and it has been so for years. What a welcome to visitors from other countries!