Luggage for overnight connection
 

I am looking the following award itinerary from Beijing to Pittsburgh:

Beijing to Chicago on Jan 4 in first class

Chicago to Pittsburgh in Coach the next morning.

There is no award flight available on Jan 4 from Chicago to Pittsburgh.

I know I need to take out luggage at Chicago to pass the custom. However, can I check in my luggage right after I passed the custom even if my flight to Pittsburgh is next morning? Do I need pay extra if I have 2 luggage since my second leg is in coach?

If yes, I can just have a one-day trip in Chicago. Thanks for your kind help!

You should be able to recheck upon clearing customs in Chicago with the original bag tags (hence no add'l fee) the night you land from Beijing. I haven't done this exact routing before but have had good luck checking bags through with overnight connections. Makes a quick layover much more enjoyable not to have to lug around your checked bags.

Thanks for your reply! I will arrive at Chicago in the morning though. The layover is more than 20 hours. Will that be a problem? Thanks.

Are both on the same PNR? If so, there definitely shouldn't be any charge to check your bags for the second leg in Y. If not, I'm not sure...

Just to clarify, you land in Chicago in the morning, and you depart from Chicago to Pittsburgh the morning of the next day, 20 hours later?

I'm also not sure you'll be able to check your bags when you land, especially if it's the next calendar day. I've heard that airlines wouldn't hold you bags for that long. I'll let people with more expertise chime in though..

Also, your first sentence says Shanghai to Pittsburgh, but the next line says Beijing to Shanghai.

I meant Beijing. Sorry

You understood me correctly.

In the past, I was told by AA that if the connection time is more than 12 hours, they will not do it.

+1 - And crazy to leave a bag at ORD for that long even if they would do it for you, which they won't.

Whether OP is charged a second fee depends on how he is ticketed. If this is China-PIT with a connection at ORD, he won't be charged the second fee. But, the 20-hour break at ORD makes this sounds like a stopover, in which case it's a second fee.