casanovawa

What would happen if you didn't collect your luggage from an AA flight for say a week? I am flying AA domestically to JFK and have about 2 hours and 15 minutes to make a connection to an Etihad flight internationally and they are on different PNRs... Assuming that the flight leaves on time I think the biggest hold up could be waiting for luggage to come out (I guess I could ask check in agent if they could put a priority tag on it).. I'm assuming there is a fairly efficient way to get from terminal 8 to 4 at JFK, don't they have a train thing going around the terminals?

If I was to not collect it, fly overseas and come back to JFK a week later would it still be there or does anyone know the processes of AA??

I have a few times, flying I think other airlines, when just doing and overnight transit not bothered to collect my luggage off the carousel and come back in the morning or a bit later the same day and gone to luggage services and collected and checked it back in and flown just fine, but not sure about a week as to what they may do with it...

Whether I could even ask them ahead of time if there is any ability to at least not take it away and destroy it... Does anyone know what might happen to it??

FWAAA

Just check your luggage thru to your final destination when you check in for the AA flight. Show the agent your ticket for the Etihad flight and they should be able to check the bag.

If you abandon it for a week, it might end up in Alabama at the unclaimed luggage auction place.

casanovawa

I asked on the AA facebook page and they said "since the EY flight is on a separate ticket, you'd have to collect your bags and recheck them with them."

Not sure if the check in agent has any more power to do it??

jridge

The policy is not to check through bags on separate tickets involving non-OW partners. You certainly shouldn't expect an exception to that.

casanovawa

That's why i'm thinking of Plan b...

arollins

If plan B, why not carry-on? Seriously, if you are thinking of abandoning the checked luggage, why bother with it. What is so important that you need to check domestically, but abandon it for a week upon arrival? As for luggage destroyed, most likely if you have proper identification, they may send it back to origin airport. You have several options, carry-on, try to see if AA can through check the bag, this option may lead to misconnect of luggaage, abandon and risk they send it back to origin airport. If abandon, make sure you fill out a missing luggage online report.

adambrock

This changed within the past year and AA will no longer through check bags to other carriers when you are flying on different tickets. IIRC bags stay at the airport for 30 days. To play it safe I would call baggage services and file a missing baggage claim, just let them know the bags didn't come out when you were at the carousel. You can ask them to hold the bags at the airport until you're able to pick them up in 5 days.

SeeBuyFly

EY is not OW, but it is an AA partner. Are they going to be so strict about it?

Crazy to travel on separate PNRs of course. But worth throwing oneself at the agent's mercy, or at least asking nicely.

bchandler02

If you can live without luggage for a week, why are you checking luggage?

Either you need it, and you need to plan appropriately to connect since you have tickets on different PNRs, or you don't need it and you should carry on or not bring it at all.

No need to make this any harder than it is.

Often1

I would expect that after a week, your bag will either have been stolen or shipped off to its unclaimed center in the middle of nowhere. Chances that you see it again are relatively low.

If you really can't travel without checked luggage, just ship it FedEx Ground to wherever it needs to be. Relatively cheap, it can be insured and it's out of your hair.

tucsnaz

It may not be there when you get back. Recently, a close friend who works in Baggage Services for AA, mentioned they are having trouble with many stations sending bags to the unclaimed facility prematurely. He is a legacy US employee that has been working on the integration of the PMUS baggage tracing system with AA.

I wouldn't chance it myself.

JDiver

Different PNR, non-one world partner, JFK of all places. I'd say take a roll-aboard and forget checking baggage. If the OP wishes to gamble, at least two tags with address they might deliver the bag to, and further address and contact info in a pocket of the bag or in a taped on plastic bag a la FedEx.

The company mentioned in previous posts is The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama.

emma dog

If you don't need your luggage, have you considered shipping home via FedEx or ups? Ship and have it held if necessary and avoid the uncertainty.

arollins

To those suggesting using UPS or FedEx service, heck even USPS, not a problem if sending domestic, but if sending to international destination, you might think about it.

On international destinations, they ask for content value, and it might require customs clearance upon arrival at such destination. The charges might be higher than what you might think.

MSPeconomist

Yeah, if the bag is shipped separately rather than being sent as accompanied baggage, you potentially need to pay import duty on everything, depending on the customs laws for your destination. International UPS/FedEx fees can get high quickly for something the size and weight of a suitcase. Your hotel might also impose a handling/storage fee.