How early can I check my bag
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
How early can I check my bag
Hello,
Im landing at CLT on 8am on Friday and my next flight is at 7am the next morning to Costa Rica, with a layover in MIA. My question is can i grab my bag and check it in, basically 23 hrs prior to my next flight? Just one less thing to do in the morning. Im flying AA on all flights.
Thank you and sorry if this has been covered already.
Im landing at CLT on 8am on Friday and my next flight is at 7am the next morning to Costa Rica, with a layover in MIA. My question is can i grab my bag and check it in, basically 23 hrs prior to my next flight? Just one less thing to do in the morning. Im flying AA on all flights.
Thank you and sorry if this has been covered already.

#2
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
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Welcome to FlyerTalk, jlarz20!
I am moving your question to the AA forum.
NewbieRunner
Co-moderator, CommunityBuzz
I am moving your question to the AA forum.
NewbieRunner
Co-moderator, CommunityBuzz

#3
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: Active: AA, UA, DL
Posts: 4,092
You can only check in your baggage day of departure for most airports in the USA. The main exception is MIA, where the maximum acceptance is 4 hours prior to departure.

#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
Thank you for the information Wiirachay, this is helpful.

#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,265
It is not just MIA. The AA policy is four hours. It is simply not enforced other than at busy airports or in IRROPS when storage space gets backed up.
Another example is FLL on cruise days. The kiosks simply won't generate a bag tag.
Another example is FLL on cruise days. The kiosks simply won't generate a bag tag.

#6
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
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Posts: 4,092
I called AA to get the exact policy. I was informed that the 4 hour maximum was only for certain airports, such as MIA. AA told me that DCA accepted baggage as long as it's the day of departure. Everything proved true when I traveled out of DCA last December.

#7
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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For connections, I believe AA usually uses eleven hours. I've had to recover and recheck on "LIFO" flights overnighting in DFW, MIA, ORD and others. OTOH, MIA sometimes seems more flexible on occasion.
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 30, 17 at 9:09 am

#8
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Hello,
Im landing at CLT on 8am on Friday and my next flight is at 7am the next morning to Costa Rica, with a layover in MIA. My question is can i grab my bag and check it in, basically 23 hrs prior to my next flight? Just one less thing to do in the morning. Im flying AA on all flights.
Thank you and sorry if this has been covered already.
Im landing at CLT on 8am on Friday and my next flight is at 7am the next morning to Costa Rica, with a layover in MIA. My question is can i grab my bag and check it in, basically 23 hrs prior to my next flight? Just one less thing to do in the morning. Im flying AA on all flights.
Thank you and sorry if this has been covered already.

#9
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: STL
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 490
I was allowed to check in my baggage at about 9m for a 7am next day flight in Miami. This was in August 2016. When I arrived in Miami I asked if this was an option and I was told to go to the priority check in desks at the very end of the hall. They took the bags with no fuss whatsoever. Maybe they took them because it was only 10 hour until the next flight?

#10
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,753
There is no such limit for MIA and I speak from experience on both sides of the counter.
FLL and MCO have 4-hour limits but most stations—MIA included—will accept baggage on the day of departure regardless of departure time. Do note however that if you check in sufficiently early your bag may be sent on an earlier flight; be sure to use the baggage tracking feature on AA.com or the mobile app to know for sure.
That being said, MIA will definitely not accept bags the night before, nor will most (any?) stations since it's technically not allowed.
FLL and MCO have 4-hour limits but most stations—MIA included—will accept baggage on the day of departure regardless of departure time. Do note however that if you check in sufficiently early your bag may be sent on an earlier flight; be sure to use the baggage tracking feature on AA.com or the mobile app to know for sure.
That being said, MIA will definitely not accept bags the night before, nor will most (any?) stations since it's technically not allowed.

#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
Thanks everyone. I would be dping my Checkin at Charlotte and checking in for a flight to Costa Rica, that connects through Mia.

#12
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,507
There is no such limit for MIA and I speak from experience on both sides of the counter.
FLL and MCO have 4-hour limits but most stationsMIA includedwill accept baggage on the day of departure regardless of departure time. Do note however that if you check in sufficiently early your bag may be sent on an earlier flight; be sure to use the baggage tracking feature on AA.com or the mobile app to know for sure.
That being said, MIA will definitely not accept bags the night before, nor will most (any?) stations since it's technically not allowed.
FLL and MCO have 4-hour limits but most stationsMIA includedwill accept baggage on the day of departure regardless of departure time. Do note however that if you check in sufficiently early your bag may be sent on an earlier flight; be sure to use the baggage tracking feature on AA.com or the mobile app to know for sure.
That being said, MIA will definitely not accept bags the night before, nor will most (any?) stations since it's technically not allowed.

#15
