When do I get my bags?
 

Sorry I'm new here so this may not be the right thread. If so I apologize. I am flying to Amsterdam from Oklahoma. I don't fly internationally very often, so I don't know when to pick up my baggage. Like after which flights. From Oklahoma to Chicago the flight is with Untied(acting as partner airline to Aer Lingus). After a 5 hour layover we get on our plane to Dublin(aer lingus flight). We have another couple hour layover then get on a flight to Amsterdam(aer lingus).
I've flown many times alone, but it's been over 2 years domestically and 4 years internationally. I just feel like I forgot the routine and would appreciate this community's guidance!

Welcome to FT.

So, you are flying Oklahoma City (OKC) - Chicago O'Hare (ORD) - Dublin (DUB) - Amsterdam (AMS)? And I presume, the same way back?

Leaving the US, it's quite simple. If you have booked the trip as a whole (i.e. one ticket from Oklahoma to Amsterdam), then you can check the bags all the way to Amsterdam. If you split your route into multiple bookings and booked parts of it separately, it's highly likely that the check-in agent will refuse to label your bags all the way to Amsterdam.

Welcome to FlyerTalk! :)

You've certainly come to the right corner of the interwebs.

As your query has a couple different components, and some of the answers you receive may then stimulate additional queries, I'm going to move this over to the Information Desk forum for now. The helpful folks there may also then refer you to other forums and threads re: specific countries, airports, or airlines.

/JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator

Yes, I booked the trip as a whole with Expedia. Hopefully my bag makes all of my connections! Thank you for you help.

As booked as one PNR the bags should be just fine. Pack any medicines and a fresh shirt & underwear in your carryon just incase and you'll be fine.
With a long late morning into early afternoon layover in Chicago you may want to leave the airport and take a short cab ride over to Giordano's to try out Chicago's .......ization of pizza aka deep dish. It opens at 11:00 am.

Is your return flight on the same route? Dublin has what is known as "pre-clearance," which means you clear US customs and immigration in Dublin, rather than the US. However, I've never done it on a connecting flight, nor have I done it with Aer Lingus.

Can someone else chime in here?
* Will she have to collect her bags in Dublin prior to going through pre-clearance?
* I see that Aer Lingus still lands at Terminal 5. If she were on American or United landing at T3 or T1, I know her bags would be checked right through to OKC, but does T5 have an exit that allows passengers to bypass immigration and customs? Will her bags be checked through or will she have to claim and recheck them at ORD?

Any chance you could manage with just carry-on luggage? A whole lot of transit problems go away. And the lost-luggage odds go to zero.

You could plan on buying some souvenir clothes at your destination.

I often wear clothes on the flight that have just reached their end of usefulness. Toss them at destination, thereby making room for new purchases. I did have to give up taking the socks with big holes in them after a trip to Thailand where it was always necessary to remove shoes for temple visits.:p

Your bags are very unlikely to get misplaced with such a simple itinerary. I wouldn't worry about checking bags at all.