Missing connection at customs
 

I am traveling to Berlin with a group in December and am scheduled to travel back to the US from Berlin through JFK to Atlanta, arriving on December 21 at 10 PM. Yesterday, I received word that my cousin has scheduled her wedding for the morning of December 22 west of Denver, CO.

My preferred options for making the wedding were:
1. find a flight leaving Atlanta late on December 21 or early on December 22 that would get me to Denver on time - there were no flights
2. talk to the group leaders about changing flights - I talked with them this morning, and they said no changes were allowed

I am left with only one option - to book a multi-city trip (JFK-DEN-ATL) and become a no-show for the final leg of the Berlin-JFK-ATL flight. But I wanted to see what the repercussions of this move would be, especially as it relates to my checked bags. Could I have my bags checked only through to JFK, pick them up and then check in again for the DEN flight?

I would love to work within the system on this one, but I am caught between a rock and a hard place.

Thanks.

If you are traveling from Berlin to JFK, your luggage will be checked only to JFK anyway--you have to pick it up there to clear customs, after which you re-check it with the airline for the domestic legs of your flight. So being a no-show for the final leg will not be a problem. Just grab your bag at JFK and re-check it with the airline on which you are flying to DEN.