I guess I should probably know the answer to this, but it has never happened to me before and my search did not provide an answer. I was on an Air Canada flight from YYZ to ORD connecting in ORD onto United. There was a mechanical issue with the AC plane and I missed my connection which was the last one for the evening so I had to overnight in Chicago. AC made me check my bag. I normally carry-on my rollaboard, but AC said it was too big (it meets UA's dimensional requirements). The GA told us we could pick up our baggage in baggage claim. My bag didn't show up and when I asked the AC rep about my bag she told me it was against the law for them to give me my bag because it was checked through to my final destination not ORD. So I had no clean clothes or toiletry kit. Is this true? Is it against the law for them to give me my bag. Thanks.

The only situation where I could possibly imagine "the law" might be involved would be if your final destination were outside the US, so that your bag had not been examined by US customs. Is that the case here?

No, it was a domestic destination. I was on my way to New Orleans.

While I can't quote any specific law (or more likely, regulation), it makes sense under normal circumstances. Certain items have to be packed in checked bags so that the passenger doesn't have access to them within the "sterile environment" beyond security. Obviously, allowing a passenger access to their checked bag while within the "sterile environment" at a connecting point would also allow access to any of these items they might have packed - a no-no.

While what you were told probably is the "letter of the law", allowing you to pick up your bag at baggage claim and recheck it the next morning at the ticket counter would keep the spirit of the law. It would merely mean that someone would have to track down your bag (still in AC's possession or already transfered to UA?) and deliver it to baggage claim.

Of course, you were asking a GA for access to your bag while within the "sterile environment", so that may have prompted the reply.

Jim

In that case, there would be no law preventing them from returning your bag to you at the baggage claim in Chicago. There may not have been enough staff available to track it down, or the agent may simply have been too lazy or clueless to deal with the situation. But it wasn't "against the law."

I was in a similar situation with Northwest at DTW about two years ago. They were not able to retrieve my bag that night because of inadequate staffing, but I picked it up the next morning (just in time to go back to the hotel, shower, put on clean clothes, and check the bag in again).

I don't think it is the law...I misconnected in MIA once on my way back to JFK (domestic itinerary) on AA and had to spend the night in MIA - they were perfectly willing to and did put an order in to retrieve my bag, but it turned out my bag made my original flight, even when I didn't!