For an overview of what to expect with your luggage during transit, here are a few key points to consider:
- If you are flying on a single reservation for all legs of your journey, your bags should automatically be transferred to your next flight. This means that you won't need to claim and recheck your bags at your layover airport.
- If you are flying on separate tickets for each leg of your trip, you will usually have to claim and recheck your bags onto your next flight. This means that you will need to collect your bags from the baggage carousel at your layover airport, and then take them to the check-in counter for your next flight. The exception to this is where the airline is the same, or within the same alliance, however this will be on a case-by-case basis and should be confirmed with the airline directly.
- If you are arriving at a country like New Zealand, the US or Australia for a layover from an international departure point, you will also need to recheck your bags, regardless of how you have booked your flight. This is because you will need to go through customs and immigration before transferring to your next flight.
It's always a good idea to double-check your baggage arrangements before you travel, especially if you have a long layover or are flying on separate tickets. This will help ensure that you have a smooth and stress-free journey.