When you have a connecting flight, it means you change planes after departing from your original airport and before you arrive at your final destination. For example, when flying from Miami to Los Angeles, you might catch a connecting flight in Atlanta. On most airlines, your checked luggage will change planes when you do, and there is no need to claim it and check it again at the airport where you have a connection. When you hand over your bag upon checking in for your first flight, the airline will place a strip on your luggage that identifies the originating airport as well as the final destination, with your name, flight number and a baggage identification number.
Stopovers, which are also sometimes called layovers, indicate a longer time between connecting flights. Travelers usually have stopovers in one destination overnight or over the course of a full day before continuing to their final destination. Unless you receive different instructions from the airline, you will need to pick up your checked bags at your first destination and keep them with you during your stopover. Some airports provide storage for luggage if you want to leave the airport and not take your bags with you.
When you change airlines during the course of a trip, an interlining agreement will determine whether your bags are checked through to your destination or whether you have to pick up your bags from your original airline and recheck them through the next airline you fly. Not all airlines have these agreements with one another, so switching airlines might mean picking up your luggage between flights. If you book a ticket that includes switching airlines, call before you purchase the ticket and find out if you will have to collect your checked bags. It's also a good idea to double check the requirements at the airport when you check in for your flight.
Some airlines are making it easy for nervous customers to track their bags during their trip. If you have a connecting flight and you want to make sure your bags make it onto the next leg of your trip, find out if your airline allows you to track the bags using your baggage identification number. Delta Airlines allows you to track your bags by entering the number on your baggage tag on their website. You can also download their app and make sure your luggage is with you even while you're flying.
