Baggage re-checking on long-haul flight to US?

Hi,

My wife and 3 year old are travelling to the US in September, going to Rochester via Newark, departing from Manchester International Airport. Both are American.

When they get to Newark, do they have to recheck their baggage? Or is this done automatically? They have a 1hr 45 minute connection wait to catch the next plane to Rochester. Will this be doable? I am assuming they have to clear customs in the American line ...

Pretty sure you have to recheck the baggage once you reach the US. It should be doable as long as the flight is on time.

I've only ever connected in Philly, but I've ALWAYS had to collect my bags after immigration, go through customs, and recheck.

Thanks both! 

I was umming and aahing about whether 1hr45 was doable but you have put my mind at ease about that ... I didn't really want to stick them with a 3 hour plus layover as I suspect my little boy will be mighty tired by then already.

I will let the missus know.

Usually there is a recheck just after you go through customs before you exit to connecting flights so you don't have to go all the way to the check in counter.  In my experience it's been pretty straight forward at most airports.

Usually there is a recheck just after you go through customs before you exit to connecting flights so you don't have to go all the way to the check in counter.  In my experience it's been pretty straight forward at most airports.

I second this..
I usually connect in Newark, and if i remember correctly(and most airports are like this) there is a room you walk through when exiting after customs. It's sketchy looking, has a bunch of conveyor belts and there are people in there who will take your luggage and send it the correct way.

In my experience it's been pretty straight forward at most airports.

Same here - takes less than 5 minutes for me usually.

Get off the plane, go through immigration, collect bags, go through customs, drop bags off on conveyor belt, go through the security checkpoint and head for the gate for your connecting flight.

It's normally the immigration part that takes the longest time - and that's only usually for the non-US citizens. If they are US citizens, immigration should only take a few minutes.

I second this..
I usually connect in Newark, and if i remember correctly(and most airports are like this) there is a room you walk through when exiting after customs. It's sketchy looking, has a bunch of conveyor belts and there are people in there who will take your luggage and send it the correct way.

This is what I did when I flew BHX > EWR > BOS last summer.

It will be the immigration line then the TSA line for the next flight that will hold you up. I had a 1.45 lay over to connect once from Houston into Tulsa. I missed it by about 10 mins but Continental obviously knew this as they had a boarding card with my name on it ready for the next flight an hour later. She will have to recheck bags but its just a case of collecting them & throwing them on another conveyor. Depending on the airline she wont have to recheck her bags on the return tho. Well I never have had too.

I always try and avoid conecting flights. Much prefer to get as near as I can , then get a rental car. Even with the cost of the rental factored in its still much cheaper and a hell of alot less stressfull.

Regards

Certa.