Missing your connecting flight - baggage question

[aperry]

My family is flying from MCO to OAK - with a layover in LAS.  During the layover in LAS we are going to try and make it to a quick Dr's appt check up for my daughter (long story)  - but I am worried that we won't make it back in time for our connecting flight to OAK. I called into customer service and asked if they could just put us on a later flight from LAS to OAK and was told that was not an option. That we would need to book our own one way flights. So I DID book us later one way flights from LAS to OAK.   MY QUESTION: What will happen to our luggage? Will just continue on to OAK without us and we can pick it up a few hours later? Our one way flight is scheduled to leave 4 hours later, but still the same day. Or is there anyway we can get our luggage in LAS - if we know we probably will not be making our connecting flight? 

[bec102896]

@aperry 

If your flights are booked seperatly the bags would usually have to be picked up at baggage claim and re checked. When you check in you could ask the agent if they are able to check it all the way but usually with one way flights you would have to go out of security and re check.

Hope this helps!

Blake

[aperry]

Thank you for the reply - I think I wasn't clear in my original post. 

My flight from MCO to OAK is scheudled to have  lay over in LAS  where we have to change planes (still a SouthWest Flight) I know that in these cases Southwest transfers your bags for you to your connecting flight.  However, I will probably be missing my connecting flight from LAS to OAK. I have already booked a seperate one way flight from LAS to OAK (in anticipation of missing my connecting flight) -- but my bags are still on my  connecting flight - correct? Is there any way for me to get my bags off at the LAS layover? Or will my bags go ahead of me, on the connecting flight that I might miss? 

[bec102896]

@aperry 

Sorry I misunderstood that.

So with that I dont think you can check a bag to just LAS when your one way is booked to OAK. 

With the bag beating you if you missed your connection I'm guessing it would because they wouldn't want to dig for your bag because you missed your flight but it could be taken off. I'm not too sure on that though.

Another note they would consider you a no show on that 2nd flight so you may or may not be able to get the RR points or A List credit if you care about either of those. Also the system might see the 2nd flight from LAS to OAK and call it a duplicate booking and could cancel it. 

Blake

[aperry]

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me. So is there any way I can prevent the possibility of having  my One Way flight canceled?  Customer service was the one that told me I should book the one way flight...because if I missed my connecting flight they could not guarentee me a spot on any of the later flights -- without paying for a spot. And who knows how expensive the spots will be on the Day Of the flight, so I decided to save myself some money and just book it ahead of time! 

Also -- if  I miss my connecting flight and my bags go on ahead of me, will I have any problem picking them up  when I reach OAK? I will be arriving several hours later so will they be holding the bags somewhere? 

[bec102896]

If your bags arrive before you they will end up at the baggage service office at baggage claim. You just walk in show them your checked bag receipt and show your ID and you should be good to go. 

With preventing the possible cancelled flight I dont think there is a way to prevent it. I think it should be fine though since you aren't booking 2 flight at the same time like las to oak at 3pm and las to mco at 3pm (as an example) thats usually where the system cathes on but not too certain on that. 

Blake 

[DancingDavidE]

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@bec102896 wrote:

With preventing the possible cancelled flight I dont think there is a way to prevent it. I think it should be fine though since you aren't booking 2 flight at the same time like las to oak at 3pm and las to mco at 3pm (as an example) thats usually where the system cathes on but not too certain on that. 

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I'm not sure about this one, since it would be (nearly?) impossible to fly both. And it would be disaster to have the MCO leg auto-cancel...I'd change it to two separate one-ways, and then standby on the earlier flight if it works out (I doubt it unless the doctor office is really close, really on-time, MCO flight is on-time, security is easy, etc...)

A lot of ways for it not to work - two separate one-ways would be the most reliable.

[DancingDavidE]

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@aperry wrote:

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me. So is there any way I can prevent the possibility of having  my One Way flight canceled?  Customer service was the one that told me I should book the one way flight...because if I missed my connecting flight they could not guarentee me a spot on any of the later flights -- without paying for a spot. And who knows how expensive the spots will be on the Day Of the flight, so I decided to save myself some money and just book it ahead of time! 

Also -- if  I miss my connecting flight and my bags go on ahead of me, will I have any problem picking them up  when I reach OAK? I will be arriving several hours later so will they be holding the bags somewhere? 

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What they probably meant (and what you could still do if the prices are stable) is change the original trip to be only MCO to LAS, and then keep LAS to OAK.

Then, I had a reply half-written way earlier that was superceded, but now is relevant again: apparently you may request to check luggage straight through on two same-day one-way tickets. Pick up at OAK baggage office as EDIT: @bec102896  DFWSkier suggested. IF NOT, then you would claim at LAS and re-check - if the departure was within four hours you could check immediately and go run you errands, there is a sometimes enforced four hour advance limit to checking luggage.

[aperry]

Thank you all who have replied and helped me with this! I really do appreciate it!

[DancingDavidE]

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@aperry wrote:

Thank you all who have replied and helped me with this! I really do appreciate it!

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What was the verdict?