TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Overnight in Miami with checked luggage

Been awhile having to overnight on our returning connections. We have around a 13 hour layover with AA in MIA. Not sure if we can check straight through or have to pick up, take to room and recheck in the morning. Anybody have any recent experience with this? Staying in MIA International Hotel.

You have to pick up your luggage, keep overnight and then recheck it the next morning. With American you also have to pay baggage fees again and I assume it is the same with other airlines.

Thanks. Think your wrong on repaying baggage fees but if your correct ours will be no charge as we are flying FC. Without FC as long as you have an Advantage card first bag is free for domestic flights. Just hoping PJIA will check all the way through to SEA.

While your luggage will be "tagged" SEA at PJIA since you are connecting to a US domestic flight you'll still have to claim it upon arrival at MIA and clear Customs. Normally, if you have a connecting flight you can recheck your luggage as you exit the Custom Hall BUT since you are overnighting in MIA you'll have to wait until the morning to recheck your bags. AA will not hold bags overnight.

In April we flew AA out of Hartford. Because of weather delays in Philly we were extremely late taking off (2hrs?). We missed all our connections but once we were able to get to Philly, we got on a flight to Miami. We had to spend the night there and we ended up without luggage as our luggage had already been checked thru all the way to SXM. They scan the luggage apparently and know what flight you are on. We were really happy to see our bags in SXM! But it was awful NOT having clean clothes in Miami!

We always take a carry on with pjs, bathing suits, & a change of clothes. The same thing happened to us last week going to a wedding in the Bahamas. We actually had two carry ons because I wanted the wedding outfits with us. Good news was the suitcase made it. Now we have to try to get our money back for the first night at Atlantis that we missed. Never had to use trip insurance so we will see how it works.

Just one more reason to always have a change of clothes in your carry-on.

Georgia, I always DO!! But this trip packing was rushed. Jeff's dad had just passed away, his mom went into the hospital for bleeding on the brain, and I had to take MY 88 yr old mom (who was staying with me) to the hospital. All within a 2 week window. Mom was still in the hospital when we left (my sister was there for her). Too crazy....I didn't even remember the lunches I packed!! I won't forget again! I am too old to be washing undies in the sink at a hotel and then drying with a hair dryer!!

In February we overnighted in Miami on our return trip and had to claim our bags, then recheck them before our flight home the next morning.

Sorry, different scenario than what I had....Coming back into the US you would have to reclaim your bags before your connecting flight. Sorry. My mishap was on the way down.

Wow, Laurel, it sure sounds like you NEEDED that vacation!

We flew American in Feb. and overnighted in Miami. Got luggage, took to hotel, then rechecked next morning. We did not pay again for the luggage.