Will baggage be transferred to final destination

Question

I booked my flights to Louisiana through Virgin Atlantic, i stop off in Atlanta and have a connecting flight from there to Louisiana with Endeavour Air (Delta), will my baggage be transferred to final destination or will i have to collect baggage and re-check it? I know both airlines have a partnership but want to be sure

Answer

Because you are flying to the United States from abroad and your first point of entry is Atlanta (ATL), you will need to collect your checked luggage there even though your ticket is booked through Virgin Atlantic and your onward flight is operated by Delta/Endeavour Air. This is standard U.S. arrival procedure.

The key rule: on all international flights arriving in the U.S., passengers must claim their checked baggage at the first U.S. airport they land in so they can clear Customs & Immigration. After clearing Customs, you re-check the bag for your connecting domestic flight. It does not matter that Virgin and Delta have a partnership—this is a U.S. government requirement, not an airline policy.

Here is what to expect step-by-step for your connection in Atlanta:

After landing, you will go through immigration/passport control first.
You will then proceed to the baggage claim area specifically for international arrivals, where you must collect your checked bags.
After collecting them, you will go through U.S. Customs with your luggage.
Immediately after Customs, there will be a dedicated baggage re-check area for connecting passengers. You simply drop your bags there—no need to go to the main check-in counters.
You then proceed through security again and head to your departure gate for your domestic flight to Louisiana.

Although you must physically claim and hand off the bags in Atlanta, your luggage is still tagged through to your final destination. You do not need to check in again or go to the public check-in area; the re-check is fast and streamlined.

One exception to note: if your first arrival point into the U.S. were not your final destination but the rules allowed pre-cleared entry (such as coming from Canada with U.S. Preclearance), then you might not have to claim bags. But flying Virgin Atlantic from the UK (or any non-preclearance country) means Atlanta is your first U.S. entry and the above procedure applies.

Will baggage be transferred to final destination

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