American Airlines baggage changes set to make layovers easier

The initiative aims to make layovers with luggage less stressful, so travelers won't need to rush through their connecting airport

American Airlines is trialling a scheme that will make international layovers a lot easier for passengers. Inbound flyers to the US will now be able to make their connection without needing to claim and recheck luggage on certain routes.

The initiative, launched by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), means that travelers with a layover can simply make their way through the connecting airport with their carry on luggage, giving them more time to relax and enjoy the airport facilities.

The first route to trial the initiative went live on Wednesday (April 9) on the American Airlines service from Sydney to Los Angeles. Before the flight landed, CBP personnel were sent scanned images of checked baggage X-rays captured in Sydney, allowing them to review the images while the passengers were still in the air.

Known as the International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS), the change meant that flyers switching to connecting flights in LAX didn't need to collect their luggage for X-ray screening when they landed in Los Angeles. However, they'd still need to go through the usual TSA screening in LAX with their carry ons.

In a statement, CBP said: "This collaboration highlights CBP's dedication to improving security protocols while facilitating the flow of international travelers through select U.S. ports of entry". They aim to expand the initiative to other routes and airlines in the future if it is successful.

“We are excited to collaborate with CBP on this innovative initiative,” said Gary Tomasulo, Vice President of Global Corporate Security at American in a statement. “By leveraging advanced technology and working with Sydney Airport and our vendor partners BagCheck and Brock Solutions, we are enhancing safety and security while streamlining the CBP baggage inspection process to make global travel smoother and more convenient for our customers.”

In a separate scheme launched in February, the One-stop Security program was launched for inbound London Heathrow flights, which allowed passengers from Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta to go directly to their connecting flights, without needing to collect their bags and have them rescanned.

This scheme is also set to be expanded to inbound flights from London Heathrow to Atlanta and Dallas, with the change potentially in place by the summer. This will mean passengers flying to these US hubs from London will be able to easily move onto their connecting flight to their destination in the USA.