Qatar Airways: Passengers connecting at New York JFK will no longer have to retrieve their luggage

Traveling between Doha and New York just got a little easier for Qatar Airways transfer passengers. Thanks to a new program implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), passengers transiting through John F. Kennedy Airport no longer need to retrieve their luggage from the baggage carousel before rechecking it for their next flight.

A long-standing requirement finally lifted:

Until now, anyone arriving in the United States on an international flight, even for a simple connection, had to follow a very specific process: go through immigration, retrieve their checked luggage, present it for customs inspection if necessary, and then recheck it before heading to their next boarding gate. This step existed for one simple reason: authorities needed to be able to physically inspect every piece of luggage upon arrival on U.S. soil.

This mandatory process, often time-consuming and a source of stress during tight connections—had previously applied to nearly all travelers in transit through the United States, unlike the practice in many other countries.

The principle of remote screening:

The new development involves the expansion of CBP’s International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) program to the Doha-New York JFK route. Specifically, passengers’ luggage is now screened using advanced equipment at the departure airport, Hamad International in Doha. The images obtained are then transmitted to U.S. agents, who can analyze them while the plane is still in flight.

If no anomalies are detected, the bag remains directly in the airport’s baggage handling system to be routed to the connecting flight, without the owner having to take any action. Only luggage specifically flagged for additional screening continues to follow the standard retrieval and inspection procedure.

This mechanism is complemented by the “One Stop Security” principle, which treats passengers as having already been screened at their point of departure, thereby also speeding up their clearance by security agents upon arrival in the United States.

A rollout linked to the New Terminal One:

This development coincides with Qatar Airways’ move into the new Terminal One at JFK, a facility designed to modernize passenger flow and baggage sorting systems. The system requires close cooperation between CBP, the Qatari airline, and the authorities in the country of departure, as U.S. Customs must be certain that every piece of luggage has been scanned according to the required standards prior to boarding.

This expansion is not a first for CBP: similar trials had already been successfully conducted on American Airlines flights between Sydney and Los Angeles, and later on Delta Air Lines flights connecting Seoul to Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Detroit. According to the U.S. airline, this system reduced layover times by approximately 25 minutes for the passengers involved.

What this means in practice for travelers:

For Qatar Airways passengers connecting at JFK to other North American destinations, time savings are the main expected benefit, with estimated savings of between 20 and 30 minutes per connection, according to some industry sources. However, this does not mean a complete waiver of formalities: everyone must still go through the usual immigration, customs, and security checks. Only the step of retrieving and rechecking luggage is eliminated for eligible travelers.

It is also still recommended to allow for a safety margin in your layover time, as a piece of luggage may still be selected for additional inspection upon arrival, in which case the standard procedure applies again.

Lost luggage at New York JFK airport: What to do?

Indeed, lost luggage with Qatar Airways is a fairly common problem, even for flights arriving at JFK.

JFK in particular has experienced several major baggage handling incidents, such as a burst pipe or winter storms, which have affected all airlines operating there, not just Qatar Airways. The airport’s specific circumstances can therefore also play a role.

To file a claim, the first thing to do is go to the Qatar Airways baggage counter at JFK before leaving the airport to obtain a PIR (Property Irregularity Report), a ten-character tracking code. Without this number, the process becomes much more complicated. If you have already left the airport, you can still report the incident via the Qatar Airways website, on the dedicated baggage incident page, by providing your flight and ticket numbers. You can then track the progress of your claim using the automated online tracking system with your PIR reference.

Regarding deadlines, for damaged baggage, a claim must be filed within seven days of receipt. For a confirmed loss, generally after about twenty days without finding the baggage, a compensation claim can be filed. Under the Montreal Convention, the compensation limit is approximately €1,538 in the event of a confirmed loss. It is advisable to keep all possible supporting documents, such as photos of the contents or receipts, as airlines often request them.

For a claim by phone: there is a dedicated number called SOS Baggage Qatar Airways, reachable at +1 877 777 2827 in the United States (or +1 202 719 0944 for customer service based in Washington).