Continental Airline Tickets

If I switch airlines during a flight, do I have to re-check my bags with the new airline?

I'm flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina. My first flight is on American Airlines it goes from New York to Miami. In Miami my next flight is on COPA and it is a direct flight from Miami to EZE in Buenos Aires. When I arrive in Miami, will I have to get my bags from the American Airlines flight and re-check them with COPA? I am buying the two tickets separately because it is cheaper than buying it all at once.

Public Comments

1. Yes you will. If you had booked a ticket from NY to BA, then it would be viewed as one trip, and when you checked-in in NY the agent would have booked your bags to arrive in BA.
2. Probably not. Do call American Airlines and confirm they have an "interline baggage" agreement with COPA. If they do > not < you will have to collect your bags in Miami and take them to a COPA check-in desk. However, almost all airlines interline baggage. Show your COPA ticket to the American Airlines agent in New York when you check-in and ask them to tag the bags to your final destination.
3. U will NOT have to check your bags twice American Airlines does have inter-airline checking and they also code share with COPA so u should be able to check in just once too