Can I leave a large suitcase at TPE during a 4-hour layover, and pick it up 4.5 days later when I come back to TPE on my way to Taipei downtown?

Question

Can I leave a large suitcase (~ 28.0 x 19.75 x 12.5 inches, i.e. 71.12 x 50.165 x 31.75 cm, and ~15 to 20kg) at TPE during a 4-hour layover, and pick it up 4.5 days later when I come back to TPE, so that I can take the large suitcase to Taipei downtown? If so, where shall I leave the suitcase, and how much does the storage cost?

Context: I am flying SFO->TPE (arriving at 6 AM local time for a 4-hour layover)->CTS (New Chitose Airport); HKD (4.5 days)->TPE (arriving at 7 PM local time for a few days stopover)->SFO. I'll be staying at CTS/HKD (Japan) for 4.5 days, and SFO->TPE->CTS is a 4-hour layover in TPE. All flights are with EVA Airways and were booked together.

I found 3 airport luggage storage options at TPE:

1. Smart luggage lockers: don't seem to satisfy my requirements as according to https://en.hellowings.com/blog/post/taoyuan-airport-luggage-storage (mirror) the maximum storage length is three days
2. Bonded Luggage Service: I'm confused whether I can use it because https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/english/arrival_baggage (mirror) says "you may deposit it at the bonded luggage counter for collection on departure.​"​ -> I don't want to collect the large suitcase on departure, but instead as I arrive to TPE and head to downtown Taipei.
3. Left Luggage and Packing Services: https://www.taoyuan-airport.com/english/arrival_baggage (mirror) says "provide left luggage service and home collection and delivery services." so it sounds to me that the service is about moving the suitcase around instead of storing it.

I am a French citizen so as far as I know I can enter Taiwan if needs be to deposit my suitcase before leaving to Japan.

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Abbreviations:

• CTS = New Chitose Airport
• HKD = Hakodate Airport
• SFO = San Francisco International Airport
• TPE = Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Answer 1

Your initial problem will not be where to store your bag, but getting access to it in TPE.

By default, your bags will be checked through to your final destination - in your case that's CTS/Chitose Airport. In order to instead have your bags delivered to the baggage carousel in TPE you will need to ask the staff at the check-in counter in SFO to "short-check" your bags only as far as TPE.

However now days most airlines will NOT short-check bags, especially not on a 4 hour layover. There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary reason is that it's a common ask of people booking "Hidden City" ticket, where they book to a cheaper destination (eg, CTS), but only intend to fly as far as the connection point (eg, TPE). By denying short-checking of bags the airlines make it much more difficult for passengers to use such tickets.

The second reason many airlines will refuse to short-check bags is the impact of delays. For example, if your first flight is delayed by 3 hours, then you would have plenty of time to make it to your second flight - if your bags were checked all the way through. But by short-checking bags, you are basically guaranteeing that you're going to miss the connection as you will need to go through immigration (twice!) plus wait for baggage claim - all of which will take time.

Whilst it's certainly possible the agents will agree to short-check your bag if you ask and give a good reason, I would plan on them refusing and you having to take it with you all the way to CTS.

Answer 2

According to this thread

Bonded luggage will be sent to luggage hold, can't be reclaimed as carry on.

so that's definitely out.

I found two posts (1, 2) both of which says the left luggage service is what you need.

Left Luggage is your traditional luggage storage, but an agent touches it.

And:

I have used the left luggage service at TPE before. Yes, it's open to the public and it is outside of the secure area, so you should be fine. There is an attendant on duty at the counter to collect payment and answer your questions. I think you may need to show a confirmed ticket within the 30-day limit, but you don't necessarily have to arrive via the terminal.

However

The only thing to be aware of (I made this mistake once) is if you have a connecting flight in Taipei, they really don't want you to exit the secure area of the airport. Once we were traveling back to the U.S. from southeast Asia via Taipei (stayed in Taiwan for a few weeks prior) and left some luggage at TPE that we didn't need on our vacation. We had to go through customs and get reprinted boarding passes to go out and claim our left luggage. The airport security was not happy with us.

It seems the service is provided by Pelican Express and their page (mirror) has a price table "Luggage Deposit Service" (at least in the Google Translated version) which says a 151~186 cm bag for every 24 hours is NT$ 640 (roughly 20 USD). One size smaller is NT$ 480. This page has rudimentary maps, too.