Why You Should Check Your Luggage As Late As Possible
As a rule, I try to never check in my baggage during the flight, but there are times when this is simply unavoidable. Also inevitable is the subsequent mandatory trip to the baggage carousel. You know the scene: the area is littered with your fellow jaded travelers who want their bags to move to their hotel or home. But there are ways to make your baggage retrieval time more efficient and less stressful when you’re just ready for a day’s travel.
How to make your baggage claim first on the baggage carousel
Of course, this will never be a perfect science, but according to Thomas Lo Sciuto, an airport apron worker and exit agent , there is one way to increase your chances of luggage getting out first. He writes: “Your best bet is to be one of the last passengers to check in your luggage. Bags will always be loaded onto the bag carts from front to back, so if you check in last, your bags will be in the last bag cart, making them the last on the plane and the first to get off the plane at your destination.”
However, if checking in as one of the last passengers makes you more anxious than waiting at the baggage carousel, there is an alternative. According to Lo Sciuto, you can also bring your bag through security and then ask your flight desk agent if they can check your luggage at the boarding gate. This will achieve the same effect as your bag will be perfectly placed on the chassis, allowing it to be the first on the conveyor belt at its destination.
Track your luggage with AirTag
When you check your baggage on an airplane, there are several variables that can cause things to end up going wrong and your bag leaving on its own for another destination. However, if you tag your baggage with an Apple AirTag, you will at least have peace of mind as you walk to the baggage claim area, which you wouldn’t otherwise feel because you can confirm that your suitcase actually made it to the location. baggage claim. the same city as you. You’ll never again have to stand around the carousel wondering if your bag will even go down the chute.
As an added bonus, if someone accidentally (or intentionally) leaves with your luggage, it will be much easier for you to track it down for safe retrieval.
Do not stand directly on the bottom of the carousel chute.
Standing right next to the baggage carousel is a clear sign of self-importance, but it is ultimately inefficient. Choose a spot further down the carousel path where there will be fewer people so you have more space and better access to grab your suitcase once it has mercifully reached you. It might not be the fastest way to get it every time, but overall it will be a less stressful experience, which is ultimately what we’re after.