Why you shouldn’t check luggage early at the airport, according to a baggage handler
If you’re someone who arrives at the airport many hours before your flight, it might be time to reassess your strategy.
There’s nothing worse than waiting in a long line to check your bag knowing that you still have to go through security before you can settle in with food and a drink at your gate.
But is getting there early to check your luggage really worth it?
Many assume that the first bag checked is also the first to make it to the other side — but it turns out that’s no guarantee.
An expert in the know took to Reddit to share the intel that everyone wonders about.
In a thread titled “I am an airport baggage/ramp handler, AMA,” a man named Adam said he was “up to answering basically anything” — and naturally the questions came pouring in.
“I have a theory that the earlier you check in, the lower in the stack your suitcase will be. Then it gets loaded onto the plane and is now on the top of the pile. Upon arriving at the destination, it gets unpacked again going to the bottom of the pile, which means your suitcase will come out to the carousel last,” one person asked. “Any truth to this?”
The handler replied, “There is some truth to this, but it isn’t a hard and fast rule. A lot of the times when dollies of bags are picked up by the ramp team, they get mixed up.”
So, it’s probably not worth your while to make a fuss about getting to the airport super early.
Adam provided more advice to the curious minds as well, including suggestions for the best and worst luggage to buy.
“Some of the worst bags to buy are the ones which have no wheels,” he shared.
“In my airline, none of our holds are bin loaded, so we have to manually stack the bags inside each hold, and they can get fairly long. If your bag has at least 2 high quality wheels, then it allows us to roll them down the hold quickly, making it easier for us. Otherwise, we have to throw the bags in order to keep to the scheduled times.”
He added that the “absolute least favorite” bags are ones that have four wheels, but one wheel isn’t working, because they fall when rolling down.
However, a bag with four good wheels is crucial to preventing your stuff from getting damaged.
“To stop stuff getting damaged, you want to have a bag that has 4 good wheels, with soft lining on the inside and a hard outer shell. The wheels are important bc we tend to throw those bags less when inside the hold of an aircraft, and the other features help keep your stuff cushioned,” he advised.
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