No one likes to ask for luggage. They are crowded, often burrowed, and full of people ready to embark on a journey or return home.
You can spend less time at the airport and increase the chance that your luggage will be on the same flight as you if you bring your luggage. However, that is not always possible. Sometimes you want (or need) bag check.
When that’s the case, you’ll inevitably find yourself in the baggage claim area, which is rarely the highlight of any trip. However, there are ways to make the experience a little less uncomfortable.
Here are our tips for surviving a baggage carousel visit and getting your luggage quickly so you can increase your chances of a relatively smooth baggage claim experience.
Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines
Make sure your bags are properly tagged
First, in order to get out of the baggage claim area as soon as possible, you need to successfully prepare your luggage before taking off. See if the airline (or you, if you tag your luggage yourself) has properly tagged your final destination.
Don’t forget to remove any old cards before heading to the airport. Also, if you’re eligible for any priority or priority tags on your bag, make sure the flight attendant has them attached.
While you’re at it, make sure your name and phone number is attached to the bag in at least two places…just in case.
Related: These are checked baggage carried by TPG staff
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Throw in an AirTag
Another tip to know where your checked baggage is and reduce baggage claim time is throw an AirTag in your checked bag before transferring it to the airline. This can help you determine if it’s going to the right city, and even potentially help you track it down in the baggage claim area if it doesn’t show up on the expected carousel.
An AirTag in my checked baggage saved a day at the end of a busy travel holiday when bags in the baggage claim area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) literally piled up everywhere for no reason or rhyme any. I was able to find my bag on the far opposite side of the building by a ferris wheel, which I didn’t expect thanks to my trusty AirTag.
Seriously, spend $29 on AirTag so you don’t have to regret the choices in your life later.
Don’t be like others
Standing out from the crowd isn’t just a fashion statement; It also helps your bag out.
Don’t be the 20th no-nonsense blackboard on your flight. If you use a bag that looks similar to other bags, do something to differentiate it. Consider adding a colorful ribbon, bold bag tag, or another unique accessory.
If you want your bag to look different, choose a bold, limited-edition model the next time you buy a new bag. These new ones from Away are great choices for color-loving travelers.
Make sure you’re on the right carousel — really
Staying on the right baggage carousel sounds like a simple trick. However, when locating the right carousel that requires screen checks in a busy baggage claim area (and double-checking to make sure your assigned carousel hasn’t changed), it’s very easy to get the wrong one. pass.
Always be on the lookout for any changes to where the bags will offload. This isn’t always reported, so if it’s been more than a few minutes with nothing happening, make sure you’re in the right place.
In the event of a baggage apocalypse when bags are piled up, pay extra attention to notices and displays showing where to put bags, as the airport may send some bags from your flight to the replacement conveyor belt. Be ready to look around if it doesn’t show up in time.
Related: Last person standing at the carousel: This is the chance of your bag getting lost or delayed
Position yourself where you can see the bags falling
Things happen, and people sometimes accidentally get the wrong bag. You’ll save yourself time and trouble by being in a place where you can see your flight bags as they go down to the shoot.
This doesn’t mean you have to scramble for a spot right before the shot as an attacking midfielder defending the midfield. Just make sure you choose a spot where you can find your luggage, like you would a bag finder, so you can easily get to your bag when it drops.
Remember to verify it’s indeed your baggage before you leave for the airport, as confusion is much easier to fix at this point.
Related: Stop behaving badly at baggage claim: Etiquette tips from the experts
Start the clock
No one wants to hang around the baggage claim area. However, there simply isn’t enough room on many planes for all the bags to be carried as hand baggage.
To deal with this situation, some airlines have interesting incentives when checking baggage. Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines both will give you 2,500 bonus miles if your checked baggage doesn’t get off the carousel within 20 minutes after the plane door opens.
There are some rules to know about that guarantee, but overall, it’s pretty easy to earn some bonus points if it takes more than 20 minutes for the baggage to show up on those airlines.
Keep looking (and don’t leave empty-handed)
There are times when you can do everything listed here and still find yourself losing out on your baggage claim trip. Before giving up and accepting that you’ve lost this round, take a final look around all the conveyor belts and potential piles of bags near the carousels. Also, check out the area where larger bags and specialty items (think: car seats and skateboards) appear.
If you have an AirTag, see the last known location of your bag. If it shows it’s in the baggage claim area, keep looking.
After you’ve hit a dead end with all of the above, be sure to talk to your airline’s baggage claim office or flight attendant. See if they can help track your luggage’s location through boarding passes and baggage claim stickers. If your bag is actually not there, start the paperwork to report the lost bag before you leave.
The airline can provide you with something like a car seat to use if needed. You should also know that this is a case of delayed and lost baggage claim from the airline or even yours. credit can kick in.
Related: 7 steps to take when the airline loses your luggage
bottom line
If you don’t like spending time on baggage claim, use these tips to make your visit quick and painless in your journey.
Now that you’re armed with the knowledge to get on, off and on with your trip, you can spend less time worrying about baggage check and more time focusing into other elements of your stay, such as where you parked or picked up a rental car in airport garage.
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