How to Get Your Luggage First at Baggage Claim
There is a lot of variation in the way that airlines load and transport luggage. Some have a last-in, first-off method, for instance. Others pack lots of luggage onto large crates that are loaded in a different order. And you never know when TSA is going to decide to screen your luggage and slow things down.
All is not lost, however! There are some smart ways to increase the likelihood that your luggage will be unloaded early and therefore make it to the baggage claim quickly. The first secret, according to Travel and Leisure, is to get your bag marked “fragile.” You can do this at the check-in counter: just tell the attendant that there’s something breakable in your bag and you need it handled carefully.
In most cases, that means your luggage will loaded onto the plane last. Airlines don’t want someone’s valuable crystal vase getting crushed under the weight of 100 other bags! And since many airlines do use the last-on, first-off method, your bag will hit the baggage claim carousel first. Just make sure the “fragile” tag is visible.
Other experts recommend flying first or business class in order to get priority baggage handling. Being part of an airline’s frequent flier program gives you the same advantage. But if you’re a budget flyer, another trick is to wait to have your bag checked last. This works because of the same last-on, first-off idea. Of course, it’s hard to time things to know that your bag is checked last. No one wants to be intentionally late to the airport to ensure the last check-in!
There’s an easy alternative: pack your luggage as a carry-on, and ask the agent at your gate to check the bag rather than an agent at the airline check-in counter. Gate-checked bags are usually loaded last, and given back to passengers on the jetway as soon as they deplane. That way, you can skip the baggage claim entirely!
Checking a bag at the airline counter can be pricey, which brings us to another another advantage of gate-checking: you can avoid paying luggage fees. While some budget airlines charge for carry-on luggage, most other airlines don’t. Given how crowded the overhead bins in airplanes can become, many gate agents are happy to gate-check bags for free.
One catch to any method of checking a bag, either at the counter or the gate, is that these tricks don’t apply unless you’re taking a direct flight. If you have a connecting flight, there’s no way to know how your bags are being shuffled around from plane to plane, or the order they’ll arrive at baggage claim.
Some airlines are trying to change that, however, by introducing “track my bag” apps. These let you keep tabs on where your luggage is from check-in to pick-up. This helps prevent lost luggage, but the apps can also give you an estimated time of arrival at baggage claim. That can make wait times at the carousel much shorter.
While you’re at it, you could just plan to pack carry-on only so that you don’t have to deal with checking any luggage at all. If you have lots to carry, or large amounts of liquid, you might not be able to do this. But if you can travel light, the carry-on only approach can save you lots of headache. I do it all the time — I even packed carry-on only for a two month visit to Russia, somehow. Stash your bag in the overhead bin, grab it as you deplane, and be on your merry way!
Do you have any other tips for avoiding long waits at the baggage claim carousel? Let us know!
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