Checking Your Bag Early Helps Make It One of the First to Hit Baggage Claim?

If you’re someone who arrives at the airport four hours early to ensure your checked bag is the first off the plane when you land, it might be time to rethink your strategy.

A baggage handler recently shared insights on Reddit about the entire process and answered some common questions.

One user asked if checking in early at the airport affects when your checked bag will appear on the conveyor belt at your destination.

Some believe that if your bag is among the first loaded onto the plane, it will be one of the first to come off, while others think the opposite—that it will be one of the last off.

The baggage handler explained that there is some truth to these ideas, but since luggage carts are not always loaded in order, there are no guarantees. Additionally, if you have a connecting flight, it complicates things further.

He also provided tips on the best and worst types of luggage.

According to him, the worst bags are those without wheels or those with four wheels where one is broken, as they do not roll properly. The best bags, he said, are those with a hard outer shell and a soft lining inside.

Another baggage handler was recently in the news, advising against tying colorful ribbons to your bags for identification purposes.

He mentioned that these ribbons can interfere with the scanning process, potentially delaying your bag or even causing it to miss the flight entirely.

He recommended using suitcases without identifiers like ribbons and old travel stickers to give them the best chance of arriving without any issues.