One of the main reasons why airports are so unpopular is because of what happens to people’s luggage.
“You can’t take this.”
“Your bag is 500-grams overweight.”
The biggest annoyance of all is waiting for your luggage at the destination.
It’s you against the multitudes of other passengers who all have the same goal: Getting your luggage from the carousel first. Unfortunately, only a lucky few get their luggage in the first round. If you want to improve your chances of being one of the fortunate ones, try one of these airport hacks below.
Hacks To Get Your Bags First
1. The One Word Is – Fragile
Having something fragile in your bag usually guarantees that it doesn’t get tossed around. It can also help you get your luggage faster at your destination.
If the bag is marked as fragile, it is likely that baggage handlers will load your bag last. That is because they don’t want your bag to be crushed by all the other bags. This travel hack can save you at least 20 minutes.
Most check-in assistants will not verify if your bag does indeed contain fragile items. So, you can get away with this quite easily.
2. Be The Last Person To Check In
Disclaimer: this method only works if you don’t have a connecting flight.
For your bags to be the first on the conveyor belt, it has to be the first bag that the baggage handling team sees at the destination. For that, it needs to be the last bag onto the flight.
That can happen if you’re the last person to check in to the flight. So, your tardiness can be a saving grace.
But, we don’t recommend you make it a habit to be the last to check in for your flight.
3. Book A First Or Business Class Ticket
A higher-priced ticket obviously comes with a variety of perks. Of these, priority baggage handling is one. It is one of the guaranteed ways to get your luggage first.
It doesn’t matter even if you have connecting flights. If your bag has a priority tag, it will appear first on the conveyor belt.
4. Join An Airline’s Frequent Flier Club
A frequent flier club membership is another way to get a priority tag on your bag. Even if you have an economy class seat, the bag will be marked as a priority.
Not all airlines offer this benefit, though. Check the airline’s benefits page.
Other Luggage Hacks
5. Tie A Ribbon On Your Luggage
Unless your bag is bright neon pink or has a flashy design on it, it will blend in with the hundreds of other bags on the conveyor belt. This makes it harder to identify your bag. Your nightmare of someone else taking your bag may even come true.
To avoid this, there is a simple solution: Tie a bright ribbon on the top handle of your bag. This will make your bag stand out. But, make sure to either loop the ribbon multiple times or trim it. Long, dangling pieces may get stuck on the conveyor belt, which causes a host of other problems.
This is a cost-efficient travel hack that is very simple, but works like a charm.
6. Invest In An Aluminum-Framed Bag
Your bags get tossed around. There are no two ways about it. Some bags can handle rough use, so get a bag like that.
Bags with aluminum frames are built to take the weight. Though they are on the pricier side, if you’re a frequent flier, it is worth the investment. The frames will guarantee the safety of your contents. This airport hack can pay for itself many times over.
7. Get Baggage Insurance
Like we mentioned before, there’s no way to avoid your bags being manhandled, or even lost. Airlines are all-too-famous for breaking luggage beyond repair. Yes, the airline is liable for this situation. But, like most organizations, airlines don’t like to pay up.
Give your bags the best protection possible by having travel insurance with coverage for lost baggage.
Trusted by thousands of other travelers, you can get your insurance through Insubuy. Insubuy is an aggregator of insurance offered by many providers. Here, you can compare the best plans for your needs without having to do extensive research all over the internet. You can buy the best policy for you directly on the Insubuy website through its multiple secure payment gateways.
Insubuy also offers after-purchase assistance, which most other providers don’t. In addition, Insubuy can offer assistance with insurance claims, if you need to make one.
8. Try To Make a Carryon Work
If your trip is just for a couple of days, try to not check in a bag. This will have you unnecessarily wasting time at your destination.
Most airlines have a carryon weight limit of 40 pounds. So, if you need just two changes of clothes and your toiletries, a carryon will do.
With carryon luggage, you won’t have to wait at the conveyor belt at all.
9. Wear Your Heavier Clothes
Do you have a bomber jacket that you’re dying to bring on your trip, or a pair of clunky boots that might hog the precious weight limit of your bags? Wear your heaviest clothes to the airport.
This might not be comfortable, but if you layer your clothes and wear the heavy ones through the security checkpoint, once you enter your terminal, you can take off the heavy jacket and stuff it into your carryon. This is a luggage hack where you have to sacrifice comfort for the luxury of sneaking on more stuff.
10. Pick The Line On The Left
Lines are the worst. It always feels like everyone moves slower when they’re at the front of the line. If you want to pass through the line quickly, stand in the left-most lane.
Since most people are right-handed, they tend to stand in the right or center lines. The counter on the far left is almost always the quickest one.ShortcodeShortcode
11. Board Late
The moment a flight attendant says the words “the flight is now boarding,” there is a cacophony of passengers rushing to be first on board. Let the wave subside. Board later.
You’re all going to end up in the same place. If you’re at the correct terminal, the flight won’t leave you behind.
12. Personal Security Tip
Everyone likes to show off. Some people just can’t refrain from posting a picture of their boarding ticket on Snapchat.
When you do this, please blur or cut out the barcode portion of your ticket. The link on the bar code can be read by mobile apps that scan bar codes. The link will contain personal information about you that you would prefer to keep private.
When you’re throwing away your boarding pass, remember to destroy it first.
These airport tips and tricks make the place more bearable. Try them out the next time you go on a flight
