A baggage handler has made an admission about people who choose to check their luggage in early.
It’s something that dads are notorious for – trying to get to the airport about four to five hours early to get ‘ahead of the crowd’ and to check-in early, so you can ‘relax’ afterwards, prior to your holiday.
We all know it’s all talk though, you could probably get there 12 hours in advance and dads everywhere will still be worked up and on edge.
However, there is a belief that checking your bag in early may mean that you’ll be receiving it at the destination last, as it will go to the back of the cargo load, having got there first.
Well, an airport baggage handler has taken to social media to answer a number of questions about luggage on people’s travels, eventually answering the aforementioned belief.
Does checking in early give you an advantage upon arrival? (Getty Stock Photo)
The user took to Reddit to introduced themselves as an airport baggage handler that was ‘up to answering basically anything’, apart from revealing the airport that they worked at and who they worked for.
The worst type of suitcases to check in
They revealed that the worst type of bags to check in were ones without wheels, as baggage handlers will end up throwing them in to stay on schedule.
More advice from them read that you should get a bag with four wheels and to tag your bag with your name and address to make it stand out from the rest, while ensuring that the bag has ‘four wheels, soft lining on the inside and a hard outer shell’, to protect your items.
Does checking in first mean you get your suitcase last?
But one user asked the question that could end all travel arguments with your dad forever.
“I have a theory that the earlier you check in, the lower in the stack your suitcase will be,” they began.
“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.”
A fair question, and one that a lot of people believe to be true.
Checking in early doesn’t mean your bag will necessarily come out last. (Getty Stock Photo)
However, the baggage handler answered: “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, the short answer is no, that isn’t exactly right, but it could be, depending on the flight you take.
Apparently, bags can be redistributed in cargo based on their weight, not following the time they get checked in.
On smaller planes, there is something called ‘loose loading’, meaning that bags are loaded individually instead of in groups, and here, bags will be loaded in after sitting planeside 45 minutes prior to take off, and in this scenario, if you’re early checking in, then you might be the last one to get your bag.
But again, there is no set system or way to guarantee that you’ll get your bag first – unless you splash the cash and fly in first or business class, of course.
Or, just stick to having a carry on and avoid checking anything in at all.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo