Sharing insights on Reddit, an airport employee explained what travelers should be aware of to either prevent this scenario or know what steps to take if it occurs.
This individual works in maintenance at a U.S. airport, and noted that one airline can have “over 120,000 people departing, arriving, and catching a connecting flight through the airport,” which is a staggering number.
During peak flight times, this translates to “3,000 to 5,000” bags passing through every hour.
He clarified that this is not official advice, stating, “I am just a guy who knows what it feels like to travel somewhere and either your bags never made it, or made it and was damaged.”
One of his main suggestions is to invest in hard case luggage, as it is more durable than fabric luggage with a wire frame.
He mentions, “I have seen both get pinched between diverters and while the hard case will pinch, they usually pop back into place, sometimes the fabric bags get their frames broken or rip open.”
Interestingly, the color or design of your luggage may contribute to its disappearance.
The handler revealed that mirrored colors and metallic patterns can cause issues behind the scenes.
Although they may appear attractive, such designs can lead to your bag being misplaced.
He explained, “Mirrored colors and paint schemes with a metallic flake act like reflectors and send the beam back to the sensor.”
This essentially makes the bag ‘invisible.’
The handler continued, “Once that happens, it can’t be diverted to its assigned location to be loaded on the plane it belongs on. We only see it when it passes through the tag scanners again, but with the sheer volume of bags, it gets hard to catch them,” which complicates ensuring your bag arrives at its destination.
He also pointed out that loose straps, buckles, buttons, and unsecured handles can snag and lead to a bag being lost.
There’s also a particular type of bag to steer clear of: the duffle bag.
“I’d say 50% of the issues I get are calls for duffle bag style bags with handles that are not strapped together and have gotten hung up on a conveyor or trapped under a diverter arm,” he stated.
“This in turn has caused other bags to pile up from different flights and we have to try our best as safely and fast as possible to get everything unstuck and moving again,” he added.
So, not only is your bag at risk of being lost, but it might also create problems for other travelers.
What steps can you take to simplify the process?
The handler suggests, “Make sure to secure all straps together, roll up and tape down adjustable straps like on hiking packs or military sea bags or packs.
“For small bags with telescoping handles, make sure you can secure them down. If they are supposed to latch but the latch feature is busted or it pulls out easily, chances are it will be open when put onto a conveyor.” This is not ideal.
Be cautious with ‘identifier items’ such as scarves and luggage tags, as they can easily become snagged.
Another major issue is overfilling bags, which can cause them to burst open and delay the process.
Now that you’re informed, safe travels!