What happens to my luggage?

            The easiest way to take your items with you is to "check" a bag. There are a number of reasons people may choose to check a bag, the number one reason being convenience. Why carry your bag through the airport with you when you could have someone else take care of loading it and delivering to your final destination?

             There are two different types of checked baggage, your standard checked bag and a gate check. Standard checked luggage is any item checked in at the ticket counter. It will be loaded on to your plane and hopefully meet you at baggage claim at your final destination. After you hand your bag over to a ticket agent, it will be tagged and placed on a conveyor belt where it will be taken to be screened by the TSA. I can not tell you the exact screening process, which is considered sensitive security information (SSI), but I can tell you it is subject to a number of different screening processes, such as explosive detection, x-ray imaging, or hand search by a security officer. It is important to remember that there are several prohibited items. Click here to see some of these items.
                After the screening process, your bag will travel to a baggage makeup room, or bag room for short. In the bag room, a ramp agent or baggage handler will peel a sticker from your bag and place it on a baggage cart. The bag will remain in the bag room until your flight arrives. Once the plane arrives, the bags will be brought out to the aircraft where they will be loaded into the baggage compartment.
                 Baggage handlers have a reputation for being bag tossers. I can not confirm nor deny the this matter. The truth is, some people are more gentle with your items than others. The fact of the matter is luggage is stacked and packed into the baggage compartments to ensure that all the items fit onto the aircraft. It is a guarantee that your luggage will be stacked with all the other bags and is subject to damage. The point I am trying to make is that you can not expect your luggage to be treated as a fragile item. If you have an item you are concerned about, it it best to bring it in your carry-on if possible, or ship it.
                The biggest question I get is "how does the airline lose my luggage?" There is not an exact answer to this question, there is a number of ways your luggage could be lost. The number one point for lost luggage is at a connecting flight. You can almost guarantee if your flight has a connection time of less than 30 minutes, your luggage will not make it on your connecting flight. In the airline industry this isn't considered a lost bag, instead it is consider a left off bag. Generally the bag will be loaded on the next flight to your destination and will arrive just a few hours after you. The second most common reason your luggage is lost is due to a tag being lost. If your bag tag is lost it makes it very hard to keep track of a bag. The tag is your bags identification. It contains all the information needed for your bag to make it to its destination. Generally a sticker will be taken off the tag and placed on your bag in case this happens, but it is best to make sure you have your information placed in your bag somewhere.
                    If your luggage is lost, never fear, technology is here! From the time your bag is first placed on the belt at the ticket counter, until the time it is unloaded at baggage claim, your bag is being tracked and time stamped. If you do have the misfortune of having your luggage lost, the baggage claim representative will be able to find out exactly where your bag is and resolve the issue.

A word from the Airline Insider- "People always have a fear that their luggage will be left off. Typically a domestic flight will have 70-100 bags carried on it. Generally one person will arrive at their destination per flight to find that their bag has not. That means there is a 1-5% chance that your bag will be lost. This statistic compared to the number of bags handled per day is actually quite amazing. In the eyes of the airline, however, this number is still too high. It may seem that the airline doesn't care much about your lost bag, but on the contrary, lost bags leads to lost revenue, which is a serious concern for the airline. As always, my number one recommendation to anyone concerned about lost luggage, is to simply carry-on."

What is a "Gate Check?"

               There are two different types of checked baggage, your standard checked bag and a gate check. If you have never flown on a smaller regional aircraft you are probably not familiar with gate checks. A gate check is exactly what it sounds like, it is a bag that is checked at the aircraft gate. There are a number of reasons people may need to gate check their luggage, the most common reason is limited overhead bin space. On smaller regional aircraft, usually operated as the express or connection brand of an airline, typically have much smaller overhead bins. An example of this would be the Embraer-145 aircraft operated by Express Jet branded as United Express. The ERJ-145 (Embraer Regional Jet) has a very small overhead bin, unable to store standard suitcases. Your typical roller bags and medium to large duffel bag would need to be gate checked.
                 The item will be tagged and placed in the baggage compartment of the aircraft with the rest of the standard checked baggage. Gate checks are loaded last and unloaded first. When you arrive at your destination, the crew will bring your gate checked item back to you at the gate. It will be brought back to you after every flight, it will not be transferred to your connecting flight. It is important that you wait in the jetbridge for your gate checked item, otherwise it will be delivered to baggage claim with the standard checked luggage.

A word from the Airline Insider- "Many people are hesitant to hand over their luggage. Most people choose to bring carry-on luggage to avoid damage to their belongings or worse, a loss of their luggage. There is no fee for a gate check so you are still able to avoid baggage fees. Many people have seen the movie Meeting the Parents where Ben Stiller's character hands over his luggage and unfortunately gets lost. Although it is always a possibility, the chance of a gate check being lost is much less than a standard checked bag. The most common reasons a gate check gets lost is due to a passenger failing to wait for their item at the gate after their flight, or their gate check tag falling off. If a gate check tag falls off in transit, the item is sent to baggage claim. If you are making a connection, you probably won't have time to visit baggage claim and go back through security. The chance of this happening to you is very rare, however."

Gate Check Tips:

• DO NOT reuse gate check tags- If you reuse a tag, there is a better chance it will fall off. It also makes it harder to track your bag if lost. 

• Bring a personal bag (ex. backpack, purse, small duffel bag)- Keep breakables, electronics, or anything else you may need or want during the flight in this bag in case you have to give up your bag as a gate check.

• When booking your flight make note of the aircraft type the flight is operated with. Be prepared to gate check your item if it is a smaller regional jet. Pack accordingly and consider just checking it as standard baggage instead.

• DO NOT leave anything attached to the outside of your gate check. Remove any clothing, pillows, or anything that could fall off in transit.  

Common Regional Aircraft (limited overhead space):

• Embraer-145/35 (United Express, American Eagle) 

• Bombardier/Canadair CRJ-100/200/700/900

(United Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express, American Eagle) 

• Dash-8/Q-400 (United Express, US Airways Express, Air Canada Jazz)

• Embraer-170/175/190/195 (United Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express, JetBlue, Air Canada, Frontier Airlines)

Airport security checkpoint

After 9/11 airport security went from very minimal to an almost small army. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is responsible for overseeing and carrying out airport security screening. It is important to remember that the TSA must follow a strict set of rules and procedures in order to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Arguing with a security officer will only create more problems and slow your travel experience.

The most important thing you can do to make it through security quickly and efficiently is to pack only the necessities. Visit the TSA's website to review prohibited carry-on items. The most important thing to remember is that you must follow the 3-1-1 rule when traveling with liquids in your carry-on. Click here to review this rule.

Items such as prescription medicine, electronic devices, and dense items that do not produce a clear image may make your items subject to hand search after passing through an x-ray machine.

If you have electronic devices in your carry-on it is best to remove them and place them in a separate bin. You will also need to remove your shoes before passing through the metal detector. You are asked to remove your shoes because it is hard for the metal detector to get a clear reading through your shoes. You may also be selected at random for further screening, either a pat down, hand held metal detector, explosives detection swab, or the dreaded full body scanner. It is important to cooperate to ensure your experience is as quick as possible.

Words from the airline insider- "People seem to be under the impression that the TSA is out to get them when in fact they are trying to keep the public safe by keeping dangerous people and items out of airplanes.
Although you may not agree with certain procedures, you don't have much choice. The best thing to do is keep your mouth shut and try to move through security as quickly as possible. If you have nothing to hide than your security experience should be quick and easy. The TSA understands people may not understand or be aware of all the rules, and they will do their best to assist you in understanding them."

How early should I arrive at the airport?

Whether flying domestic or international generally it is a good idea to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. Arriving two hours before will allow for plenty of time to go through the line at the ticket counter, pass through security, and find your gate.

Factors: 
Airport size
Security Process
Domestic or International Flight
Gate Location
Concourse or Terminal Location
Your physical health

A word from the insider- "My biggest pet peeve is when a passenger arrives at the airport less than a half-hour before their flight. They generally do not have enough time to receive their boarding pass, go through security and make it to their gate before their flight is closed. Generally a flight will be boarded 25-45 minutes before the scheduled departure time. When a passenger arrives at the airport after their flight has started boarding, if they are listed as checked in, we must hold the flight until five to ten minutes before departure.
           When we hold a flight for that long, it makes it difficult for the ground crew to close up the plane, pull the jetbridge, and push the plane back without causing a delay. When the airline takes a delay, it inconveniences all the passengers on the flight. If the passenger is able to make it to the gate before the flight leaves, we must hold the flight until they are boarded, and settled in their seat.
            Many people will get angry after arriving late, and being told their flight is already closed. They may still see the plane at the gate, but what they don't understand is the door to the plane has already been closed. Once the door is closed, it will not be reopened until it reaches its destination."

What can I do if I am running late?
If you are running late and will not be able to arrive at least one hour before your flight, call the airline. They will be able to assist you and determine whether you will need to be rebooked for a later flight. Many times they will rebook you for a flight later in the day or the following day for little or no cost. Most airlines have policies in place in case of an emergency. If you call the airline within two hours of your scheduled departure time, they will be able to rebook you for a later flight. Never hesitate to call the airline if you have any questions. They have representatives available to assist you.

Welcome!

Dear Readers,
                  Welcome to Inside the Airline! This blog was created to aid travelers in their flying experience. Whether a frequent flyer, first time flyer, or occasional traveler, this blog can help you understand the airline industry and give you some helpful tips for the next time you fly. The information on this blog is taken from my personal experience working in the airline industry. I will use my insider knowledge to help you understand why airlines operate the way they do and help you avoid any snags the next time you fly

Thanks for visiting, happy flying!

-Airline Insider