The Journey of your Family’s Luggage at an Airport

The Journey of your Family’s Luggage at an Airport

Has the thought “what happens to mine and my family’s luggage at the airport?” ever crossed your mind? If so, this article is filled with all the information you need to get a full understanding, which was provided by GSE Solution, a supplier of aviation spares and repairs for over 25 years. So, kick back and relax as we explain to you what happens behind the scenes.

First, let’s cut to the basics. As you and your family are touring around the airport and beginning a journey of your own, all while getting closer to boarding the airplane, your luggage is, in fact, doing the same thing! Just in a slightly different way.

The starting point of your luggage’s journey begins at the check-in desks, which is where your suitcase or travel bag commences its journey on to the conveyor belt. After you check-in your luggage, an airline staff member puts it into the system and attaches a luggage label that has its own unique barcode. The sole purpose of the barcode is to indicate the route and destination of each bag, which guarantees that your luggage will securely arrive at the correct airport destination.

Following this step, your luggage will then enter the baggage handling system, which is an intriguingly smart piece of engineering. In case you’re unaware of what exactly the baggage handling system is, it’s a type of conveyor system installed at airports that transfers checked luggage from its beginning point to where the luggage can be loaded onto airplanes. However, an article on the Medical Travel Compared explains that “if the flight isn’t ready to begin loading yet, luggage may be transferred to storage temporarily before being prepared for the plane. This will involve security checks such as x-rays or even checks with sniffer dogs.” This step is to double ensure that you aren’t carrying any illegal items in your case that aren’t allowed to pass between countries.

If watching the process sparks your interest, ITV News have shared a video of Manchester Airport showing the fascinating journey that luggage embarks until it’s received by a baggage handler.

Toward the end of your luggage’s journey, it is then loaded onto an airport luggage cart by a baggage handler, and is safely taken to an aircraft belt, which then leads to your luggage being loaded onto the same plane that you’ll be traveling on.

At last, when you’ve finally arrived at your destination, your luggage is taken from the plane and put on a baggage trolley, which will eventually transport all of the luggage onto a carousel. The carousel is a gigantic conveyor belt, full of luggage that’s waiting to be reunited with their owners.

Once everybody has happily collected all of their valuables, they are ready to enjoy the well-needed vacation that awaits them!

Guest Article.