PUSH Travel, Explanations for Delayed Luggage

PUSH Travel

Explanations for Delayed Luggage

Though you’ve exited your plane easily, that does not mean your baggage will arrive quickly.

Especially if you sit toward the front of an airplane and can get off quickly, your luggage may not be waiting at your designated baggage carousel.

Many incidents can occur from the moment your luggage is loaded to the instant you see it coming through on the conveyor belt. Typically, all baggage is sorted into two groups: Those to be transferred to another plane and those that have found their destination. Bags that are terminating are placed into the baggage carts you see on the tarmacs and delivered to baggage claim, where they are assigned to a conveyor belt that delivers them to the correct carousel. However, there are many variables, including the total number of passengers and airport size.

Consequently, there are plenty of opportunities for problems to develop. When traveling next, before you allow your frustration to get the best of you, consider many of the main reasons your bag may be delayed.

Terminal Size

Remember the long walk we had once arriving at a mid-market or large-market airport for a conference? Well, just as it takes longer to maneuver through a huge airport, it will take your bags even more time to navigate the distance from your gate to the baggage claim area.

Poor Weather

Electrical storms are one of the more common reasons your luggage may take additional time to arrive at baggage claim. When severe weather, such as lightning strikes, occurs, the ground crew is instructed to find shelter for obvious safety reasons. This means the crews will need more time to load and deliver your luggage to the indoor baggage claim area.

Airport Conditions

Many airports across the country are under construction. This construction can undoubtedly create a longer route or other slower processes to ensure bags are delivered promptly. Many airports have the baggage process down to a science using security checks, belts, and manual labor hand-offs. However, there are some airports with minimal technology to assist with the luggage process. This may be something to keep top of mind when traveling to smaller, isolated areas where only a little traffic exists at the airport.

Traveler Capacity

Can you remember when your flight was full, and you had to wait for your bag? Full flights equal more bags to move through the airport. Some of us have been fortunate enough to experience an essentially bare flight. When that happens, you probably received your luggage quickly if it was not already there when you arrived at baggage claim.

During high-capacity flights, one method to drop your wait time is to check in early. Many airlines use a system where those bags that check in first are loaded in such a way that they are then first removed. So, arriving earlier and setting yourself up among the first in line may save waiting time at your destination.