9 ways you can get your luggage to arrive first at baggage claim

Picture this: You’ve just arrived at the airport at your destination and are excited to get out and explore.

But one thing is holding you back from leaving the airport, because you just realized that you have to spend an eternity waiting at baggage claim for your luggage.

The minutes go by as you feel the existential dread of waiting for the conveyor belt siren to go off in the hopes your bag will make it out in a timely fashion — hopefully in one piece, if it makes it to the conveyor belt at all.

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However, there are ways to minimize the chances of waiting for a long time at baggage claim or worse — not receiving your luggage at all.

Here are six tips, while not foolproof, that can increase your odds of getting your luggage first on the conveyor belt in one piece.

Check your bag at the gate

If your flight is full, you have the opportunity to check your bag at the gate for free.

If you do this, you can pick up your baggage at the jet bridge instead of waiting at the baggage carousel.

However, this is not a guarantee, as this option happens mostly on smaller domestic flights that don’t have as much overhead bin space, according to AAA Club Alliance.

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If you’re on a larger flight, your luggage will likely be rerouted to a baggage carousel and will not arrive faster than other travelers’ luggage.

Get a first class ticket

While there is no difference between how baggage is handled for basic economy and economy ticket holders without frequent flyer status, you can get priority baggage handling if you fly first class.

Delta Airlines, for example, has Sky Priority baggage service for its Delta One, Delta Premium Select and Delta First passengers, according to the airline’s website.

American Airlines offers this service to first class customers, as well.

Rack up frequent flyer status

While it’s not a guarantee that you will be first at baggage claim, if you gain frequent flyer status with most airlines, your bag will be flagged for priority handling.

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If you fly on a One World member airline or Star Alliance airline as a frequent flyer, for example, depending on the tier you can get priority baggage handling.

This means your luggage will get tagged and handled first upon arrival, making it more likely you will receive it first on the baggage carousel.

Steer clear of peak hours at the airport

If you can opt for flights overnight or during less busy periods during the year to travel, choose to fly during off peak hours.

With fewer people flying at the same time on the same flight, there will be less baggage to handle during loading and unloading.

That means you can increase your chance of receiving your luggage sooner, according to Columbus Magazine.

Get a ‘priority’ or ‘fragile’ tag even if you don’t have status or fly in a premium cabin

You can always ask for a “priority” or “fragile” tag for your luggage even if you’re not a frequent flyer or fly in a premium cabin.

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These are sometimes available at check-in for a fee, according to Travel + Leisure.

Also, if you have a bag marked “fragile,” these bags are usually placed on top of the luggage heap and loaded last.

These bags are the first ones to be unloaded.

Remove old luggage stickers before check in

On the note of tags, it’s easy to forget that luggage stickers with barcodes from previous flights may still be on the bags you’re using for your upcoming trip.

Remove any old stickers and tags that may cause confusion for the staff handling your baggage to avoid potential confusion.

This way, baggage handlers can easily process your luggage fast and ensure you receive it in a timely fashion, especially at busy airports with many bags to sort through, according to Afar.

Don’t check in right away

Some travelers believe that if you check in early, your baggage will be one of the first ones off the baggage carousel, but the opposite is actually true.

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If luggage is loaded first, it will likely be one of the last pieces of luggage to unload.

So you can opt to check in and hand off your luggage a bit later, but make sure not to miss the cut-off time.

Most airlines require you to check in at least 45 minutes before a domestic flight if you’re checking luggage.

For example, United Airlines has a policy where all guests checking luggage must check in at least 45 minutes before any domestic flight takes off and 60 minutes before all international flights.

Fly into a smaller airport

While you won’t get your bag any faster if you fly out of a smaller airport, flying into a smaller airport can have its advantages.

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According to Travel + Leisure, smaller airports have “upgraded systems” that tend to deliver bags faster than larger airports that have to process a larger volume of bags.

Fewer travelers means fewer bags for luggage handlers to sort through and unload when you land.

Check your stroller at the gate

Parents traveling with young children through an airport juggle so many things at once: boarding passes, luggage and the kids themselves.

To make the process smoother and decrease wait times at baggage claim, check your stroller at the gate.

This can help you keep babies comfortable while waiting to board, run to your gate if you’re low on time and receive your luggage faster.

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For smaller flights, you can potentially receive the stroller on the boarding deck right when you land and disembark, Meanwhile, on bigger flights, the stroller will usually be one of the first items placed on the carousel or in the oversized baggage area, according to Columbus Magazine.

Also, to avoid baggage claim altogether, you can opt for a travel buggy as a carry-on that you can store in an overhead bin.

Eliminate or decrease the wait time before you board and provide yourself some much-needed peace of mind.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected]. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.