Baggage claim at the airport: How to be the first to get your suitcase.

The plane has landed safely and you are trying to get to the airport baggage claim as soon as possible. Read this article to find out how to be the first to get your suitcase

Luggage claim at the airport: And every day says hello to the groundhog

You stand in front of the baggage carousel and wish you could work a little magic. Rarely is your suitcase the first one on the belt. Usually you have to wait a tediously long time before you can finally pick it up.

• Different airlines use different variations to stow luggage on the plane. Some choose the last in, first out method. The luggage is stacked in order so that the last suitcase is on top. So the last person to check in their luggage will be the first to have it back in their hands after the flight.
• Other airlines stack the suitcases and bags in huge boxes and then load them onto the plane. The order of these can vary greatly, so you can never be sure when your suitcase will be on the baggage carousel.

The first suitcase is yours – and it’s not magic

You don’t have to book the expensive Priority option or Business Class to get your luggage fast.

• True miracles can be achieved by marking your suitcase “Fragile”. When you check in your luggage, indicate that you are travelling with (very) fragile contents and your suitcase will be carefully passed and placed on top of the other pieces of luggage. No airline will bury a suitcase with fragile contents under hundreds of other suitcases. This means that your suitcase will be loaded last and will go on the conveyor belt first.
• The simplest option is to take only a small suitcase as hand luggage. This way you can comfortably take it onto the plane yourself and stow it directly in the cabin. When you leave the plane, you have the suitcase with you right away and don’t have to wait for it at the baggage carousel. However, you should check the conditions for hand luggage with the respective airline before the flight.
• All these options can only be used for direct flights. For flights with connecting flights, unfortunately you have no chance of being the first to get your suitcase with the options described here.
• Some airlines, such as United Airlines, are looking to improve security with a baggage tracking app. This app can show you where your luggage is, if it’s lost en route, when it will land on the baggage carousel and how much time you have. This way, you can plan your exit from the plane in a more relaxed way and don’t have to rush to the baggage carousel, only to stand there waiting until the end.