2stepsahead

Hi all.
I work for a major cargo/bagage/luggage handler at Brussels Airport - BRU ( Belgium)

My job exists in unloading (little) containers which are holding luggages of passengers from commercial flights. I grab them and throw them on the automatic band/rail and then the luggages follow the automatic sorting system.
And you can take that throwing part serious, first day on the job, my colleagues made very clear that I should throw luggages on the automatic rail and not 'place' them , their reason? to protect my back.
I broke/damaged 2 luggages today ( one louis vitton bag ). Offcourse I didn't get any trouble for that, its common and happens to everyone they told me.

Now here are some impressions for choosing and preparing your luggage for airtravel, having seen the other side

1) Avoid check in luggage when you can, bring carry on !!

2)So you fly first class/business/high status airline program = priority luggage
If you ever wondered why your bag came last on the rail after the 'normal' luggage , it's simple : We always try to find the priority bags first and throw, yes I said throw/smack them on the rail first. Still when luggageshandlers at the airplane put the priority bags in the containers first and stack 'normals' on them, then we cant see them and so they are last mistery solved ?!

3) Don't pack anything that you can not loose or have damaged !

4) So your luggage didn't turn on the automatic rail, you have been waiting for an hour and couple other flights their luggage has already past.
Chances are high, that one of the handlers throwed your luggage on the wrong automatic rail either Local or Transit. (these 2 rails are next to eachother). Common mistake is that we trow a Transit luggage on the Local rail. We don't do this on purpose It costs the company 200$ when a bag goes missing (so they tell us). even signs with that message above the rails
Tip : If your luggage didn't turn up and all bags are off the rail , search immediately a representative of your chosen airline, inform them and suggest to them, the fact that the bag is maybe on transist rail, they hopefully have a clue what you are talking about and do the necessary.

5) Hard case vs Soft case luggage ?

No brainer = hard case , and to avoid scratches on your luggage pack your luggage in with some see-through plastic !! Especially your 800 $ Rimowa type of luggage
why not Soft then ? We also put your luggage in the containers that are driven to the airplane when you depart to your destination. The bag follows an automatic rail and drops in the right 'chute' there we throw them on the container and KICK them in to place, so we can stack as many as possible in one container.Again kicking,standing on, leaning on with the knee = normal procedure.

6) Does self made/ non official priority tags work ? and fool the handlers?

No, they all know how they look for (almost) every airline company and so if they are fake or not And orange straps are also not doing it ( priority/vip tags are mostly orange)

When I see a FT tag, I will take it first and place the bag gently on the rail not seen one yet

Let me know your opinions/questions on this subject.