How to Get Your Luggage to Arrive First at Baggage Claim

If you're in a hurry to retrieve your luggage at baggage claim, these strategies could be beneficial:

While many travelers prefer traveling with only carry-on luggage, there are situations where checking a bag is necessary. Unfortunately, this often entails a lengthy wait at baggage claim. While there's no guaranteed method to ensure your bag is first, there are some tactics that might increase your chances.

Typically, bags loaded into the cargo hold last are the first to be unloaded. Some travelers check their bags in as late as possible to take advantage of this, although the loading order can vary. Another approach is gate-checking your bag before boarding, which may result in it being loaded last and retrieved first. This service is usually complimentary, but there are no guarantees.

Priority baggage services are offered by some airlines to frequent flyers with elite status and premium passengers. By affixing a priority tag to your bag at check-in, it is supposed to be offloaded before others, although this isn't always the case. Some airlines compensate for late-arriving bags, such as Delta, which offers passengers miles if their bag doesn't appear within a specified time.

While there's no foolproof way to ensure early bag retrieval, you can track your bag's location using devices like Apple AirTags or Tiles. Airlines may also use RFID tracking to monitor your bag's progress from loading to retrieval.

Here are some additional tips to streamline your checked baggage experience:

• Remove old bag tags before checking in.

• Verify the final destination on your check-in receipt.

• Use unique identifiers on your bag to distinguish it easily.

• Confirm the baggage claim assigned to your flight upon arrival, as it may change.