A former baggage handler has shared advice on avoiding suitcase damage, saying the type of bag you choose matters most. Writing on Quora, former Ground Operations Specialist K Handunnetti stressed that airline staff do not mishandle or lose luggage on purpose. In most cases, bags go astray due to simple human error or tight connection times.
Weak handles and heavy bags cause problems
His first tip is straightforward: never check in a bag with weak handles. Handles are one of the first things to give way under the pressure of baggage handling, and a broken handle can cause serious delays in getting your bag to you. It is also more likely to be handled in a rough manner due to the baggage handlers facing issues carrying it.
Handunnetti also recommends keeping weight down, advising travellers to stick to the standard 23kg limit wherever possible.
Choose a brand used by airline crew
His most important piece of advice is about the bag itself. "When you shop for a bag, select a brand that is commonly used by airline crew," he wrote. "This is my personal favourite tip. My aviation friends and I use only one brand, and we have never had any damage." Among the luggage brands most popular with cabin crew are Globe-Trotter, Travelpro, GATE8 and Antler — all known for their durability and ease of handling.
He also urges travellers to avoid checking in unusually shaped, oversized or non-standard items wherever possible. "Baby strollers get left behind more than any other item," he warned, adding that oddly shaped luggage is simply harder to process efficiently in a busy baggage system.
Fly direct and travel light
When it comes to routing, flying direct is strongly recommended. The vast majority of lost luggage incidents occur during connecting flights, so travelling point to point removes much of that risk. If a connection is unavoidable, leaving plenty of time between flights gives baggage handlers the best chance of getting your bag onto the right plane.
As a final note, he advises passengers to travel light wherever they can — the less strain on a bag, the less likely it is to suffer damage in transit.
A fellow baggage handler, who goes by the name Adam, echoed similar sentiments in a post on Reddit, adding one particularly useful piece of advice: always choose a wheeled suitcase. "If your bag has at least two high-quality wheels, then it allows us to roll them down the hold quickly, making it more painless for us," he explained. The alternative, he said, is not a pleasant one for your luggage. "Otherwise, we have to throw the bags in order to keep to the scheduled times."
And naturally, always "travel light to reduce damage," he concluded.
If your bag is lost while you're flying, there is a decent chance that it'll end up in Unclaimed Baggage - a huge store in Alabama, USA that buys up bags and sells them to customers. "We don't sell anything that has had skin-to-skin contact," explained public relations manager Sonni Hood when asked what the shop does and doesn't sell. That means sex toys are thrown away, as are diaries, human ashes, used make-up and guns. "We go through everything to ensure there's nothing harmful, dangerous or too embarrassing inside," Sonni continues. "Thrifts stores are full of things people want to throw away, but these are things people liked so much they wanted to take away with them on holiday."
