How to Get Your Luggage First at Baggage Claim: Airport Insider Tips

Standing around the baggage carousel is often one of the most frustrating parts of air travel—especially when your suitcase is among the last to arrive. Watching other passengers grab their luggage and breeze out of the airport can make the wait even more irritating.

But what if there were a few simple airport luggage hacks to speed things up? Fortunately, there are—and they come straight from airline insiders.

1. Check In Your Bag Late
If you’re wondering how to get your luggage first after a flight, one of the easiest tricks is to check in your baggage as late as possible.

According to Thomas Lo Sciuto, a ramp agent and gate operative at a U.S. regional airport, bags are typically loaded front to back on the baggage carts. In a Quora post, he explains:

“If you check in last, your bags will be placed in the final cart—making them the last to be loaded onto the plane and the first to be unloaded at your destination.”

So, delaying your bag check-in (without missing the deadline) could mean getting your luggage faster at the arrival airport.

2. Gate-Check Your Bag
Another effective strategy to speed up luggage retrieval is to ask to gate-check your bag—a tip especially useful on full flights.

Thomas adds:

“The best way to ensure your bag gets to you quickly is to politely ask the counter agent if you can gate-check your bag.”

Keep in mind: gate-checked bags must go through security screening, so you won’t be able to pack restricted items like large liquids or aerosols.

3. Use a ‘Fragile’ Tag
Here’s a clever trick revealed by The New York Post: attach a free “fragile” sticker to your luggage. Bags marked as fragile are often loaded last to protect them, which means they’re usually unloaded first once the plane lands.

This simple hack could help you shave several minutes off your wait time at the baggage carousel.

4. Avoid Including Your Home Address on Luggage Tags
While luggage tags are essential, one common mistake travelers make is including their full home address. Experts warn that this can attract thieves who might see it as an indication that your house is currently empty.

Instead, include your name, phone number, and email address—just enough to help airline staff contact you if your bag is lost.

By following these expert-backed baggage claim tips, you can drastically cut down your wait time and start your journey or vacation sooner. Whether it’s checking in late, gate-checking your luggage, or using a fragile sticker, these small steps can make a big difference.

Looking for more airport travel hacks? Bookmark this page and explore our other expert guides to make your next trip smoother and smarter.