As many Britons prepare to jet off for the festive season or chase some winter sun, airports are set to become increasingly crowded. The unfortunate reality of air travel is that it often involves a great deal of waiting, from security checks to passport control. However, one travel expert has revealed a simple trick that could save you precious time – and it won’t cost you a penny.
Hadleigh Diamond, commercial director at SCS Chauffeurs, suggests that adding a fragile sticker to your checked luggage could make all the difference. The theory is that bags marked as fragile are loaded onto the aircraft last, meaning they’re the first to be unloaded and appear on the carousel.
Fragile stickers can be obtained free of charge from check-in staff and are typically used by passengers carrying delicate items like glassware or ceramics. But there’s nothing stopping any traveller from requesting one for their bag, reports the Mirror.
Hadleigh said: “Clients regularly tell us that the difference between a good travel day and a stressful one often starts with baggage reclaim. If you’re standing waiting for 30 minutes while the carousel clunks out someone else’s bags, your trip can feel so much longer.
“But the fragile sticker trick is a game-changer – and it often works. We’ve heard this tip from both airport ground staff and frequent flyers. You don’t need to lie or explain – just politely ask the check-in agent to add a ‘fragile’ sticker to your suitcase. It’s not guaranteed, but more often than not, your bag is among the first out. We’ve seen it work time and time again.”
While luggage handling differs at each airport, generally speaking, items labelled as ‘fragile’ are loaded last into the aircraft’s cargo hold, which prevents them from being damaged or positioned beneath heavier baggage.
Therefore, regardless of your seat location on the aircraft, if your case bears a fragile marking, it’s more likely to be amongst the first items removed from the hold and could even be amongst the first to appear at the carousel.
However, this technique isn’t just used by those who are impatient. Should you have planned transfers or a narrow connection window, the last thing you need is to be trapped waiting at the luggage carousel.
Baggage collection delays can leave you waiting for over 40 minutes during busy periods, so this method could help you dodge the anxiety of a missed connection.
Recently, passengers were cautioned against a popular luggage hack often used to spot their suitcase on the conveyor belt.
Travellers were advised not to tie a ribbon onto their suitcase, as baggage handlers have warned that any loose items can become entangled in the carousel machinery, potentially causing delays for other airline travellers.
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This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
