Confessions Of An Airline Baggage 'Thrower'

Ever wonder why airlines lose, delay and damage bags? We asked an airline baggage handler who, of course, spoke to us anonymously, what it’s like in the belly of the beast and on the tarmac. What he told us might help you arrive with your bag and its contents intact.

What goes on behind the curtain?

You might be amazed at how much manpower it takes to put a passenger aircraft in the air. Obviously, the majority of time, you’ll only see the pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents. That already is a lot of people, but there are more people working outside to get you to your destination. Once you leave your bag at the check-in counter, it goes through a series of conveyer belts, where it may or may not be opened and searched by TSA, until it reaches the pier for your departing flight. It is then sorted into carts by one ramp agent who then brings it planeside for other ramp agents to load on the airplane. You may not be able to see much from your window seat, but we can see all around the tarmac. Other than bags, there is a lot of other cargo that gets transported by air. We see everything from human remains, to mail to fruits and vegetables coming on and off the plane. We’re also the guys directing the plane to its parking position at the gate, securing the aircraft, and hooking up the ground power and air. Also, since planes don’t go in reverse, we are the guys driving the push back tug, ensuring that aircraft do not come in contact with each other.

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