These are the real reasons why your luggage is often delayed at the airport… and how to avoid waiting for a long time
No-one enjoys being in the baggage reclaim area for longer than they have to but this is why sometimes we have no choice
NO-ONE wants to wait in the airport's baggage reclaim area for any longer than they need to - but sometimes we don't have a choice and these are the real reasons why.
For many people, touching down in another country and getting off the plane are both signal the official start of their summer holidays.
But let's not forget the final hurdle of baggage reclaim - no-one enjoys that feeling of nervously watching for their suitcase to come round on the carousel.
And it can sometimes be made worse if you're left waiting a long time for your luggage to appear but there are reasons for the delay and some tips on how you can avoid it happening.
1. Full flight
If you're on on board a packed plane there's probably going to be a lot of people with luggage, which means it'll take longer for the ground staff unload the craft.
One way to avoid a busy flight is to think about your journey times, school holidays are often a popular time to fly.
Likewise with the flight times, often families will select sociable hours for their journey, so if you're happy to arrive at any hour it could be better to choose those slots.
Related stories
2. The size of the airport
As many passengers will know, not every airport is the same size and while their aim is to get the luggage through as fast as possible this isn't always the case.
If you're travelling to a smaller airport, their technology may not be as up-to-date as a more modern airport, so there could be delays because of this.
But if you're flying to a much larger airport then there will be more ground for staff to cover, so your baggage will probably take longer to transport across.
3. Severe weather
One reason our luggage can be delayed is because of the weather.
If you land during an electrical storm or a lightning strike, the ground crew will be ordered inside which means there's no-one to unload the cases from the plane and your bags will take longer to appear in the carousel.