After you check a bag for a flight, where does it go?
Every day, airports process hundreds of thousands of checked bags. That’s not an exaggeration; Delta says that Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport alone processes over 110,000 bags daily during peak holiday travel. Furthermore, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates that, across the country, around 1.3 million bags are inspected on any given day.
Despite how common this is, what actually happens after you check your bag is a mystery to most. While your bag eventually makes it to your final destination, where does it go during all the steps in between?
Now, a viral video with over 4.8 million views claims to have an answer, and viewers aren’t happy.
What Happens During Luggage Loading?
In the video, TikTok user @paranoidlag purports to show the “bagroom” at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois.
Over the course of the video, numerous bags are seen being violently and carelessly thrown onto the conveyor belt.
“This y’all luggage,” the TikToker writes in the video’s overlay text. The text is followed by several laughing emojis.
Each bag lands with an audible thud. Some are thrown more aggressively than others, occasionally hitting the metal siding that lines the moving platform.
Is This Normal?
It’s impossible to say how common this sort of baggage handling is.
Several videos on YouTube show checked bags being handled at airports around the world. From Detroit to Dubai and other airports, there’s no evidence that the behavior shown in @paranoidlag’s video is common.
In fact, in many airports, most of the checked baggage systems are automated. There is only a brief period where humans even make contact with the bag—and even then, this contact mostly consists of lifting the bag off of the belt and moving it to a cart. This means there are limited opportunities for an airport worker to violently toss a flyer’s bag.
Incidents do happen. That said, they are exceedingly rare.
According to CBS News, a bag is labeled “mishandled” if it is lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered. In the year 2023, American Airlines had the most mishandled bags, numbering around 800,000. However, given that the airline handled about 105 million bags that year, that means their mishandling rate was just 0.76%.
What Should You Do If Airport Security Destroys Your Bag?
If you’ve ever picked up your luggage from baggage claim, only to discover that it’s been damaged in some way, @paranoidlag’s video may be an explanation as to why.
Thankfully, there are processes in place to handle these issues.
To start, if the damage happened while your bag was in the airline’s custody, they are responsible for repairing your bag or reimbursing you for the damages. While some items are excluded from this—for example, expensive electronics in one’s bag are often not covered—most of the contents of a checked bag, as well as the bag itself, are eligible for repair and/or compensation. One must simply file a claim with the airline, which they can do at the airport.
If the damage occurred during a screening from the TSA, a claim can be filed online. Investigation can take six months or longer. At the end, a claimant will be given the verdict and, if appropriate, compensation.
Commenters Are Furious
In the comments section, users were furious about what they saw.
“I really do hope robots take over this job,” declared a user.
“This is how my luggage got broken and ruined. Mind you we pay for this service. UNACCEPTABLE,” added another.
“Being disrespectful simply because you can be disrespectful is ridiculous,” offered a third.
Still, some insisted that this was not typical.
“As a ramp worker this isn’t tolerated at our station and if you’re caught it’s immediate termination,” wrote a commenter.
@paranoidlag working bagroom at O’Hare #ohare #ohareairport #chicago
BroBible reached out to Chicago O’Hare via email and @paranoidlag via TikTok direct message and comment.