Picking up your luggage shouldn't be a full-contact sport
11 Things You Should Never Do at Baggage Claim
Published on May 21, 2025
I’m a veteran flier, used to dealing with all kinds of air-travel inconveniences. For instance, I’ve made it through international customs with a rogue apple in my backpack. (I’m such a risk-taker!) I’ve survived a 14-hour flight in a middle seat with a snorer on one side and a person resting their head on my shoulder on the other. But nothing—nothing—tests my patience like the chaos of a baggage claim. It’s like we all collectively forget how to act the second that black rubber conveyor belt starts moving.
It’s a travel etiquette nightmare. People crowd the belt like it’s handing out free money, toddlers are taking the “carousel” part literally, there’s a guy who’s all elbows, and someone always walks off with a bag that looks kind of like theirs but isn’t. (Pro tip: If you have a black Samsonite, so does literally everyone else.)
This is why we all need a little bit of an etiquette lesson and a lot of grace when it comes to the baggage claim, says travel etiquette expert Daniel Clarke, who owns the travel company ParkLink. “Usually, the baggage claim is full of very tired people who just want to get to their destination, and you don’t know how long they have been traveling or what they’ve gone through,” he says. “There can be elevated anxiety levels, and the atmosphere can be overcrowded and overstimulating. This results in some short fuses and high emotions, and I would always advise people to try and stay calm, collected and respectful when retrieving their luggage from a carousel.”
So, for the sake of our collective post-flight sanity, I asked Clarke and frequent flier Sarah Pardi to give us the do’s and definitely don’ts of baggage claim. Read on for the unspoken rules we should all be following (but mostly aren’t).
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Don’t crowd the carousel
You know the type: front-row squatters who create a human wall that blocks everyone behind them, especially those who (frustratingly) see their bag coming but can’t get to it. “Pushing up to the carousel blocks the view, making it hard for people to get their bags,” Clarke says, “but it also makes it harder for you to reach your luggage when you need to.”
What to do instead: Stand back a bit, where you can observe where the luggage is entering the belt and which way the belt is moving. “Position yourself back and slightly farther down so you have time to spot the bag, approach and double-check it is yours. Then, lift behind you,” Clarke advises.
Don’t crowd other people
Getting your luggage should not be a contact sport. “It’s OK to stand a little bit closer to someone if you’re all waiting for your bags, but still be mindful of personal space,” says Pardi, who works in international insurance and flies several times a month. Doing this is not only rude—it’s also inefficient. It creates a domino effect of awkward shuffling and missed bags.
What to do instead: Give folks a little breathing room. Stand a suitcase-length away from the belt, and approach only when you see your bag. But remember, Pardi says, “personal space is extremely relative. In the States, for example, we tend to enjoy more personal space and can even find it rude when someone we don’t know is standing too close to us. In many other countries, this concept of personal space doesn’t exist in the same way. If you’re flying internationally, you might find that people stand much closer to you at baggage claim. You should remember that the ‘norm’ is likely different around the world.”
Don’t let children roam unsupervised
Unsupervised kids chasing bags, doing interpretive dances in front of the belt and climbing on the carousel to play chicken with a hard-shell suitcase is a disaster waiting to happen. Baggage claim is a conveyor belt filled with unpredictable heavy objects, not a playground. “It amazes me how often I see children putting their hands on the conveyor, which could not only cause an injury but also mean a passenger may unintentionally hit them when lifting off their bag,” Clarke says.
What to do instead: Keep kids close and occupied with a task, like spotting your bag or playing “I Spy.” (Bonus: It turns baggage claim into a scavenger hunt instead of a meltdown zone.) “Keep them safe and away from the carousel at all times,” he stresses.
Don’t ignore others in need of help
We’ve all been there: Your bag finally appears, but it’s wedged between two other monster suitcases, and now you’re in a tug-of-war with the luggage gods while pretending you’re totally fine. It’s not fun, to say the least. Strangely, we don’t always step in to help others in the same predicament … which isn’t the kindest thing in the world and, on a more selfish note, can also create a logjam of luggage.
What to do instead: “If you notice somebody struggling with their bag, offer to lend a hand,” Pardi says. “Just make sure to make yourself known so you don’t startle them, and ask them if they’d like some help first before jumping in.”
Don’t send your entire entourage to the carousel
Traveling with a group? Awesome. Turning baggage claim into a flash mob? Not so much. When every member of your group crowds the carousel, it clogs up the area and makes it harder for anyone to retrieve their luggage—including your group.
What to do instead: “Designate one or two people as the official bag retrievers, and have the rest wait off to the side,” Clarke says. Those people can quickly snag the bags, then hand them off to those behind them, who can take them out of the way. Pro tip: Have everyone tie the same color ribbon to their bag to make them all easy to spot.
Don’t block the exit
Grabbing your bag is only half the mission. The other half? Getting out of the way. Stopping to unzip and repack, or reattach your neck pillow, right at the belt clogs everything up, Clarke says.
What to do instead: “As soon as you have your bag, step away,” he says, adding you should move to the sidelines to reorganize. Most airports have benches or open space nearby. Free up the belt zone for others who are still on the hunt.
Don’t grab a bag that isn’t yours
Easier said than done. It’s amazing how many black roller bags look identical—especially when you’re sleep-deprived and running on pretzel dust. But grabbing the first bag that might be yours causes delays, confusion and sometimes accidental theft.
What to do instead: “Always check your tags right when you pull them from the belt,” Pardi says. “That way, if it isn’t actually yours, you can simply place it right back on the belt.” It’s a smart idea to make your bag unmistakable by slapping on a bold tag, neon strap or even a goofy sticker.
And one more thing? If you do happen to pick up the wrong bag, don’t leave it on the ground. Pop it back on the conveyor belt so its actual owner can find it easily.
Don’t act like you’re racing against the clock
Unless your bag is on fire, there’s no need to sprint across the belt area or dive like a goalie. Not only does it startle fellow travelers, but it also increases your odds of a luggage-related injury. (Yes, those exist.)
What to do instead: Take a breath, and remember the belt goes in a circle. “The best thing you can do is try to be patient,” Pardi says. “People will generally give you some space once they notice you’re trying to get your bag from the conveyor belt.”
Don’t live-stream the reunion
One of the things I personally find super annoying is when someone FaceTimes or live-streams their travel adventure at baggage claim. We get it. Your bag made it. You’re emotional. But filming your baggage-claim ballet distracts you and others, as well as slows down the whole process.
What to do instead: Snap a quick pic if you must, but wait until you’re out of the way for the play-by-play update to the person picking you up or filming the celebratory TikTok.
Don’t bring your cart to the belt
There’s apparently been a massive increase in people bringing their luggage cart right up to the carousel. And while that might be a little more convenient for you, it can quickly become an ankle-breaking booby trap and a serious space hog for everyone else.
What to do instead: “If you need to get a trolley or luggage cart, don’t push right up to the carousel—leave it back from the belt,” Clarke says. The proper travel etiquette in this scenario? Lift your bag off the belt and then carry it the few feet to the luggage cart parked out of the way. If you have mobility issues and need the cart right at the belt, it’s OK to bring it all the way up, but be extra careful not to knock it into others at the carousel.
Don’t escalate the situation if someone bumps or pushes you
Baggage claim can bring out the worst in people—everyone’s tired, hangry and just one delay away from a meltdown. So when someone elbows past you or steps on your foot, it’s tempting to go full WWE. But turning a minor bump into a full-blown showdown just makes things worse (and these days, risks turning you into a viral sensation). “Take a breath. Most of the time, it’s not personal,” Pardi says. “It’s just poor spatial awareness or desperation.”
What to do instead: Assume it was an accident, and move on. If you must say something, keep it light: “No worries! It’s a tight squeeze down here.” However, Pardi says, if it clearly wasn’t an accident or you were deliberately pushed, “it’s best to make sure you do not escalate the situation by yelling or hitting back. Instead, call for the help of on-ground security and staff. Then promptly step away from the situation.”
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Sources:
- Sarah Pardi, global traveler, American expat living in France and head of international content at Insurte; email interview, May 12, 2025
- Daniel Clarke, travel etiquette expert and director of Parklink; email interview, May 12, 2025
