Barcode stickers and tags, which are distributed by airport staff or attached directly to the suitcase, are used to properly allocate baggage. Therefore, they are out of date immediately after the trip.
After an exhausting trip, sometimes you don’t feel like unpacking your suitcase right away. And what may still be outside the suitcase is quickly forgotten.
It may happen that luggage tags or at least small stickers with barcodes from a previous trip will be on our suitcase during the next trip. And this can cause problems.
Why are barcode stickers placed on suitcases?
The purpose of baggage tags can be quickly explained: they are used to allocate checked baggage to appropriate flights. Large bands that are attached to the handle of the suitcase already contain the necessary information.
Additional small barcode stickers are provided in case the labels come off during travel or cannot be read by scanners for other reasons (e.g. because they were not attached properly).
Aviation expert, Cord Schellenberg, says it’s a “good and important question” whether these stickers should be removed after travel. He answers it with a resounding “yes,” and the explanation makes sense.
Why you should remove old luggage tags
Barcode stickers from the previous flight should be removed from the suitcase at the latest before the next flight, explains the expert.
This helps ensure that your baggage is sorted correctly by the machine in the airport baggage system.
On the other hand, if there were several different barcodes on the luggage, it would be confusing for the readers handling the luggage.
The scanners responded to the first code they could capture. If it belongs to a previous flight or a flight that was operated at another airport, it is logical that the further transport of the suitcase will be delayed.
Some users shared their experiences on the online portal, Vielfliegertreff. “Since the whole thing is usually in a fluid motion, the item is separated for manual inspection,” explains one commenter.
This may of course result in a delay, meaning the suitcase may not be on the same plane as its owner in time.
Another user travelled again on the same airline approximately two months after flying to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi. This time the purpose of his journey was a stopover. “My suitcase didn’t make it to the conveyor belt,” he reports after arriving in Abu Dhabi.
“Tracking showed she was on her way to a flight to Bangkok (on the same route as the first flight).”
Fortunately, the matter was resolved in time and the suitcase was unloaded.
Stickers on suitcases are also important for customs services
“The function of readers is one thing. In addition, airport and airline employees also recognise who a checked suitcase belongs to based on the baggage tags,” explains Schellenberg. “In turn, customs officers read the stickers to determine the origin of the suitcase.”
“When departing from the European Union, the flag has a green stripe,” says an aviation expert, “but not when departing from a non-EU country.” If the (outdated) sticker shows, for example, that you have travelled from a non-EU country, you may be asked to attend an in-depth interview.
What else can you do to ensure that your suitcase arrives safely?
It’s best to remove your baggage tag and small barcode sticker as soon as you and your baggage arrive safely at your destination, and when checking in your baggage, make sure the abbreviations on them match those on your ticket.
Also, keep the so-called complaint part that you receive there in a safe place. It contains the suitcase’s registration number.
