By Kristine Tarbert |
For Aussies who often already have a very long way to travel when going on holidays, standing around and waiting for your luggage at the baggage claim can be the most frustrating part of the trip.
Sometimes you might get lucky and spot your bag almost immediately, but a lot of the time (let's be honest) you're likely waiting 15, 20, 30 or more minutes for your suitcase.
But now a travel expert has shared what she believes to be a super simple – and free – trick to make sure your bag is one of the first off the plane.
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Hadleigh Diamond, the commercial director at SCS Chauffeurs called "the fragile sticker trick" a game-changer, claiming it often works.
"We've heard this tip from both airport ground staff and frequent flyers," she said, as reported by Bristol Live.
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"You don't need to lie or explain – just politely ask the check-in agent to add a 'fragile' sticker to your suitcase.
"It's not guaranteed, but more often than not, your bag is among the first out. We've seen it work time and time again."
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Another traveller backed the trick in a Quora thread asking for advice.
"You just have to ask the person to put a fragile tag, even if you don't have anything fragile in your bag. If they ask what is it that you're carrying, just say some old artefact or a glass piece," she wrote.
"No extra money, and your luggage comes first," she remarked, highlighting this budget-savvy approach."
However, as both have clearly stated the trick is no guarantee. For that, airline expert Jesse Neugarten said the only way is to fork out for business or first class.
"Baggage for first-class passengers often travels on a separate cart and is sorted for fast delivery," Jesse, from Dollar Flight Club, told Travel + Leisure.
"It's one of the few consistent perks airlines still prioritise – and yes, it often works," he added.
If you want to use a fragile sticker for it's original purpose, one flight attendant warned passengers not to bother.
Speaking to 9Travel previously, former cabin crew member Jen revealed it likely won't make a difference to how your suitcase is treated.
"I used to see baggage handlers, this is mostly at airports in the US, sorting bags and they'd see a fragile sticker and start joking around," she shared.
"They'd literally just throw them to each other and drop them on the pile.
"Never put a fragile sticker on your suitcase."
Plenty of other travellers and airline workers have shared similar advice online.
"Fragile sticker means nothing," one person wrote on Reddit. "You don't get special handling just for slapping on a sticker. It should be properly packaged to avoid that."
Others also said if the stickers look old or worn, they will also be ignored.
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