Losing luggage is frustrating, and unfortunately, it’s a common inconvenience passengers can experience with some airlines.
And losing track of luggage won’t happen only when the airline mishandles it at your destination, but also when you check in your bag and miss your flight by getting held up in a long security line, oversleeping at the airport or for any other reason.
But can your luggage really travel without you ?
Generally, most airlines will not send your luggage ahead if you don’t board the airplane, but it may occur sometimes on domestic flights, so if you check in your bag but you missed your flight ensure to contact an airline agent immediately so they can track your baggage.
Keep reading because it is important to know what will happen to your luggage if you miss your flight and if checked luggage flies without passengers.
Let’s dive right in.
Can A Plane Fly With Your Luggage Without You?
Generally, the moment you check in your bag, it goes from some complicated automated systems, which includes, scanning, and sorting bags to send them to the right gate and end up in the airplane hold and usually before you even board the airplane.
And if you don’t board the plane on time , the airline staff at the airport will start to call your name in the terminal and gate.
If you still don’t show up then the airline staff will perform something called positive passenger bag-match (PPBM) which means simply to remove any bag from the airplane hold that is unaccompanied.
Yep.
Its like this situations that cause delays on flights.
The PPBM is designed specifically for safety reasons to prevent any unaccompanied luggage from traveling alone on the airplane.
So if the airline staff perform their job properly your bag shouldn’t travel without you.
However, there will be many times when your checked baggage is not offloaded from the hold before the plane takes off, especially in some domestic flights.
What To Do When You Checked In Luggage But You Missed Your Flight?
As we previously mentioned If you miss your flight, the airline will page your name several times at the airport before they proceed to remove your luggage from the airplane.
So in case you check in your bag and you are sure the flight has departed, you will need to head to the airline check in counter straight away and speak with an airline representative, tell them that you have missed your flight so they will start locating your luggage.
If they told you that your luggage is still at the airport then it is your lucky day.
In the other hand if the bag is not offloaded from the airplane, then you still have some work to do. You will need to work with the airline staff to track your baggage, especially if your itinerary includes several connecting flights.
In the event that your bags arrive at your destination, the airline will be able to keep your luggage until you get there or you can tell them to deliver it back to you which may cost you some additional fees.
Tip: If possible It is always better to travel light, you could imagine how much stress, time and money you will save by only traveling with a one carry-on bag and one personal item, a spacious and well made suitcase will save the hassle of all that, so i recommend going with a solid and spacious carry on bag like this Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable Carry on (Amazon Link)
What Happens To Checked Bags When You Miss Your Flight On Purpose?
This is what passengers that are hunting for cheap flights do all the time, but it works best when traveling only with a carry-on bag.
80% of the time you will already know what will happen to your luggage if you missed the connecting flight on purpose, as most airlines will give you some details during the booking process, if they will transfer your baggage directly or you need to pick it up and recheck it again, and this usually happens when your second flight incorporates a different airline.
Usually in a domestic flight your baggage will mostly travel without you even if you don’t show up to the second flight.
Remember that most airlines are aware that passengers are skipping flights on purpose , and if you talk to an airline agent they will likely ask you the reason for missing the flight and why you want to get your luggage instead of taking another flight to your ticket destination.
The majority of carriers do not authorize hidden-city ticketing ( as it cost them some money ) and missing flights on purpose may cause your checked bag to fly without you or even lost, your return flight will be canceled, and if you are a frequent flier you may get banned from the airline and your miles are gone for good when they figure out that you are doing some of those tricks with them.
Avoid Missing And Luggage Damage
At some point any lost luggage will end up being found, but to throw away your worries, there are some other options to consider instead of checking in your bags.
Aside from traveling with carry-on only, there are other ways to prevent the airline from mishandling your bags, and one of them is to ship your luggage ahead with a well known luggage shipping company like Mybaggage or Lugless.
Alternatively placing a tracking device like a GPS inside your checked bag is a brilliant idea, that way you can follow track of your suitcase have an updated location suitcase and minimize the chance of missing it.
Final Thoughts
Checked baggage is always a challenge, because we don’t have control of it, so whether you accidentally miss your flight or you did it on purpose, if the airline staff did not perform the positive passenger bag-match (PPBM).
Your luggage will travel without you and it usually happens on domestic flights.
So if that happens do not hesitate to talk with the airline’s staff and they will happily assist you deliver back your luggage or keep it until you get to your destination.
We hope this helps
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