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Baggage on the wrong flight

Kendrao2002
Explorer C

So I got on the right plane that’s going to my destination, but they put the wrong gate on it. I went to the correct gate and they said it is all good to board, but do the baggage people know?? What if it’s on the plane that was at the wrong gate?!

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Baggage on the wrong flight

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Adjustments get made all of the time and the ground crews know what is going on.  Have a good flight.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Baggage on the wrong flight

5280Av8r
Frequent Flyer C

I've been learning about the airline industry for awhile for my own interest and to possibly pursue a career in the industry. The plane is not at the wrong gate. There are no wrong gates, sometimes airlines assign gates ahead of time so customers can expect where they need to go, but due to delays for arriving and departing flights, sometimes airlines have to change gates at the last minute. So, it's not really a wrong gate, but not the scheduled/planned gate. 

 

Also, the baggage handlers don't just put bags on a plane, they scan the bags to make sure they're putting it on the correct flight. The ground crew very likely know of the gate change before passengers do and there's also the ramp supervisor who's in charge of getting flights out on time who knows where the plane is going and is in communication with gate agents. 

 

There's an entire coordinated dance that goes on to get every flight out on time. Deplane, unload bags, clean aircraft, refuel, unload lavatory waste, restock food/snacks, load bags, load passengers, pushback.


DEN (CLT) Based | Aviation Enthusiast | Full of Passion for Southwest

Re: Baggage on the wrong flight

jksobonya
Aviator A

I once checked a bag, went through security to my gate, saw that the flight was delayed to the point where I would miss my connection, and Southwest automatically put me on a different flight with a different connection. When I asked the new gate agent about my bag, she said simply that they knew and would retag it. They did, and I got my bag when I arrived at my final destination.

 

It MAY not always be this smooth, but generally the people handling the bags know when there are changes so they can retag the bags. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Baggage on the wrong flight

5280Av8r
Frequent Flyer C

I know, I've had bags that had to come on a later flight but that was mainly because we got to the airport too late and our bags didn't make it through the baggage system and out to the aircraft in time or at least half of ours didn't. It was weird because our bags that didn't make it were the ones that were checked first and when into the baggage sorting system first. Must've been because they were on the bottom of the pile 😂

 

-Andrew

DEN based | Southwest Flyer


DEN (CLT) Based | Aviation Enthusiast | Full of Passion for Southwest

Baggage on the wrong flight

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

In all the years of flying, I've only had my bags not show up about 3 times, and mostly because of connecting flights.  But it's also something I know is possible, even in the best circumstances.  I've always been compensated for the issue and had bags delivered to where I was staying.  But still a pain in the butt.