Check in air baggage handling

[JerryMaguire]

Hi all,

I was just wondering how air freight for check in luggage works. See when a passenger takes a certain airplane, does the baggage that was checked in go to a separate freight plane and if that is the case, do airlines actually combine the baggage carried by planes which has pretty near ETD? I ask this as it doesn’t seem like a whole 747 plane is needed to carry baggage of one planeload of flying passengers. Alternatively of coz, the same plane can be used to transport the baggage to various airports which are near together in distance?

[BlueEagle]

Jerry,

Unless special arrangements have been made, the luggage that a passenger checks in with will travel on the same 'plane as the passenger.

If a passenger checks in their baggage but fails to arrive at the aircraft then their baggage is usually unloaded and sent to a sterile area for at least 24 hours.

You can PM me if you have any further questions as we are rapidly moving into security sensative areas!