One of the most important procedures when traveling by plane is packing your suitcase at the airport. Despite the fact that this task, at first glance, seems quite simple, it is quite difficult to manage the packing on your own, which is why many travelers order a paid baggage packing service, which is available at every airport. A properly packed bag or suitcase is a unique opportunity to simplify the process of screening things or transportation, as well as to prevent theft, because unprotected luggage is so easy to open and get all the most valuable things from there.

Each airport has its own baggage packing rules. For example, strong suitcases with a solid frame and a combination lock are not required to be wrapped, because they are almost impossible to damage or crack. Soft bags need to be packed properly, and open bags with things are not taken into luggage at all.

Why do you need to pack your luggage?

At the check-in desk at the airport, baggage is accepted only if its wrapping is strong and does not raise suspicions that the suitcase may be damaged during transportation or loading. Even if the suitcase has a solid frame and meets all the requirements, it still makes sense to securely pack such a luggage bag for several reasons:

• A packed bag can easily withstand the negligent attitude of loaders at the airport, withstand various mechanical damage, fabric tears, scratches on plastic and bumps;
• High-quality packaging is a guarantee of reliable protection against unauthorized hacking: it is difficult to get to the contents in the bag under a thick layer of film, so even the smallest outer pockets will be safe from thieves;
• Protection against pollution, polyethylene packaging of luggage allows you to keep the suitcase in its original form without any scuffs or stains. That is why even the strongest bag must be well wrapped with a special elastic polyethylene film to limit the risk of contamination during falls from the conveyor belt.

Important! The bag should not be packed full of things, because the suitcase at the airport goes a long way, and the movers do not stand on ceremony with other people's suitcases, so a strong load or impact can cause the clasp to unfasten or break, and all the contents will end up on the floor.

The cost of paid baggage packing

Many busy travelers who do not have time to pack their luggage on their own are interested in the question of where they can order a paid service for packing suitcases at the airport. Each air port has special packaging machines located near the entrance or passages to the registration desks.

Also nearby are control scales to check the mass of luggage, weighing on them will avoid further unpacking of the suitcase in case of overweight. At some airports, this service is provided free of charge, at others it is paid and often costs 50 rubles (at the same time, automated scales work for about 30 seconds, with systematic weighing, you can find out the mass of 3-4 bags at a time).

Useful advice. Baggage can also be weighed before packing at check-in counters that are not staffed.

Baggage packing at any airport can be done both independently and with the help of experienced staff who will give the necessary recommendations. The packaging racks have all the necessary materials and instructions for proper wrapping.

How much does paid baggage packing cost at the main airports of Moscow:

• Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo - the price of wrapping one suitcase varies between 350-500 rubles with a luggage weight of up to 32 kg and 700 rubles with a weight of more than 32 kilograms;
• As for the question of how much it costs to wrap a suitcase at Domodedovo, a lot depends on the airline the passenger is flying with. For example, people who travel frequently with Aeroflot can pay bonus miles, such a service will cost 2200 bonuses if you contact PACK&FLY. At the same time, for each piece of baggage, Aeroflot passengers can receive an additional 50 miles to their bonus account. For travelers flying with other airlines, packing luggage will cost 500-600 rubles for each item, and the wrapping procedure itself will take only 1-2 minutes.

At Domodedovo airport, packing racks are located on the first floor of the passenger terminal and they work 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. This service is provided by several companies: PACK&FLY, Truestar, VEKS UPAK. The PACK&FLY company is especially popular among passengers, providing discounts on club cards, as well as free packing of suitcases for WWII veterans, the opportunity to purchase special protection against hacking, and many other advantageous offers to customers of UTAIR, S7 airlines.

Additional Information. TRUSTAR GROUP will be an excellent alternative to PACK&FLY. Their counters are located near the check-in point in the passenger terminal of Domodedovo Airport. Here you can pack a suitcase on a plane for 500 rubles, get special protection against unauthorized opening, a small sticker that allows you to quickly find your luggage if it is lost, and weigh the bag for free.

Rules for self-packing your suitcase

For those who want to save money on packing luggage at the airport, you can try to do it yourself. The main thing is to follow some elementary rules and buy the necessary materials. When self-wrapping a suitcase, you must use cling film sold at any household chemical store and adhesive tape. The first thing to start with is to properly fold things inside the bag so that fragile things are not damaged and the suitcase is not packed to the limit. To do this, it is necessary to lay all heavy and bulky items on the bottom (books, shoes, clothes), the rest of the miniature gizmos must be distributed on the sides and additional pockets, if any. For convenience, you can put each item in a separate plastic bag, this will greatly simplify the process of screening at the airport.

1. The first thing to do is press the free edge of the cling film against the bag;
2. Secondly, it is necessary to make a full turn with the second hand so that the polyethylene adheres tightly to the surface of the bag or suitcase;
3. Then it is necessary to make at least 5-10 full windings along the entire length of the luggage;
4. Wrap not only one side, for the sake of reliability, it is recommended to do the same manipulations with the other side;
5. To provide better protection, it is necessary to wrap not only the case itself, but also the handle with the leg, and then make small holes for the accessible operation of these parts;
6. Slots for wheels and handles must be reinforced with adhesive tape to prevent damage to the package at the airport when transporting luggage.

If the passenger wrapped the suitcase with cling film on their own, then such luggage will differ from others in the transparency of the packaging, because the polyethylene used at the airport is much denser and not transparent. Despite this, it is worth marking your bag and placing a sticker with personal data and a contact phone number under the last packing layer, this will help in finding luggage if it is lost.

A little advice. If you often fly by plane and are wondering how to pack your suitcase, then the best solution is to purchase a reusable, aesthetic and reliable luggage cover. An indispensable attribute can also be a fastener belt that protects the suitcase from breaking. If it is damaged, you can easily calculate the fact of theft and file a complaint on time.

Damage to suitcase during flight

If the bag or suitcase was damaged during transportation due to the fault of airport employees, and there are visible signs of tampering on the luggage itself, then each passenger can request compensation.

To do this, you need to do the following manipulations:

• Fix the fact of hacking immediately upon detection at the airport;
• Provide information on checked baggage (boarding passes, baggage tags, etc.);
• Find a representative office located at the airport, or employees of the airline that the flight was made;
• Fill out a form with a claim, indicating the amount to be compensated and detailed personal data;
• Put stamps and make copies of documents that will remain with the airline employees.

After that, it remains to wait for a call from representatives of the air carrier. On average, compensation is paid in the amount of $ 10 for each kilogram of baggage weight.

When wondering where to pack your luggage, at home or at the airport, you should start from your own skills and financial capabilities. If the passenger is sure that he will be able to securely wrap the suitcase, then it will be possible to save on this service. Special equipment at the airport and luggage packing specialists will be able to guarantee the safety of the bag and the reliable protection of the packaging material, so professional packaging is more reliable, albeit costly.

Video

Fees for any vacation undoubtedly entail the collection of luggage consisting of personal items you need away from home. Today we will look at a few recommendations on how not to lose your suitcase along the way, as well as its contents.

To begin with, a little statistics from the airlines leading such statistics. On average, for various reasons, about 10 million passengers are left without their luggage during the flight per year. To imagine how global this is, imagine that every minute about 40 air passengers are left without their suitcase.

In 2009, airlines lost about 25 million passengers' suitcases and bags. However, most of them still returned to their owners, but 850 thousand disappeared forever. According to the transnational corporation SITA in its annual report, carriers have lost 2.5 billion US dollars on the return of luggage to tourists.

One way or another, the results of 2009 are 24% more favorable than in the previous year. According to experts, there are several reasons: firstly, the number of tourists on flights has decreased. Secondly, due to the increase in the cost of carrying luggage, most tourists chose to refuse it, or at least reduce the number of suitcases carried. Thirdly, the transformation of the check-in and baggage handling systems was favored.

Most of the suitcases and bags are lost when transferring to another plane (52%), the second place is occupied by the oversights of airport employees who forgot to put the suitcase on the plane (16%). The third place is given to misprints in air tickets or the absent-mindedness of passengers who took luggage that was not their own (13%). 7% of bags are lost due to the fact that they were sent to another airport, 6% of luggage is lost by customs, and 3% disappear due to the fact that airport workers stick the wrong labels on them.

In most cases, things are returned to the owners within a few days after the disappearance. After two days, the probability of finding luggage is greatly reduced. In 2009, lost suitcases cost carriers $2.5 billion.

There are eight simple tips that will significantly reduce the possibility of losing your favorite suitcase and things:

1. 1. Take a direct flight. Of course, a flight with a transfer is sometimes cheaper, but if the time between flights is short, the likelihood that the suitcases will be lost increases several times.
2. 2. Arrive at the airport well in advance. If the suitcases accidentally arrive on the wrong plane beforehand, the movers will have the opportunity to detect and eliminate the oversight. For Russia, this recommendation is of great importance also because of the long queues for checking luggage at the entrance to airports.
3. 3. Do not carry expensive items in suitcases. Their loss or damage can only be compensated by special insurance.
4. 4. Get a special tag on which write down the airport of departure and arrival, as well as your details. So if the suitcase is lost, airport employees will be able to recognize it and return it faster.
5. 5. It is very difficult to resist thieving neighbors on the flight, but with those who take a similar bag by an absurd accident, it is very simple - mark the suitcase with a noticeable sign, a bright belt, a colorful sticker or an unusual tag with information is perfect.
6. 6. Do not forget to write a list of things that are being carried in a suitcase. Insurance companies, as well as representatives of airlines, require proof of what was actually in the luggage. The simplest solution is to take a picture of the contents of the luggage before departure.
7. 7. It is preferable to keep an elementary set of essentials with you in hand luggage. Of course, most foreign airlines issue a spare set to passengers whose suitcase is lost, but so far one cannot rely on Russian airlines in this regard.
8. 8. Take out insurance for your luggage in case of loss, this can be done in advance or at the airport - in most foreign terminals, tourists get insurance at the baggage wrapping points.

Going on a trip, every person wants his flight to go smoothly and not be overshadowed by unpleasant surprises. That is why, before departure, passengers are advised to familiarize themselves with the pre-flight screening procedure at the airport, as well as with the list of things that can and cannot be carried on board the aircraft with them.

Screening at the entrance to the airport

To ensure safety during the flight, several levels of checks of hand luggage and passengers' luggage are provided. The first inspection of personal belongings is carried out at the entrance to the airport.

Each person entering the airport building, regardless of whether it is a passenger or a mourner, must pass through the frame of a special stationary metal detector. First you need to take off your belt, put out money, phone, keys and check that there are no other metal things left in your pockets. Additionally, security personnel check everyone with a portable metal detector.

Screening at the airport

Suitcases, bags and hand luggage must be placed on a special X-ray scanner tape. While the luggage is moving along the belt, employees are examining its contents. Since baggage is checked at the airport very carefully, questions may arise about suspicious items. In this case, the owner will be asked to open the suitcase and show a dubious item.

It should be remembered that the following items cannot be carried on the plane, even in the luggage compartment:

• flammable and explosive substances;
• any substances that emit radiation;
• signaling devices;
• any types of gases;
• poisonous and toxic substances, bacteria and viruses;
• corrosive substances;
• oxidizing agents;
• firearms and any imitators thereof, including children's toys in the form of pistols;
• ammunition, flares, bullets, firecrackers.

Screening at the entrance

With a special permit, passengers have the opportunity to bring with them hunting rifles, firearms, checkers, swords, sabers, gas cartridges. All these items are stored on board the aircraft in compartments to which access is restricted. To transport weapons, a person must have the right to keep and carry them, and to fly on international flights, you must have an international permit. The absence of such entails not only the seizure of weapons, but also the imposition of an administrative fine.

Weapons of any type must be unloaded and packed in special cases. Before passing control, you must warn the airport security staff that you are going to carry weapons, and present all the necessary documents.

Important! Each country has its own requirements for the transport of weapons and other dangerous goods. It is best to clarify the details that you doubt at a particular airport or with representatives of the airline.

Luggage screening at the airport at the entrance is usually quick. At large airports such as Dubai International Airport, queues are not created due to the large number of checkpoints.

Baggage check after check-in

After the passengers have entered the airport building, they go to the check-in counter for the flight. Here the luggage is weighed, a special sticker is hung on it, and then the suitcases leave on a special tape. Many people think that this is where the procedure for checking it at the airport ends and the bags are immediately loaded onto the plane, but this is not at all the case.

After check-in, luggage goes through the next control. All bags are scanned, and if any suspicious items are found, they will be inspected manually. In this case, another sticker will appear on the suitcase, which will indicate that the luggage was subjected to additional inspection.

Baggage screening

In some countries, when checking luggage, not only screening equipment for airports is used, but also specially trained dogs. In particular, a cynological service has been set up at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. Animals are looking for explosives and narcotic substances and foodstuffs prohibited for transportation on the plane.

Security screening area and hand luggage check

After check-in for the flight, passengers go to the pre-flight screening area. Here, a thorough check of hand luggage and personal belongings of departing passengers is carried out. Inspection at the airport at this stage is mandatory throughout the world and is designed to prevent objects that can be used for a terrorist act from getting on board the aircraft.

All personal belongings, including hand luggage, are placed in a special basket and sent along a moving belt for a thorough X-ray scan. It is necessary to lay out outerwear and hats, belts, watches, jewelry, a mobile phone separately on the tape.

On a note! Most airports require you to take off your shoes, but according to new rules in Russia, it is allowed not to take off your shoes if the heel height does not exceed 2.5 centimeters and its thickness is less than 1 centimeter.

While one of the security officers will look through things, the second will follow how the passenger passes through the metal detector. In some cases, a tactile inspection is additionally performed. It is mandatory carried out by a person of the same sex as the person being searched. This procedure is carried out, since the metal detector will not technically be able to detect weapons, the body of which is made of plastic or ceramic, and will not detect glass capsules with narcotic and explosive substances.

Pre-flight screening area.

Particular attention should be paid to how hand luggage is checked at the airport. First of all, you need to make sure that there are no prohibited items in your hand luggage, namely:

• piercing and cutting objects, including nail scissors, tweezers, nail files, corkscrews, knitting needles, etc.;
• any liquids, as well as empty containers that can be filled with liquid, with a volume of more than 100 milliliters (total volume not more than 1 liter);
• explosive substances, poisons, chemicals, radioactive and flammable substances;
• aerosols, cans, lighters;
• magnetic items.

Important! Airlines have the right to make additions and adjustments to the rules for the carriage of hand luggage. It is better to check with your air carrier about the possibility of transporting a particular item.

Passengers have the right to take with them to the cabin:

• mobile phone, laptop, camera or camera;
• documents and book;
• goods purchased in Duty Free;
• 1 bouquet of flowers;
• outerwear;
• umbrella or cane;
• equipment necessary for the movement of people with disabilities (crutches, stretchers, wheelchairs);
• diapers and a baby portable cradle;
• baby food in any quantity.

Remember that you will have to say goodbye forever to items of hand luggage that have not passed pre-flight inspection. Otherwise, you risk being removed from the flight. It will not be possible to pick them up even in the post-flight period.

X-ray scanner.

hand luggage

The allowed dimensions of hand luggage are 55×40×20 cm, the maximum weight is from 5 to 10 kilograms. However, as a rule, these parameters are not measured during the inspection. When you check in for a flight, a staff member will tell you if your bag is suitable for transportation in the cabin or if it should be checked in. A baby stroller is not included in hand luggage, but it can be checked in directly at the airport in front of the aircraft ladder. Upon receipt of baggage, the stroller is given first.

Thus, when going on a flight, be prepared to go through a personal inspection, checking luggage and hand luggage. In advance, you need to make sure that there are no prohibited items among your personal belongings. Questions of interest should be clarified with your air carrier or by calling the airport of departure. If you need to transport dangerous goods, prepare all the necessary documents. And most importantly, remember that all procedures for pre-flight inspections of things and passengers at the airport are aimed at ensuring safety during the flight. That is why all prohibitions and precautions should be treated with understanding.

Do you know what happens to your suitcase at the airport behind the window with rubber eyelashes after you check it in? The press service of the Moscow Domodedovo Airport invited me to their place and let me photograph the work of all airport services. Including, I photographed the whole way of the suitcase from the check-in desk to loading it on the plane.

Passengers part with their luggage at check-in. Here, a tag is affixed to the suitcase containing information about the owner and destination:

1.

Oversized baggage, that is, baggage of large or non-standard size, can be checked in at a separate counter. Airlines also recommend dropping fragile luggage here. Here they will stick a “glass” tag on it and send it down not on a general conveyor, but on a special elevator:

2.

The luggage compartment occupies a huge hall, which looks like a small underground city below the airport. Its space is intertwined with a network of luggage conveyors, the length of which, in general, is more than 3.5 km. All suitcases descend here along one of 6 sleeves:

3.

First of all, the suitcase goes through the scanner. No matter what position the suitcase is in, the scanner reads the information from its tag. If you left a barcode sticker from a previous flight on your suitcase, the scanner may get confused and your baggage will go to additional processing, where an airport employee will manually find the right tag on the suitcase and send it to your flight. Therefore, the airport staff advised me to tear off all extra stickers from the suitcase after each flight.

4.

5.

Then the suitcase enters the introscope, where it is scanned for explosives, weapons and other prohibited items:

6.

If the suitcase seemed suspicious to the system, then such baggage will be sent for a more thorough check.

7.

Suspicious luggage goes through 4 additional checks, including a CT scanner and a diffraction machine:

8.

Dogs are also used to search for explosives:

9.

10.

Oversized baggage is screened at a separate screening point. By the way, if your bag has handles sticking out or the shoulder strap is not unfastened, then it will also be recognized as oversized:

11.

12.

A suitcase can get into the luggage compartment of the Moscow Domodedovo Airport along one of six conveyors. After scanning, 6 sleeves are combined into 4:

13.

Suitcases at high speed (the video of my "assistant" is at the end of the article) fly through another scanner. Here it is determined on which flight the suitcase is checked in and, depending on this, is sent to the left or right sorter, also called the “circle”. If the "circle" is right, then the suitcase goes up:

14.

If the "circle" is left, then down. Moreover, the distributing element of the conveyor manages to rise or fall in a matter of fractions of a second:

15.

Before hitting the circle, the computer accelerates the suitcase and throws it exactly onto one of the circle platforms:

16.

17.

18.

From the circle, the suitcase overturns onto one of 70 “slides”:

19.

A slide is a slide for a suitcase. The system accurately calculates the time when the suitcase passes the desired slide and drops the luggage on it:

20.

Take a closer look. See the pink stripe above the slides? This pink suitcase is rushing on one of the "circle" platforms:

21.

Depending on the number of passengers, 1 or more slides can be assigned to one flight. The loader removes the suitcases from them, and after scanning with a manual scanner for control, transfers them to carts:

22.

23.

24.

If the plane is very large and there are a lot of passengers on the flight, then one of two moving conveyors (triplanars) is used instead of slides:

25.

Pay attention, in the foreground the luggage of the crew:

26.

Trolleys with luggage are taken to the aircraft:

27.

Luggage can be loaded onto the plane either by a small ladder-transporter:

28.

29.

Or lift on a special lift:

30.

31.

32.

Now let's deal with what happens to our luggage during arrival.

Usually, when the plane stops in the parking lot, a baggage train immediately pulls up to it:

33.

The bags are transferred to trolleys, and the train goes to the arrival luggage compartment, in our case it was the compartment of internal lines:

34.

The locomotive drives up to one of the conveyors, and the loaders shift the luggage onto the belt, from where it immediately leaves, upstairs for delivery:

35.

36.

37.

38.

Oversized baggage is taken out separately:

39.

Transit baggage is marked with a bright yellow tag. Airport employees know in advance whether there is transit baggage on the flight. It is caught and put on a separate cart:

40.

I spent 4 days at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. I took 500 photos. They showed me absolutely everything that is at the airport. We were transported across the territory in a SAB (Aviation Security Service) car. We have traveled around the entire airport more than once around the perimeter, and this is 28 kilometers! Together with the S7 pilot, I passed the pre-flight medical examination, briefing, meeting with the flight attendants, inspection and launch of the aircraft. I was even allowed to climb the tower to the controllers, from where I took a couple of unique spotter photos.

41.

How not to lose your suitcase at the airport

Admit it, have you already planned everyone for the New Year holidays? Maybe even a suitcase has already begun to fill? It's a good thing, just consider a few points so as not to end up at your destination without a vacation wardrobe.

Choose a square suitcase

The more square it is, the less risk that it will roll away somewhere - and this happens. Therefore, a round bag of the “kolobok” type is not the best choice.

Attach a tag

Not just because they are sold in packs in any shop at the airport. The simplest measure, but the tag on the luggage will really help to find you if an evil fate separates you from the suitcase. Enter your name, email address and current phone number there.

Take off old stickers

At the airport, small stickers with barcodes are stuck on luggage. They indicate the destination. A suitcase covered on all sides with such stickers is not a sign of an experienced traveler, but of a natural bullshit. Airport employees can mistakenly scan the barcode from one of the old stickers and your bag will fly not to Krakow, but to Colombo, where no one will find it for sure.

Glue new

All suitcases are the same - well, or almost the same. If yours does not differ in originality and boldness of design ideas, distinguish it from the crowd of the same - stick some large and bright sticker if it is plastic, or tie a wide ribbon to the handle if the suitcase is made of textiles. This is not so much for you, but for other passengers scattered and wrapped in jet lag, who already have all the suitcases on the tape on the same face.

Take a picture of it

This picture will come in handy if you suddenly do not find your suitcase on the tape - you can contact the airport worker with it. It is easier to identify a suitcase by a portrait than by a description, which is interrupted by mournful sobs every now and then. Maybe the luggage flew in safely, but it had already been removed from the tape and put in a corner.

Do not be late

Most of the lost bags arrived at the airport too late. If you check in at the last minute, the security service may take too long to check your suitcase and you will have time to board the plane, but your suitcase will not.

Text: Olga Lysenko