Avoid this easy habit: tourists should be cautious not to leave their luggage unattended during vacation travel
In the hustle and bustle of air travel, many passengers take the extra step to decorate their suitcases with colorful ribbons, tape, or stickers to help them find their bags on the carousel more quickly. However, these decorations could potentially interfere with automated baggage sorting systems in airports, which rely heavily on technologies such as barcode scanners, RFID readers, and advanced imaging for identification and tracking.
These systems expect clear, unobstructed labels or RFID tags to efficiently read and route luggage. Decorations like stickers, unusual markings, or non-transparent covers may obscure these labels or affect scanning accuracy, causing sorting errors or delays.
Automated baggage handling systems typically include RFID technology, barcode scanning and imaging, and automated conveyors and sensor arrays. RFID technology tracks bags via RFID tags embedded in luggage labels or trays, allowing real-time location tracking and routing. Barcode scanning and imaging scan luggage labels for destination data, with clear visibility being crucial to avoid misreads. Automated conveyors and sensor arrays rely on consistent bag shape and label placement for efficient sorting.
If decorative elements cover or distort labels, they can hinder barcode or RFID readability, forcing manual intervention or causing misrouting. Airports investing in cutting-edge systems, such as Casablanca’s Mohammed V (Morocco) or Fuerteventura (Spain), focus on label clarity and precise handling to ensure the high reliability of automation. While moderate, non-obstructive decoration often does not impact RFID, heavy decoration may impair scanning.
In summary, passengers are generally advised to avoid placing decorations over luggage tags or RFID elements to maintain optimal sorting performance and reduce the risk of delays or lost baggage. Airport systems achieve best efficiency with clearly labeled, unobstructed luggage.
Here is a breakdown of the potential effects of luggage decoration on various aspects:
| Aspect | Effect of Luggage Decoration | |-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | Barcode/Label visibility | Obscured or altered labels reduce scan accuracy | | RFID tag scanning | Usually robust but can be impaired if tags covered | | Automated conveyors & sensors | Unusually large or bulky decorations may disrupt flow|
While there may not be a direct source explicitly discussing the impact of luggage decoration, the reliance on visible, readable tags and RFID strongly implies that decorations that obscure these can negatively affect automated sorting systems.
Passengers often don't realize that their own actions in decorating their suitcase cause the problems. Instead of decorations, experts suggest choosing suitcases in bright colors or unusual shapes for quick luggage retrieval. By keeping luggage labels clear and unobstructed, passengers can help ensure a smoother and more efficient baggage handling process.
When decorating suitcases, passengers should be mindful to avoid covering luggage tags or RFID elements, as this can hinder barcode or RFID readability and cause misrouting or delays. For effective automated sorting, it's best to maintain clear visibility of luggage labels and keep decorations minimal to ensure optimal performance. Opting for brightly colored or uniquely shaped suitcases could serve as a better alternative for quick luggage identification.
