Most travelers think the biggest risk to their luggage happens after landing—at the baggage carousel, staring at an empty conveyor belt while everyone else grabs their suitcases and leaves. But according to a longtime baggage handler, the real problem often begins before the plane even takes off.
Behind the scenes, where conveyor belts hum and scanners flash nonstop, airport workers see the same mistake repeated every day. Passengers tie bright ribbons, strings, or fabric markers onto their suitcases to make them easier to recognize. It seems harmless. Clever, even.
But those ribbons can interfere with the automated baggage scanning systems that route luggage through the airport. When something dangles or catches, the machine can’t read the bag correctly. That suitcase gets flagged, pulled off the belt, and sent for manual inspection while its owner boards the plane unaware. By the time the passenger lands, their bag is still sitting in a back room somewhere, waiting to be reprocessed.
Old destination stickers create a similar issue. If previous tags or barcodes are still attached, scanners can misread the luggage and send it to the wrong area of the airport. From there, it can end up delayed, rerouted, or stuck in what workers call “security limbo.”
And then there’s something even more surprising: marzipan.
This sweet treat, often packed as a snack or gift, has a density that resembles certain explosive materials when viewed on security X-ray machines. That similarity can trigger alarms, force manual bag searches, and sometimes even result in passengers being called off flights for questioning. What seems like an innocent dessert can bring an entire screening line to a halt.
The advice from baggage professionals is simple but rarely known:
Remove ribbons, straps, and anything that dangles from your suitcase. Peel off old travel stickers and tags. Choose luggage that stands out on its own—bright colors, bold patterns, or distinctive designs—so you don’t need extra identifiers. If you want to personalize your bag, use flat stickers, paint, or markings that won’t interfere with scanners. When placing your bag on the belt, turn the wheels upward to protect them from damage.
These small steps can make the difference between your suitcase arriving smoothly and disappearing into the maze of airport handling systems.
Most travel nightmares don’t happen because of bad luck. They happen because of small habits we never realized were causing problems. And the people who see it every day—the baggage handlers—are quietly hoping travelers start paying attention.
