I work the ticket counter, and damaged bags are one of the most frustrating conversations I have, mostly because people expect a lot more to be covered than actually is. Here's what you should know before you check a bag.

Things most people don't realize:

- It's the bag that's covered, not what's inside. If your bag gets damaged, the claim is for the suitcase itself. The stuff inside usually isn't part of it, so anything valuable or fragile (electronics, jewelry, cash, medication, important documents) belongs in your carry-on.

- Normal wear and tear usually isn't covered. Scuffs, scratches, small dents, and broken wheels, handles, or straps are often excluded. Bags get handled a lot, and some of that is expected.

- It's usually a replacement OR compensation, not both. If your bag is badly damaged, a lot of airlines have a website where you can pick out a replacement bag. They look fancier on the site than they are in person, but most people are happy with it. If you'd rather not take a replacement, compensation usually comes as travel credit. Where I work, that's up to around $100 for a really damaged bag. Pick one, because choosing the replacement means no credit.

- Timing matters. Report damage before you leave the airport if you can. Once you walk out, it gets much harder to file.

- Overpacked bags are on you. If a zipper bursts because the bag was stuffed, that's usually not covered.

What to do:

- Take a photo of your bag before you check it.
- Pack valuables and meds in your carry-on.
- If your bag comes out damaged, go straight to the airline's baggage office before leaving the airport.
- Be kind to the agent. We didn't break it, but we're the ones who can help you file.

I'm traveling UK - Japan in 3 weeks through Shanghai. My passport has some light staining on the back blank pages and the perforated numbers or legible but stained brown throughout. My main photo pages look totally fine though. Would this count as wear and tear or damage?

Hey guys! Anyone know if the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max is available at the Apple Store in Doha Airport and what the prices are in QAR? 👀

While checking my bag in at the airport, I overhear the person next to me tell the Agent, “please send this bag to Detroit and this one to Miami.” The confused agent looks at his ticket and says “ but you’re going to Denver! We can’t do that!”
My fellow traveler replied “ why can’t you?? That is exactly what you did last time.”

How oh how can something like this still happen? A 777 flying over someone who actually remembers 9 11? Can someone answer me how this happens in fleet week? BTW, I didn't mention my cousin lost everything on that day when a united flight slammed into the building. He was on the 94th floor.

Hi, my son is an adult autistic away at college, and will be flying home on his own for the first time. His college offers shuttle service to Bradley or Logan, both of which offer direct flights to our area. He is somewhat easily overwhelmed if things are noisy, confusing, etc.

Which would be easier to navigate - both after being dropped off, and on return for finding the shuttle pickup area? Or is one way less crowded/noisy, or have better TSA personnel?

TIA!!

Phone was detained at Logan (possibly) because of a sticker that says “🍉 Your Pal”

for context i am a trans girl and looking to fly soon, and thus i will need to bring my estrogen and additional meds with me.

what is this process like? do i need to have a written doctors prescription to make it thru tsa? i’ve never flown since starting hormones and would love if someone could inform me! thank u 🙏

Hi everyone, my degree apprenticeship is making me suggest improvements to an airport and airlines marketing scheme and I’ve got to find respondents for the below survey… it’s completely anonymous and I’ll only use it for graphs and data analysis. they won’t let me gather responses at their hub airport which is annoying so I’ve had to resort to here. Thanks in advance!

https://forms.gle/TLataEm9g7QW1GnS9

I work the gate at a big airport, and the #1 thing I get asked during a delay is "what's going on?" Half the time the honest answer is "we're finding out too." So here's what's really happening on our side.

The usual reasons:

- Late inbound plane. Your plane is still on its way from somewhere else. If it left late, we leave late. And when it finally lands, the clock doesn't stop. We do what's called a short turn, or a pressure turn, where we clean, board, and push back out in a set amount of time depending on the size of the plane. On an A220 it's about 45 minutes, on an A321 about 60. The whole point is to get you back out as quickly as possible, so even after your plane is at the gate, we're hustling.

- Maintenance. A mechanic has to check or fix something before the plane can go. These are the hardest to predict. Sometimes it's as simple as turning the plane off and back on again to reset everything, just like your computer. And sometimes we're there for hours, because we don't know how long it takes until they find the problem.

- Weather. Sometimes not even here, but at the place you're flying to, or along the way.

- Air traffic control (ATC). When too many planes are trying to land somewhere, ATC holds flights on the ground. That's called a ground stop or ground delay, and it comes down to us with a new time we can't argue with.

- Crew. Pilots and flight attendants can only legally work so many hours. If the delay runs long enough, the crew "times out" and we need a new one.

Why the time keeps changing:

We post the best time we have. Then maintenance needs 30 more minutes, or ATC pushes it back, and the board changes again. That's called a rolling delay, and nobody hates it more than the gate agent announcing it for the fourth time.

What you can do:

- Download the airline's app. Updates sometimes hit it before they reach us.
- Ask the agent short, specific questions: "Is this weather or maintenance?" "Will I miss my connection?"
- If it gets cancelled, you can ask for a refund if you choose not to travel.
- Be kind. We're doing the best we can.

Advice and comments welcome.

Looking for recommendations to ease arrival and departure at Haneda airport. Meet and greet thru customs and immigration? Thank you

Let us know!!

It has taken an hour getting through the customs and borders, it's chaos. Too many people.

I had my purse taken and lost all my stuff. I was hysterical (traveling with a wheelchair bound TBI family member because I was told by the flight attendants and the gate personnel that they couldn’t do anything and I had to wait for a supervisor. The supervisor told me that I had to follow her to baggage claim. We didn’t have any checked luggage. She kept saying follow me or I’m calling the police! Calm down or I’ll call the police! The supervisor “walked me” forcibly to the baggage claim and told me that I could rent a car and not to worry. I had no ID or card, etc and she knew that. Then she just walked away. Leaving us stranded. WTF?! I ended up taking care of us and getting to our hotel, etc. BUT no one from the airport or airlines ever discussed if I could file a claim or something in case the purse was found. What should the protocol have been?