Passenger Shocked by How She Spots Airport Staff Handling Luggage

A video showing airport workers handling luggage with "perfect care" has gone viral on TikTok. The footage was taken by @loulouexplores at an airport in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, a province in northeast China. The clip has amassed over 221,000 views since it was posted on January 14. The poster says in the video: "I have never seen a baggage collection [area] with a video of your baggage being unloaded." The clip shows a video screen above a baggage belt, which features footage of workers unloading luggage and placing it onto the belt. "There's mine," she says, spotting her bag being unloaded in the video, which shows the workers "handling it with perfect care," according to the poster. Etiquette expert Jo Hayes told Newsweek: "It's edifying to read about these luggage handlers in China—well done, them." Commenting on bag handlers in the United States, Hayes said: "Every airport is different, and every luggage handler is different—I wouldn't want to paint them all with the same brush." The viral post comes as a total of 153,164 mishandled bags were reported among the 40,425,828 bags enplaned by 10 major U.S. airlines in October last year, according to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report released in December by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT said that in August 2024, the reporting carriers "handled 42.5 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.64 percent, lower than the rate of 0.75 percent in July 2024, and higher than the rate of 0.61 percent in August 2023." When it comes to the U.S., "as a general rule, the bigger and busier the airport, the less gentle handlers are with our luggage," Hayes said. "Why? It simply takes more time—and often, more energy—to be gentle, and they simply don't have this luxury," she said.

The Dos And Donts Of Airline Luggage

Hayes shared tips on what to do and what not to do when it comes to luggage on your travels.

Do Choose Good Quality Luggage

Hayes said: "Cheap material, especially on the wheels, will fail fast."

Don't Get A White Or Cream Suitcase

Hayes said that colors that mark up quickly, such as white and cream, should be avoided. While there may be some "supremely stylish" suitcases that are "tempting to the eye," she said, "you'll be grossly disappointed on the other side of your flight when you claim your stained/marked-up luggage." "This is not necessarily due to rough handling—luggage carousels, carts and cargo holds accumulate a lot of dirt," she added.

Do Pack Carefully

Hayes advises carrying delicate and fragile items in your carry-on luggage instead of checked baggage. Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified. Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.