Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter for more airline and airport-specific news! From check-in counter to security The volume and speed are simply second-to-none.” There’s so much more to the process though, so come along for a behind-the-scenes ride from the ticket counter to the plane.Īs Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority, which oversees the airport, told TPG, “the entire baggage system is extraordinary. TPG’s tour of the Terminal B baggage system began at the check-in counter, where every checked bag begins its voyage. In Terminal B, customers have a choice of where to drop their bags - curbside or at the counter. Either way, once the bags are inducted into the system, they’re placed on the conveyor belt and start crisscrossing the underworld of the airport. If you choose counter check-in, you’ll notice that there aren’t any traditional scales. Instead, they’re built directly into the floor to avoid any possible injury lifting bags. LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP), the operator of Terminal B, is responsible for the baggage system. The company is completely independent of the terminal’s four airline tenants - Air Canada, American, Southwest and United.Īs such, LGP has designed the system so that no single airline gets an advantage. Even though American’s counters are closer to the main baggage processing system (and don’t have to travel as far), LGP ensures that every checked bag, regardless of airline, gets from check-in to baggage tug within six minutes. That number jumps to 12 to 18 minutes for bags that require secondary screening.

Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines Robotic security “It’s important for us to offer the best possible baggage handling service to ensure our tenants are happy,” Angelo Salgado, facilities manager for LGP, told TPG during our exclusive tour. There’s a three-pronged security process all designed to increase efficiency.” Just like passengers go from check-in to security, the same applies to checked bags.Ĭotton remarked that “the security aspect of the baggage system is state-of-the-art.

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