Airline "why" question #1: baggage.

the pockets provide more grippage on the rubber belts?

It’s like dropping buttered toast or peanut butter, and always seems to land with the messy side towards the floor?

Baggage handlers are sociopaths?

@susanc that’s a given. they’re also kleptos

Baggage is not handled by people. My Dad helped design the baggage system at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport in the 1970’s. It was entirely automated. The bin is filled by opening a trap door in the airplane, then pulled over to the loader, where it is dumped on the feed bin, which bumps the luggage onto a conveyor belt or rollers. The luggage then continues through a maze to the proper carousel.

Another thing, people only flip over the ones that are the same color of their baggage..to see if it’s their own baggage. But, they crowd all up front, so you can’t even get to see. I hate baggage claims…possibly more than the post office.

I believe they put them on the belt that way so they don’t roll around on the belt. Most wheels are attached near what is the back of the luggage (the side that they put facing up). If it was placed wheel side down, the bags may slip down the conveyor belt as the bags are going up or down.

@Les, that answer makes sense. I do think this applies mostly to wheeled baggage, now that you mention it.