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Ask the Captain: Is there a trick to getting my luggage out first?

John Cox
Special for USA TODAY
A baggage claim at Denver International Airport.-

Q: Is it true that the later you check in, the earlier your luggage comes out?

— Submitted by reader Stuart Deutsch

A: No, it is not true. The relationship between check-in time and baggage- retrieval time is dependent upon many variables, such as which cargo bin the bag is loaded into, if any containers were used, and the loading sequence of the containers.

Many airlines use special tags on the luggage of their premium customers; this usually results in their bags being delivered first no matter when they were checked.

Q: Did the average weight of a fully loaded commercial flight change after airlines started charging for checked bags? Does a flight on Southwest, which still allows two free bags, now weigh more than the same plane operated by an airline that charges for them?

— Rathnasamy, Brandon, Fla.

A: There are standard calculations used for most airliners. The "average" weight for a male in winter and summer, a female in winter and summer, children, and the average luggage anticipated are used for the computations.

The average weights did not change for most operators as the total weight difference between luggage and carry-on has been minimal.

Q: Do commercial airliners haul any other cargo besides passengers' luggage?

— Jonathan, Manhattan

A: Yes, air freight is often carried in the cargo holds along with passenger luggage. The "belly" freight is a major contributor to the revenue of an airline.

Q: Why don't the airlines charge their passengers by the total weight, i.e. the customer and all the luggage, carry-on or checked? After all, the fuel is used by the aircraft whether the weight is in the main cabin or cargo hold.

— Suresh, Hinsdale, Ill.

A: A pricing scheme for cost by weight could theoretically be done, but I have never heard of it.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.

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