Hidden camera reveals where your checked bags go at the airport: ‘Finally content we actually need’

Kaitlin Stanford

15 May 2023 at 11:08 am·4-min read

Ever wonder what happens to your checked bags after you hand them over to an airline agent? Well, thanks to one ingenious TikToker, you no longer have to wonder.

Thomas Miller (@thomasmiller719) recently stuck a small camera to his suitcase just before boarding a flight and is now sharing with the world the fascinating journey it took while he was traveling.

“Time to find out what the airport does with my bag,” Miller wrote in the text of his now-viral video.

Moments later, the clip shows him hiding the tiny camera by the handle of his suitcase and checking it in at the airport.

Within seconds, the suitcase is off, beginning its mesmerizing journey through a series of dips and turns as a conveyer belt moves it along through hidden parts of the airport that most of us will never see.

During its trip, the song “Daylight,” by David Kushner plays in the background — a soulful, piano-based ballad that strikes a melancholy vibe and somehow feels very appropriate for the suitcase’s lonely ride to nowhere.

For most of its journey, the luggage travels on its own, with no other bags in sight. But finally, at the end of the conveyer belt, we see an airline worker hoist it up and load it into the back of a small vehicle filled with other travelers’ suitcases.

Presumably, its next stop would be in the belly of the plane, so it can meet up with its owner on the other end. But to the disappointment of many TikTokers, the clip cuts out just before we see where the suitcase is headed next.

The video has now gone super-viral with more than 16.4 million views and counting. But perhaps that’s no surprise, considering how much people love learning about little hidden secrets of air travel. Just recently, an Aussie flight attendant went viral for answering people’s burning questions about flying. Other airline workers have also gained some TikTok fame for sharing what life as a cabin crew member is really like.

In the comments of Miller’s video, most viewers thanked him for offering a glimpse into the “forbidden backrooms” of the airport.

“FINALLY content we actually need lol,” one user wrote.

Some even got a little emotional over the whole thing.

“Why do I feel bad for the bag?” another person commented.

Others said the entire thing reminded them of a scene out of Toy Story 2, where Buzz and the rest of Andy’s toys take a similar ride through the airport baggage system in hopes of saving Woody.

“i know what they do. i have seen toy story,” one user wrote.

“Why was I expecting to see Woody?” joked someone else.

But ultimately, a lot of viewers were left wanting something more from Miller’s video.

“I don’t know what I was expecting but I know I was expecting more,” one person admitted.

“I knew what to expect,” wrote someone else, “yet I wanted more ‘drama.'”

Others simply wanted to see where the luggage went next and likely expected to see its entire journey — right up until Miller picked it up at the other end of baggage claim.

After the original video went viral, Miller did attempt to appease his viewers with a follow-up video showing the luggage getting loaded into the bottom of the plane. However, in this case, it appears that the camera remains stationary as opposed to being on the moving suitcase, which might suggest that this was a different journey entirely.

“you asked for it,” Miller captioned the post, in response to one user’s request for “more.”

In the clip, a single airline worker sits in the belly of the plane as boxes and luggage come through a conveyer belt. One by one, he sorts and stacks them, making sure to maximize the space as best he can.

While many people were happy to see more of the bag’s journey, a lot of users started to wonder whether or not something like this was even legal.

“does this man know he’s getting recorded?!” one person asked with concern.

“Always good practice to blur faces when you’re covertly filming someone,” someone else warned.

However, plenty of others took a moment to tip their hat to the worker, noting how hard a job like this can be, day in and day out.

“The fact that it’s just one person organizing is impressive,” one person wrote.

“Respect for the guy!” said someone else.

Others marveled at the organizational process itself, which at least one person referred to as “Real life Tetris.”

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