Here’s What Happens To Your Luggage After You Check It

Every time I check a bag at the airport, I experience a moment of extreme panic. After all, I'm handing my belongings over to a complete stranger and watching them ride along a filthy conveyer belt into the vast unknown. What really happens to our suitcases between the time we check them and the time they emerge on the other end? Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has released a fascinating video that answers that question. And, it simultaneously showcases the airport's state-of-the-art baggage-processing facility. The video has no on-screen text or explanatory voiceover. But, it nevertheless underscores the extraordinary number of moving parts (literally and figuratively) that are necessary to make sure every — or, almost every — bag gets from terminal to tarmac to plane to the relieved arms of its owner. So, I suppose the next time I fly, I'll spend less time worrying whether my bag is on a plane to Siberia (while I'm headed to L.A.) or that all my clothes will end up covered in shampoo, courtesy of a TSA baggage handler with a less-than-gentle touch. Check out the video below — and for a more comprehensive look at a day in the life of a checked bag, watch the 360° version here. (h/t Thrillist)