Ask a QuestionGeneral Information
- All baggage is subject to search.
- Northwest reserves the right to refuse baggage for the following reasons:
- Baggage size, weight, character, or condition unsuitable for transportation on the particular aircraft.
- Baggage cannot be accommodated without harming or inconveniencing other passengers.
Pre-pay baggage fees during nwa.com check-in or at a self-service kiosk by selecting the number of bags you will be checking and providing a credit card. Your credit card will be charged at the airport baggage drop when your baggage tags are printed. If necessary, you can change the number of checked bags at an airport kiosk before your baggage tags are printed.
Baggage Check-in Time Limits
Domestic Flights: You are required to check baggage at least 30 minutes prior to departure with the following exceptions:
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International Flights: For all flights with an international destination or origin, you are required to check baggage at least 60 minutes prior to departure.
Customers who fail to check baggage by the applicable baggage acceptance times, risk having their baggage, and themselves, rerouted on the next available departure. Northwest retains the right, at its sole discretion, to allow check-in after these cut-off times when its representatives deem circumstances warrant. If checked baggage is accepted after above times, Northwest will not be liable for any expenses incurred as a result of baggage not being loaded on the same flight as the passenger. At minimum, Northwest will not assume the expense of delivering baggage to customers who check-in late or voluntarily separate from their baggage (see Delayed or Damaged Baggage for details).
Processing of Checked Baggage
When you check your baggage, a Northwest agent will place a baggage tag on each piece of baggage indicating your name, flight number(s), and all cities on your ticketed itinerary.
- Tip: If you are deviating from your ticketed itinerary, please advise the Northwest agent before checking your baggage.
You will be given a numbered claim ticket for each piece of checked baggage. The claim ticket serves as proof of your checked baggage. It is important that you keep the claim tickets(s) until you have received all of your checked baggage at the conclusion of your trip.
- Tip: Please ensure that the number of claim tickets you were given corresponds to the number of bags you checked.
From the ticket counter, your baggage is placed on a series of conveyor belts. The conveyor belts transport baggage to a location where bags are loaded into carts according to flight number and destination. In large airports, automated scanners read the code on the baggage tag and direct the item to the correct loading area. Your baggage will go through a series of conveyor belts, chutes, and other mechanisms before reaching the point where it is loaded into a cart and taken to the aircraft.
- Tip: Please remove any straps, hangers, and protruding objects from your baggage before checking it. These can get caught in the conveyor system and cause damage to your baggage. Items that are bulging or are not sufficiently constructed to support the weight inside may split during the trip through the baggage belt system.
The baggage is then loaded in the cargo compartment of the aircraft, usually using another conveyor belt. Due to the amount of space in the compartment, items may have to be placed flat and stacked on top of each other. Although the baggage compartments are secured with nets or straps, items can shift during flight due to the plane's angle during take-off.
- Tip: Since this is the standard way baggage is transported, breakage or damage to fragile items may be unavoidable. Do not pack fragile items inside your checked baggage.
Security Procedures
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens all checked baggage. As part of the TSA screening, locks may be removed or damaged in transit.
Although we recommend that you do not lock your baggage, locks are now available at retail outlets that allow your baggage to be screened without breaking the lock or damaging your bag. Look for locks that use a "TSA-recognized locking mechanism." Only locks that use a TSA-recognized locking mechanism are recommended for locking your baggage. For more information, please visit the TSA website at www.tsa.gov.
