Traveler Attaches Camera to Suitcase to See What Airport Does With Luggage

A traveler attached a tiny camera to a suitcase to find out what happened to his luggage after he checked it in at airport security.

TikTok user Thomas Miller’s fascinating video of his suitcase’s fascinating journey through the airport has amassed over 17.2 million views since it was posted on TikTok last month.

@thomasmiller719 #foryou #foryoupageofficiall #foryoupage #fypシ゚viral ♬ Daylight – David Kushner

Miller shared a clip of the voyage his suitcase had through the airport luggage system after he attached a small camera to his bag just before he checked it in at the luggage drop-off.

The clip begins with Miller attaching a miniature camera to his luggage with the caption: “Time to find out what the airport does with my bag.”

The camera shows Miller wheeling the suitcase to the luggage drop-off location in the airport and placing it on a long conveyer belt.

This takes the suitcase along several twists and turns along the beltway and the miniature camera’s unique perspective makes it seem as if the bag is on a thrilling fairground ride.

The suitcase then appears to enter a security screening machine. After that the bag winds up on a different conveyer belt and an unsuspecting airport employee is seen passing by the luggage.

At the end of the video, Miller’s bag is seen being placed on a large pile of other suitcases — presumably ready to board the flight.

In the comments on his TikTok video, Miller shared that the camera that he attached to his suitcase was Insta 360’s Go 2. The small stabilized action camera weighs a sparse 27 grams — which is less than an ounce.

While filming in airports is generally permitted, American travel website The Points Guy reports that “recording Border Patrol and Customs agents is not recommended” as the “majority of these interactions are not considered public” and that “outside of the U.S., it is “not recommended that you photograph, film or record any government agent or government building without prior permission from that government”.

According to The Points Guys, some airlines only allow recording of “personal events,” with American Airlines’ policy stating: “Use of still and video cameras, film or digital, is permitted only for recording personal events. Photography or video recording of airline personnel, equipment, or procedures is strictly prohibited.”


Image credits: Header photo via TikTok/Thomas Miller.

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