Optimal baggage sorting rule to reduce waiting time in baggage claim

To improve airport service quality, this study attempts to find the optimal baggage classification method to minimize the passengers’ waiting time in the baggage claim area. The efficiency of different methods is verified through simulation for 27 cases. Analysis of the results reveals that the efficiency of row classification of an airplane increases as the number of airplane seats increases in the case of identical numbers of passengers and travel time of baggage. When a passenger arrives before his or her baggage, classifying the baggage into business class and economy class has the highest efficiency increase. Finally, the method of classifying the baggage into each row has the highest efficiency increase when baggage arrives before its owner.