From ticket counter to conveyor: a checked bag’s first step“It all starts with what’s known as ‘bag hygiene,’” says Simran Sandhar, SJC’s terminal and customer experience superintendent. Even your checked bags go through a TSA security check. Say a bag gets stuck on a conveyor belt because of a loose bag strap or a pinched wheel. In 2023 alone, U.S. airports handled more than 470 million checked bags. Sandhar recommends always removing airline baggage tags, as well as those little bingo stickers, once you’ve left your destination airport.