Confessions of a Baggage Handler, By TERRY WARD

Any airline passenger who's ever lugged a suitcase to a check-in gate and bid his or her bag adieu has likely wondered what goes on beyond those rubbery black curtains.

And if you think your journey as a passenger is tedious, wait until you hear what happens to your suitcase in that conveyor belted underworld into which all checked bags descend.

Under the promise of anonymity, a baggage handler with a decade of experience working for a major airline agreed to dish the dirt with us on the scene behind the scenes.

- Compare prices on flights, hotels and car hire