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Baggage Porters and Bellhops

The occupation Baggage Porters and Bellhops covers people who handle baggage for travelers at transportation terminals or for guests at hotels or similar establishments. One core duty is to receive and mark baggage by completing and attaching claim checks. With a code of RCS, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Conventional interests also help, rated 4.8 out of 7. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in service orientation, speaking, and active listening helps most here. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need research, analysis and working through hard problems, it may feel thin.

What they do

Handle baggage for travelers at transportation terminals or for guests at hotels or similar establishments.

Main tasks

  • Receive and mark baggage by completing and attaching claim checks.
  • Greet incoming guests and escort them to their rooms.
  • Transport guests about premises and local areas, or arrange for transportation.
  • Maintain clean lobbies or entrance areas for travelers or guests.
  • Transfer luggage, trunks, and packages to and from rooms, loading areas, vehicles, or transportation terminals, by hand or using baggage carts.
  • Supply guests or travelers with directions, travel information, and other information, such as available services and points of interest.

Skills

  • Service Orientation
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Coordination
  • Time Management

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on service orientation and speaking.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCS takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Less than a High School Diploma. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Bell Captain
  • Bell Person
  • Bellhop
  • Bellman
  • Bellperson

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.