An apparatus for making a self-opening bag pack includes a supply of film material. An extruder forms a continuous tube of film. A flattener flattens the tube. A corona treater treats at least one surface of the flattened tube. A first sealer forms a bottom seam across a width of the flattened tube. A cutter cuts the flattened tube into bag blanks at a predetermined distance from the bottom seam. A stacker forms the bag blanks into a bag pack. An adhesion knife penetrates the bag pack and adheres adjacent bag blanks together in the bag pack. An aperture maker forms means for suspending the bag pack from a dispensing rack. The pack is attached to the dispensing rack and the front wall of the subsequent bag will be adhered to the rear wall of a first bag, thereby causing the first bag to open when pulled from the rack.

A panel for a flexible package (100), and a method and system for forming the panel is provided. The panel comprises a first laminate having an open-area; a second laminate extending from a top edge to a bottom edge; and a third laminate, the third laminate sealed with the first laminate to cover the open-area, and the top edge and the bottom edge of the second laminate sealed between the first laminate and the third laminate such that area between the top edge and the bottom edge of the second laminate remains free forming a loop with the panel. The panel preferably forms a side-gusset (102) of a flexible packaging pouch, wherein the loop can be used as a handle (110) to carry the flexible package.