Losing your luggage can ruin your trip. It’s no fun spending your holiday time on the phone with airlines whilst you try to recover your things. It can also add a massive cost to your holiday if you have to replace things like your clothes and equipment.
The good news is that when you factor in airline traffic and the number of lost bags, there is a less than a 1% chance of your luggage getting lost. To be on the safe side, use these tips to make sure you don’t lose your luggage on your next trip.
Use a Luggage Tag
A luggage tag is a simple and cost-effective way to avoid your luggage getting lost. Make sure you buy a sturdy tag that won’t break easily with a loop that isn’t big enough to get caught on anything.
Rubber and leather are the best materials on the market as they can tolerate the rough handling of airport employees. Get a colorful tag that will stand out, and make sure it has a transparent window so your personal information is visible.
Put your Contact Information in the Bag Too
Even the sturdiest luggage tags can get broken. Airports have to rush everyone’s luggage around the airport as quickly as possible, so it’s rarely handled with care.
Employees will often open unidentified luggage. To keep your bags extra safe, write your contact details and travel itinerary on a piece of paper and pop it inside your luggage. That way they can verify it’s your luggage even if it does get lost.
Get Rid of Old Tags
It’s very likely that your luggage will be scanned a few times on its journey to your final holiday destination. Having old tags on your luggage means there’s a risk of the outdated tags being scanned.
If that happens, your luggage could be mistakenly sent to the wrong destination based on outdated information the scanner has picked up from an old flight.
Save yourself the hassle of having to chase lost luggage by getting rid of any old flight tags that are still attached to your bags.
Check In Your Luggage Well in Advance
Everyone is more prone to mistakes when they’re in a rush. Make sure your luggage isn’t the unfortunate victim of human error by checking in well in advance when the attendants are less rushed and have more time to process your luggage.
Checking in late also puts your luggage at risk of never making it onto the flight in the first case. If there isn’t enough time for your luggage to be processed, it might not make it onboard in time.
Fly Nonstop or Plan a Longer Connection
Flight connections increase your risk of losing your luggage, especially if there isn’t a lot of time in between your flights. By taking a direct flight, you minimize the amount of handling your bags will need, making them easier to keep track of.
If you can’t get a direct flight to your destination, prevent your luggage from getting lost by opting for a connection time of at least an hour. Any less than that and it’ll be tricky for the luggage to be taken off one flight and put on another in time.
Add an Apple AirTag to Your Items
Apple AirTags are a game-changer if your luggage gets lost in transit. You’ll be able to track its new location over your phone and let airport staff know where it is so they can get it back as quickly as possible.
You’ll even be able to use the Notify When Found feature with your AirTag and ask other iPhone users to anonymously help you locate your lost luggage if it’s far away.
Remove (or Secure) Loose Straps from Your Bags
Any loose straps, loops, or hooks on your luggage are worth cutting off or securing. The reason is that they can get stuck on conveyor belts or hook themselves onto things as they make their way through the airport baggage handling system.
Of course, you can’t just get rid of all the straps on your bags, you’ll need the main straps to carry them. But if you have a backpack with lots of extra straps like waist and chest straps, tie them together or tuck them into the bag to avoid them getting caught.
Make Your Bag Easy to Spot
Having out-of-the-ordinary and distinct suitcases will make it much less likely that your luggage will go unnoticed and make it easier to find if it does get lost.
Remember, brightly colored or patterned luggage is better than plain-black luggage if you want to avoid your belongings getting lost.
Avoid the Airline and Ship It Instead
Worried about your luggage getting lost even if you follow all our other tips? Then don’t risk it. If there’s anything important that you need to make sure won’t get lost but that you can’t bring in your hand luggage, ship it instead.
That way you can send your items tracked. You’re more likely to get compensation from shipping companies than airlines too!
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