Avoid Losing Luggage: Tips for Travelers

When I was on a trip to Puerto Rico, my airline lost my bag (or rather they mislaid it).  I have to say that was a headache since we headed to the beach right after we checked in.  It took the airline the 18 hours to deliver the bag to my hotel.  Fortunately, I had travel insurance so I was able to purchase some swim wear and other clothes so my day was able to proceed.

The funny thing is that I had an Air Tag so I knew my bag was in Puerto Rico but we just could not locate it from there.  My luggage had the airline sticker which should have tracked the bag and eliminated the delay but for some reason that did not happen.  My luggage tag also should have provided insight to the airline personnel.  None of these features worked.

All of this begs the question on how to minimize lost or delayed bags.  The best way is to pack in a carry-on bag so you will always know where your bag is.  With an extended vacation this is not a practical solution.  I did learn that I should always pack a change of clothes for the first day in the carry-on so that I will not have an issue when I get to my destination.

My recommendation if you check a bag is to

1.      First put an Air Tag inside your luggage so you can track the general location of the bag.  It is a great sense of relief if you know that you bag is in the same city as you are.  If, however, the bag was redirected to a whole different location, you do have a sense of relief that you are screwed and it will take some time for you to reconnect with your clothes.

2.      Make sure you have a secure luggage tag on your suitcase.  I know that mine have been ripped off in the past.  It makes it so much easier to locate in the event you are in a luggage storage facility.  Also, when you retrieve your bag, it is faster and easier if you can identify it by your luggage tag.  Many people will have a similar bag to yours.  I seem to buy black bags and it is always a challenge to find it on the luggage carrousel.  

3.      Your luggage tag should have some identifiable information but not too much as to alert potential thieves that you are out of town.  Never include you home address on your luggage tag.  You should include your name (probably only last name), email address and some form of phone number.  I am not a believer of including your hotel information on the luggage tag since I do not like having to continually update my tag information.

4.      If you are the kind of person who likes to go overboard, you can take a photo of your luggage, the luggage tag and the contents of the suitcase (or a detailed list of its contents).  While this will definitely help with any compensation claim, I know I would never take the time or effort to do this.

5.      When choosing a luggage tag, the most important feature is the loop that connects it to the bag.  It is leather or a soft strap then it can break especially with how airport personnel handle your bag.  I would recommend going with a steel loop and a flexible tag.  Anyway, you can minimize the potential that the luggage tag is ripped or torn off will be beneficial in the long term. 

While you may never be able to completely ensure that you luggage will not be lost, I would suggest that you take some minimal steps to reduce that likelihood.  If the airline does lose your luggage, enjoy the opportunity to refresh your wardrobe!!