Ten tips to increase the odds your luggage makes it to your final destination when you do—or if not, that you can track it down.
I don’t check luggage—I can carry enough stuff for a three-week trip in a rollaboard and a duffel. One of my trips earlier this year involved eleven flights; I wince to think how much time I would’ve wasted waiting for my bags after each one.
That said, I know sometimes you have to check your gear. It’s bad enough to have to wait for it. It’s downright awful when it never shows up. Here are ten tips on how to avoid your bag becoming one of the 26 million that go missing each year from airports around the world.
1. Don’t check your bag at the last minute.
A baggage handler told me an hour is the minimum you should allow to ensure your bag has time to make it onto the plane. And close connections mean while you may be able to sprint and make your next flight, your bag won’t.
2. Avoid connecting flights.
The fewer times your bag is handled, the fewer chances it will be misdirected.
3. Use a luggage tag.
This sounds obvious, but according to a gate agent I spoke with, about a quarter of the bags go through without one. Seriously? Buy a luggage tag—the airline paper ones tear off—and use it!
I chose leather ones like these Travelambo Leather Luggage Tags for my carry-ons—they’re real leather, come in 29 colors, are durable, and cost only $7—but there are a zillion options out there. Make sure you select one with a sturdy enough strap and put only your name, email, and phone number—not your address—on it.
4. Label the inside of your bag.
Even the best luggage tags can be torn off, so put your contact info (name, phone number, email) inside the bag, too. Either print out your info and put it on top of your clothes or tape a business card to the inside of your bag.
5. Include an itinerary in your bag.
On a round-the-world trip, or one with many stops over a relatively short period of time, include an itinerary in your bag. (Print it out and put it on top with your contact info.) In the event the luggage is lost, it will better help the airline reunite you with your suitcase.
6. Double check your baggage tag for the correct airport code.
Ask (politely), “My bag is going to [destination], right?” to get the gate agent or outside baggage handler to double-check the bag’s destination matches yours. Better yet, know the airport code for where you’re going so you can read the tag for yourself.
7. Put a ribbon, decal, or strap on your luggage so it doesn’t look like all the others.
Sometimes luggage makes it to the correct airport but is claimed by the wrong person. Or you can’t spot your bag among the hundred black suitcases coming off the conveyor belt. Use a sticker or a colored strap to make your luggage easy to spot and distinctive, but there’s no need to go overboard. (Luggy Squeeze, anyone?)
8. Buy a luggage tracker.
These are easy-peasy: Drop the device into your bag, then use your phone to monitor the location of your luggage.
There are quite a few choices out there. Some use GPS, others GCM, still others, Bluetooth. Most charge a monthly fee or allow you to buy coverage for a certain number of trips. Tile, Gego, and LugLoc are three of the better-known and better-reviewed ones. (I use LugLoc; it works great!)
There are quite a few choices out there. Some use GPS, others GCM, still others, Bluetooth. Most charge a monthly fee or allow you to buy coverage for a certain number of trips. Tile, Gego, and LugLoc are three of the better-known and better-reviewed ones. (I use LugLoc; it works great!)
9. Take a photo of the outside of your bag and its contents.
This makes it easier for the airline to find your bag among all the others.
10. File a claim immediately.
Act promptly if you don’t see your luggage on the carousel: go directly to the lost baggage department of your airline, usually located near baggage claim.
Sometimes it’s simply a matter of waiting for your bag to arrive on the next flight. If you can’t wait or your bag is lost in the system, give the airline a complete description (bag dimensions, brand, color, distinguishing marks, contents) plus the address (not just hotel name) of where you’re staying (and a local phone number if overseas); the more Info the airline has, the better chance it will find your bag and get it to you. Don’t leave without the name and phone number of the person who takes your lost bag claim so you can follow-up if your bag isn’t delivered when promised.
Twist’s Take: Don’t check luggage. If you have to, take these precautions to minimize the chance it will miss your flight or be lost.
