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3 Ways to Avoid Lost Luggage

This article shares 3 top tips for helping you to avoid the hassle of lost luggage when you are planning an airplane trip.

When you are going away on vacation or a business trip, lost luggage is the last thing you want to deal with. But according to statistics, American travelers saw an average of over one million pieces of luggage reported lost every year since 2008. With things like identity theft becoming more of a scare these days as well, the last thing you need is to lose your luggage and have the nightmare of trying to track it down and hope that everything you packed is still safe inside. In this article we will share 3 ways to avoid lost luggage so you can just concentrate on having a memorable time.

Choose Your Airline Carefully

There are certain airlines that have been known to lose luggage more than all others. While finding an affordable flight may be a consideration for some families when going on vacation, losing your luggage because you didn't make a wise choice may not be worth the savings in the end.

For example: Atlantic Southeast Airlines was reported in 2008 to have lost between 10 and 11 bags per 1000 and had the worst record. Since then, they may have put in an extra effort to earn back a good reputation while others may have fallen behind.

If you have to take a flight that includes a lot of layovers or connecting flights, you may want to re-consider checking your bags if you can't change your flight plans.

Perhaps talk to friends and family before you book your flight to see if they ever had a problem with losing their luggage as well. Many times it may be that airlines who are losing business will offer the most discounts to bring people back but that doesn't resolve their staffing issues and lost luggage claims. Checking into various flight deals and their reputations may take a little bit of extra time but it will be nothing compared to the time and money you could lose trying to chase down lost valuables.

If at all possible try to book nonstop flights. This option will enable you to keep your luggage on one flight for your entire trip. While nonstop trips sometimes do cost a little more, if this is an option for you, it may very well help you to avoid a lot of headache and stress. Also, if you make sure that you arrive to the airport in plenty of time to check in; your luggage will be able to make it through the right channels to end up on the correct plane along with you.

Make Your Bags Stand Out

If you have a common luggage set that many people may own, you could put stickers or designs on your bag that will help you to identify it when it is in the luggage carousel. Many people will simply see a bag that looks like their own and will just grab it before going home. Another preventive measure you can use to avoid this type of mistake is to put in a copy of your itinerary or a business card that is visible within the bag so that the person who took it by mistake will be able to reach you before you have pulled all of your hair out and are at the freaking out stage because you are convinced you will never see your bags again.

But with the fear of your information falling into the wrong hands, especially when you have a family to protect, you may not want to go that route. So, what can you do instead?

Consider using the services of Luggage Protection Tags

This unique system is set up to specifically help those who find they have lost their luggage even when they have done everything they could think of to avoid it.

This system enables the finder to be directly connected to the owner's phone line(s) without you having to write it down on any business card or page in your luggage, while it also protects our privacy from the lost bag's finder.

Another common problem of other luggage tags you can get from retailers is that they need to be attached to the handles of your luggage and could be ripped off conveyor belts or rough handling and become lost themselves. With this system, you are given a special adhesive tag that sticks right to your luggage. Each of these tags has the toll free number for the luggage protection tags service which is in turn connected to your phone number in the system. The tags or labels also give an ID number. When someone finds your luggage they can call that toll free number, enter your ID number, and the finder will be instantly connected to your phone so you can arrange for the retrieval of your bags. You can even protect personal items like cameras, cell phones, and computer gear with the gummed labels that are provided when you sign up for the service.

With a service like this, you can rest assured that no matter what airline you have to deal with, you will always be able to retrieve your missing luggage anywhere in North America you travel.

Updated April 25, 2013

Comments

Boots GibsonApr 27, 2013

As you say, WordChazer, we can't be too careful. It's also a good idea to put our 800o# , ID number, and email inside the bag on a full sized sheet of paper taped on the bottom inside the bag before it's packed and then again on the very top of the load just before it's closed. That way, if the bag has been mangled badly enough to pop open, there is still ID with what's salvageable of the contents.

GuestApr 26, 2013

I'd also recommend thinking about what the items you are packing may look like in the scanner. In the past, before baggage laws were tightened, my family has had items go 'missing' because the customs/security guys tore a suitcase to bits thanks to something legal in hold baggage that came up looking suspicious in the baggage scan. Can't be too careful these days.