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7 Tips to Avoid Lost Luggage

By Holly Campbell

There is nothing more miserable than finding your luggage gone missing the moment you arrived at your destination. It is estimated that more than a million bags are lost by commercial airlines each year in the United States. Although most airlines claim to return the lost luggage within a few hours to a few days, it can still make traveling unpleasant. Read on and learn travel tips on how to avoid lost luggage as well as what you can do if your baggage is ever lost.

How to Prevent Lost Luggage

First, always attach two or three tags with your name, home address, and phone number to the handle as well as zipper-pulls of each bag that you are checking.

And, remember to leave some visible information, including a copy of your itinerary and destination address inside each bag when you pack. In the event that your luggage is missing and found in time, it will make it easier and faster for the airline to locate you and forward them to your hotel.

Most important thing of all is, remember to remove any old airline tracking tags that are still attached to your luggage as they could confuse the baggage handlers.

You may want to choose a luggage with bright or odd color to stand out among the black and brown bags. Alternatively, you can attach a small colorful ribbon or scarf to its handle to make identification easy. Using stickers, neon luggage tags or contrasting colored tapes on bags also help to prevent lost luggage.

It’s also worth the effort to take a digital photo of your bags with your identifiers before you go and bring it along with you. If your baggage is lost, you would have something to show to the lost luggage staff at the airport. This is particularly useful if you need to make a claim.

One of the most common causes of lost luggage is late check-in. If you check in 15 minutes just before take-off, there is higher risk of losing your luggage. Therefore, to avoid lost luggage, it’s always a good idea to arrive at the airport early and check in.

Another thing that you can do is make a list of what you have in your luggage and keep this list in you carry-on bag. Since connecting or delayed flights increase the chances of lost luggage, always pack your valuables such as your laptop or Blackberry, travel documents, prescriptions, and so on in your carry-on bag. No matter how tempted you are, don’t leave anything valuable in your checked bags when you travel.

If unfortunately, the airlines lose your luggage, you need to the baggage claim office and file a claim at once. Many airlines have a twenty-four hour window period starting from when your flight arrives to file and be eligible for compensation. You will need to fill a claim form with your personal information and bag description.

You will receive a claim receipt to check the tracking of your luggage with the airline by phone, or on the airline’s website. As a precautionary measure, keep all your flight documents until the lost luggage problem is resolved.

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