Avoid missing luggage and other baggage problems

When you bring your luggage with you inside the plane, you don’t have to worry about it getting lost or stolen. Normally, you can bring two pieces of hand luggage in the cabin: a carry-on bag that goes in the overhead bin and a personal bag that can fit under the seat in front of you. You can also bring an umbrella and/or a baby stroller in the cabin, too.

If you do have to check any luggage, keep any valuable items in your hand luggage. Items such as money, jewelry, laptop, tablet, important documents are less likely to disappear when they are packed in your carry-on luggage.

Because many travel bags have similar designs, you should customize any checked luggage. That way, it’s going to be easier to spot them on the baggage carousel and avoid others grabbing them by mistake.

Each piece of luggage you travel with should have two labels with your name, address, and phone number. One of them stays on the exterior of your luggage, while the other stays inside, with a copy of your itinerary. To relocate your missing luggage, this information will be very useful to your airline.

As mentioned above, all your luggage should be tagged this way, even your carry-on bags. Sometimes you’ll find yourself in the situation where you have to check them without any prior notice.

When you check your luggage, make sure you verify the tags the airline puts on your luggage. You need to be certain that the three-letter identifier on your bag matches your destination airport.
And, speaking of airline tags, make sure you don’t lose your checked luggage ticket stub. They’re vital in identifying missing luggage.

Consider that the odds of missing luggage are higher than in reality. So pack with this thought in mind from the start. Spread your clothes between several bags and add the clothes for the first day in your hand luggage. If you have an important business meeting, make sure you pack copies of any materials you need in another bag.

If your bags don’t show up after you reach your destination, inform the airline’s representative as soon as possible. Also, talk to the baggage agents on duty. The faster you act, the better.