Travel Tip Tuesday : 7 Ways to Prevent Lost, Stolen or Damaged Luggage

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I have been reminded recently with the new TSA rules and people commenting on my 7 Reasons to Go Carry-On, that not everyone can travel with only a carry-on bag. It’s true that in some circumstances, you’ll need to check a bag.

There are many things to consider if you will be checking your luggage. Last week we went over what NOT to pack in your checked-bag. Here are a few things that you can do to prevent lost, stolen or damaged luggage.

1. Start out by buying a quality piece of luggage. First, it can make traveling a bit more pleasurable, and second it can mean the difference from seeing your bag come down the carousel in one piece…or several pieces. Whether you are in the hard-case-camp or the durable-denier-fabric-camp it’s important to do some reasearch, read some reviews and remember that cheap doesn’t always mean better. Treat it like your baby, a good bag can last you many years as well as stand up to the harsh beating airline employees and luggage conveyors will give it.

2. And speaking of buying that bag, don’t by black if you can help it. Sure, it hides dirt and scuffs, but I bet you’d rather search through a pile of misplaced bags at the airport if you owned hot pink luggage. It would stand out like a sore thumb against a sea of black bags. If you must buy black, mark it with something unique to set it apart and spot it ease – a colorful tag or ribbon tied around the handle.

3. Always clearly mark your luggage inside and outside with your full name and address, phone number and email. Use a large luggage tag and print legibly with permanent marker. Make it easy for someone to contact you, in the event you’re separated from your bag. Perhaps even include the name of the first hotel you’ll be staying, so the airlines can deliver it, if they misplace it.

4. Though many people like to keep stickers from previous trips on their luggage as a cool travel badge of courage, it is sure to be a recipe for disaster. Always remove stickers and labels from previous trips – it can confuse baggage handlers.

5. Arrive early enough to the airport to ensure enough time for your luggage to make it on the plane. Running up to the gate to check luggage five minutes before boarding ends is a sure-fire way to assure bags won’t make it on your flight.

6. Try to avoid connecting flights by flying direct. Connections just increase the likelihood that your bag will be lost. If it can’t be helped, make sure you factor in at least one hour between connecting flights.

7. Head right to the baggage claim when you deboard the plane. Don’t dilly-dally. The sooner you get there, the sooner you watch the bags come in. The longer you let your luggage rotate on the carousel, the better chance that someone picks yours up accidentally or just decides to just walk off with it.

Stay tuned! Next week we will discuss what to do in the event that your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged.

Ready to make the switch to carry-on only travel? Click here to see how I can help you convert!

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Head over to My Bella Vita to see what travel tips Cherrye is servin’ up today!

Photo Credit : Flickr

Laura
January 19th, 2010
Great tips Robin! I travel with a bright green suitcase that I call the “green monster” – not only can I see it from a mile away, but it’s so bright no one could possibly want to steal in fear of glowing in the dark and getting caught green-handed!

Caitlin @ Roaming Tales
January 19th, 2010
Great advice. Also, if you are iffy on whether to check or carry on, consider if flights are full or delayed. If flights are full, consider checking your baggage as space in the overhead bins is likely to be at a premium. If flights are delayed, take it as carry-on. You can always gate-check the bag if you need to but it’s better to have the bag with you in case you end up on stand-by on a different flight to the one you were originally booked on.
.-= Caitlin @ Roaming Tales´s last blog ..Nominate your favourite food and travel bloggies for the 2010 Bloggies =-.

Robin @ My Melange
January 19th, 2010
Perfect Laura! Great example of doing it right

Robin @ My Melange
January 19th, 2010
Thanks for adding to the tips Caitlin! I can always count on you to add some helpful information for my readers

Andy Hayes | Sharing Travel Experiences
January 20th, 2010
Great tips – especially since apparently we’ll soon only be able to board the flight in our underpants!
.-= Andy Hayes | Sharing Travel Experiences´s last blog ..Vietnam at a Glance =-.

Sonya
January 21st, 2010
Excellent tips, Robin! I particularly like the don’t buy black luggage tip. For years, I had black luggage and knapsacks etc – no more. Another idea for black luggage is to wrap it in colorful luggage straps for easy identification and added security.
.-= Sonya´s last blog ..Preserving A National Park =-.

Gray
January 23rd, 2010
Great tips, Robin! I read a while back that the #1 reason for lost luggage is that people keep stickers and tags on from previous trips. And not buying black luggage really is helpful. I used to curse inwardly every time I stood at baggage claim looking for my black suitcase amongst a sea of other black suitcases. Last year, I bought a plum-colored suitcase; problem solved. And your advice about avoiding connections is dead-on. The only time I’ve had problems with late (not lost) luggage was when I had really tight connections and/or missed a connecting flight. Unfortunately, I can’t avoid them due to where I live, but I now do a better job of booking flights with plenty of time between my connections.
.-= Gray´s last blog ..San Juan, Here I Come! =-.