Travel Cheat: How To Avoid Lost Luggage On Your Next Trip

Lost luggage can ruin an entire vacation, and airlines lose almost two million pieces of luggage a year. If you need to check a bag, these tips will help you to avoid the lost luggage nightmare.

How To Avoid Lost Luggage:

1. Book Non-Stop Flights

The airlines are less likely to lose your luggage if you book a non-stop flight. Also, make sure to arrive at the airport early to give plenty of time for the airline to get your luggage on the airplane.

2. Use Your Phone To Help You Find Your Luggage

There are many apps that now help you find lost luggage using GPS real-time location information. The reason many people never find their luggage is that the paper tags often fall off or get accidentally torn off. Tiles stay securely in place on your luggage, and anyone with the Tile app on their smart phone can help you to track your lost bags.

3. Double-Check The Destination Ticket On Your Bags

I prevented my bags from being lost when I noticed the airline agent had put the wrong destination on my bags. Always check before letting them go down the conveyor. Also, don’t lose your claim tickets the agent gives you for your bags. Make sure you remove all old baggage tickets from your luggage, as well, to prevent confusion.

 4. Ship Your Luggage Ahead of Time

Many people are so frustrated with the airlines, they just ship their luggage to their destination. This tip also saves you time at the airport, and you don’t have to carry your bag around. The shipping fees are often less what the airline charges you, too.

5. Set Your Bag Apart

Use colorful ribbons, fabric, or stickers on your bag to set it apart to prevent someone at  the conveyor belt from mistaking your bag for their own. Don’t just rely on an unusual color of bag, either. I had a friend who bought a bright pink bag, thinking she would be the only one. Well, someone on our flight had the same bright pink bag, and yes, they got each other’s luggage. Make sure you use something very unique to make your bag stand out.

6. Buy Travel Insurance

Buying travel insurance is the best way to make sure you recoup your losses if you do become the victim of lost luggage. Note, that travel insurance won’t cover high value items, so make sure to put these in your carry-on.