Photo by: grapefruitmoon
Written by Maak
Based on statistics from the United States Department of Trade, 6,6 bags per 1.000 bags were delayed, whilst as few as 5 out of 100.000 pieces are actually lost. The figures are higher in Europe, not least when travelling via one of the large hubs at Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle or Frankfurt. Luckily, the vast majority of mishandled luggage finds its owners again within a matter of hours or a day.
Here are a few guidelines that should help you improve your chances of your luggage arriving with you, instead of some days later (or not at all!).
1. Don’t check-in luggage
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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration reported that in the period October 2008 to October 2009, the number of complaints about mishandled baggage fell by 26%, whilst in the same period the number of checked bags on U.S. carriers fell about 20 percent.
Given the trend in both the US and Europe, where airlines impose fees for checked baggage, passenger’s are packing less and taking it with them in the cabin to avoid the fees. Whilst you would be surprised by how much is actually left in the cabin, the chances are greater that you will have your luggage with you when you arrive at your destination.
2. Fly Direct and check-in early
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According to the UK consumer body Which, estimates that up to 40% of luggage being transferred between flights needs to be sorted manually due to scanners failing to read labels that are badly printed, damaged, or even worse, torn off.
If you then take into account the fact that flight delays often cause a short connecting time, the chances that your luggage makes the correct flight (even if you do) are not high.
For the same reasons, if you are checking baggage, check-in early as last minute bags may not have time to make it to the flight, not least at the large airports where the plane may be well away from the terminal.
3. Make sure your luggage stands out
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I remember the first time we bought a Samsonite suitcase; we couldn’t wait to take it on our first trip. That was before we realised how many other travellers had similar coloured Samsonite suitcases and how many times we’d be inspecting similar suitcases to ours, before we found ours.
Make sure your bag is easily identifiable - also amongst the other 1.000.001 Samsonite cases - stick something on the lid, tie coloured tape around the handle – do something. Make it easier to identify the case if it gets lost, but also to reduce the risk of somebody else mistakenly picking up your suitcase from the baggage claim belt.
4. Make sure you baggage is labelled correctly
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Tear off all the old baggage tags before you pack and make sure that you have destination tags on your suitcase before you check it in. Especially if you are taking a connecting flight, consider taping an paper in a clear plastic bag to your suitcase that clearly indicates the flight(s) you are taking to get to the destination - just in case the tags get ripped off.
When you check-in make sure that the check-in staff attach the baggage labels securely and correctly, and if you are checking in yourself, make sure the baggage labels are attached correctly; and if in doubt ask the staff to help you.
Make sure you always keep the luggage receipt stub with you throughout the flight and keep them safe and handy.
5. Place contact info on the outside of your case
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This is a touchy subject. Many are concerned about putting contact information on the outside of the suitcase, as this is a clear indication you won’t be home for a few days. Use sturdy address tags that can’t be torn off and cannot be opened easily – we use the ones where the strap you ties around the handle actually goes through the address tag, so you need to take the strap off before you can open the tag and see the contact details.
Consider putting your business contact information instead of your home information.
Bags from some high-end manufacturers of suitcases like Swiss Army and Tumi contain a metal plate with a unique code impressed on them. When you buy the case, you register it with the manufacturer and if your case ever gets lost, you call them up to trace the bag – or just inform the airline of the code impressed on the case.
An alternative is to use a company specialising in baggage tracking. GlobalBagTag and i-Trak are services which offer protection for your luggage and valuables worldwide whenever you travel. Full details of your luggage, travel itinerary and contact details can be updated on their web sites and you attach heavy duty tags to your baggage with a special code. In theory at least, anybody finding your luggage updates the same web-site, and your baggage is easily traced, giving you piece of mind.
6. Put contact information in your case
If worst comes to worst and you’re the luggage tag falls off during the flight, there may not be any other alternative than to open your case to see whether there is any indication about who the case belongs to.
Always place addresses, contact info and exact itinerary in your suitcase on the top of your belongings so it is visible when the case is opened, and the official will quickly be able to identify whom the case belongs to and where you currently are, without having to go through all your belongings.
7. Consider having luggage shipped
Photo by: Earl - What I Saw 2.0
If you really want to guarantee that you bag arrives in your destination city at the same time you do, consider using an outside service. Rates aren’t always cheap, but you will be assured that your luggage will end up where it was supposed to. Try a luggage shipping company like the luggageclub, carrymyluggage or even FedEx.
However the airports and baggage handlers are working at improving the whole process. According to IATA (the International Air Transport Association), 11% of airlines are now using baggage tags with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips instead of standard bar codes, with RFID readers installed at counters and sorting locations. Bar codes have a 90% success rate (just think of how many times you see the cashier at the local supermarket swiping things several times before hearing the beep to indicate it has been scanned) – meaning many bags need to be scanned manually. With RFID scanners that use radio waves instead of lasers, the success rate is more than 99%, leading to a significant fall in manual processing, making it far simpler to re-unite lost bags with their owners – bags will always miss flights, e.g. with tight connections.
Finally, if you are one of the unlucky people that ends up losing your baggage, make your life easier by having a list of everything you packed (with receipts if possible) and two or three pictures of the contents and the suitcases don’t do any harm either. Remember to keep the copies of the baggage tags, and if the baggage doesn’t arrive, report it immediately – and certainly no later than after 24 hours.
Go further:
The Art Of Packing - Wrinkle Free Vacations!