How to stop your luggage from getting lost in transit

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination and realising that your luggage hasn’t arrived. Talk about a downer! Your clothes, souvenirs, toiletries and any other important items are gone. And if you’re really unlucky, then it might not just be last, but lost! There are ways to stop your luggage from getting lost in transit, though, and you don’t have to leave it all up to fate. Here are a few tips to make sure your luggage arrives at your destination at the same time as you do.

1. Avoid close call connections

The most common reason luggage gets lost in transit is because of close connecting flights. Just because you made it through to your gate on time, doesn’t mean your luggage necessarily did. The best way to avoid this from happening is to make sure that when you book your tickets you organise a longer connecting time between flights. That way, it’s more likely than not that your luggage is going to make it to the plane at the same time as you.

2. Attach a tag with your name and address

If, heaven forbid, your bag does miss the plane or get lost in transit, then you want to make sure that it makes its way back to you as soon as possible. Don’t forget to attached a tag onto your suitcase with your name and address clearly marked. That way, if your bag does go on a solo adventure, it will be returned back to you safely.

3. Make your bag stand out

A black suitcase in a sea of other black suitcases isn’t going to stand out, and could easy go overlooked. Instead, jazz up your bags a little by either attaching something colourful to the handle, or be a little playful and buy the most colourful suitcase you can find. No one is going to forget a bright pink fluffy suitcase now, are they?

4. Remove old destination stickers

If you’ve been travelling to several different locations during the same trip, then you’re going to want to make sure you remove any and all of your old destination stickers. This is just going to confuse the heck out of anyone handling your luggage. Keep it simple for everyone involved, and remove those tags before you arrive at the airport.

5. Pack light and bring carry-on luggage

The best way to avoid losing your check-in luggage is not to check in any luggage at all. Instead of over packing an oversized suitcase, and using only around 20 per cent of what you actually packed, think about whether you can condense your items and just bring a carry-on bag. Not only will this rule out losing your luggage, but you won’t have to wait at the luggage carousel when you arrive either. Hello, timesaver! You’re welcome.

6. Hold on to your luggage receipt

The best way to recover your lost luggage, if it does get lost in transit, is to hand over your luggage receipt. The knowledgeable personnel at the airport will be able to punch your code numbers into the system and figure out where in the world your bag actually is.

7. Luggage tracking apps

Thanks to technology, there are a whole variety of apps that can help travellers track and find their lost luggage. A couple include Trace Me Luggage Tracker and I’m Honest which allows travellers to identify and track their bags and valuables. Download a couple and have them ready on your phone, just in case.

Do you have any other tips about how to stop your luggage from getting lost in transit? Let us know in the comments section below.