7 ways to assist in getting reunited with lost luggage
It's the travel anxiety nobody wants. That feeling of standing at the carousel when all bags have been picked up and the carousel comes to a stop without a sign of your bag. It's not a nice feeling.
The long, slow walk to customer service knowing you most likely won't see your bags for at least a few days. You're tired, cranky and disappointed with the airline. Your first instinct is to take it out on the staff at Lost Baggage, but deep down you know this will achieve very little. The fact is that lost baggage happens regularly and airlines are equipped to deal with this. There are measures you can take to minimise and help the process of finding your bags.
1. Apple Airtags
Apple Airtags is a great way to check the location of your bags. They won't make your bags arrive any earlier, but there have been cases where bags have been located within the airport and just missed the carousel. In these cases, airline staff can search for them and you might just be lucky enough to get your bags before you leave the airport. On the other hand, if your airtags are showing up at the airport you originated from, then it's pretty clear your bags missed the flight, so there's no point hanging around the airport wasting time. Airtags are not foolproof as they rely on Bluetooth technology encrypted to connect with other close-by devices to show their location, but in most cases, they'll show you a good indication of your bag's general location. The best spot to place these tags is in the outer locked zipped compartment of your luggage, not buried in the bottom of your bag.
2. Luggage Labels - Don't add your Home Address
Getting your luggage labels right can make a huge difference. Firstly, don't add your home address to the luggage label, that's 'old school'. Nowadays there is just simply no need for your home address to be on the label. Firstly, your bags will pass through many hands in it's travels. So for security, you're advertising to everyone that you are currently away from this address making yourself vulnerable to thieves. Secondly, when your baggage is found you want them delivered to your destination not back to your home. There are other ways to ensure airline staff are aware of your home address if required.
Your luggage tags should only include your name, mobile number and email address. With today's technology, these contact methods are almost instant no matter where you are. You should also be aware that luggage gets knocked around in flight, so don't use cheap plastic labels, ensure they are durable, strong and secured to your bags correctly.
PS: Just remember the mobile number should be the number you are using abroad on your travels, in case it's different from the mobile number you use at home.
3. Print and Laminate your information on an A4 page inside your bag.
This is where you can put more detailed information. Print out and laminate an A4 sheet with the following details with the heading 'Lost Baggage'.
LOST BAGGAGE
Your name, home address, and contact numbers home and abroad.
Add your flight itinerary code from the airline/s
Add a brief itinerary of your location and dates such as;
Hilton Kennington Hotel - London 2-7 September Ph +442076033355
Ritz Paris Hotel - Paris 7-10 September Ph +33143163030
The Hoxton Hotel - Amsterdam 11-20 September Ph +31208885555
Details of your return flight home
(You could also add a QR Code with a direct connection to your email or phone.
QR builders are free and easy to use)
Here's the important part. Don't hide this A4 information inside the zip compartment, lay it on top of your clothes so it's the first thing you see when you open your bag. Airline and security staff can access your bags when needed. If your luggage is damaged or if you lose your luggage tag, you want your contact details easy to find and accessible. Lost Baggage departments are understandably very busy, so including a contact number of your hotel for ease may just help the airline's staff ability to contact you quicker. Just think for a minute, there's a large airline hangar with hundreds of delayed or lost bags from multiple flights. Staff open your bag to find all your contact numbers. They can either call you or the hotel immediately from your information or they can put your bag aside and then spend time looking up your contact details from the airline booking system. Make it easier for airline staff, they'll appreciate it.
If your bags take longer than a few days, it's essential to provide a brief itinerary so the airline staff can identify where and when you have moved on to your next destination.
4. Take a photo of your luggage and make a note of its brand and size.
Take a clear photo of your bags before check-in. Keep the photo on your phone or in a Cloud service so it's accessible anywhere. There is nothing worse than trying to describe your bag to someone who sees about 10,000 bags a day. Make the process as easy as possible for baggage staff.
In addition to photos, make a note of your luggage - Brand, Size & Colour
5. Remove old baggage stickers and tape
Take a moment to ensure your bags are free of old airline tape. Modern conveyor belt systems use scanning technology to identify your flight's baggage destination, usually via barcodes. Ensure you've removed the last flight's tags or stickers that might interfere with the scanning process.
6. Baggage Receipts
Once you have checked in your baggage, ensure you keep your baggage receipts in a safe place. This might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people leave these 'sticky note' style receipts on boarding passes that are left behind in the seat pocket of the aircraft. Better still, take a photo of them as well.
7. Don't use your bag to make a statement to stand out.
Certainly, if you want to tie a pink ribbon to your bag so you can identify it from a distance on the carousel, sure, go right ahead but avoid making a patriotic statement with your bags by putting your country's flag or political stickers on them or even tags with your favourite sporting team. Your bags can come across a diverse number of people in its travels. The fact is, you'll unfortunately always find someone who objects to your views or finds them offensive. Don't give some staff the opportunity to take out their bad day on your luggage. It's not just airline staff, it's taxis, hotels and train staff etc.
There are far greater ways to support a cause or a team ..... buy a T-shirt for one.
Try to avoid making a statement with these themed-style luggage tags.
About the Author
The author of this blog, unless otherwise noted has no affiliation with any property or business linked in this article. Unless otherwise noted, there is no free accommodation or payment from any businesses. The information contained in this blog is strictly the views of the author and not professional advice. The author of this BookDirect blog is a travel and tourism professional with over 30 years of experience in international hotel management, global travel, short-term rental management and a tourism awards judge specialising in accommodation and attractions.
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