Round And Round And Round She Goes: Avoiding The Luggage Runaround

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

It’s the part of the trip none of us wants to think about. No, not the returning home, unpacking and heading back into the real world, but arriving at our desired destination and finding out that our luggage has been lost.

While you may be frustrated, there’s no need to panic, especially about not having anything to wear. According to experts, most misplaced luggage is returned to their rightful owner within a day or two.

Still, who wants to wait that long? But, is there anything you can do? According to experts, there is. Here are a few travel suggestions to ensure you and your luggage arrive at the same place at the same time.

· Place a sturdy and durable identification tag on each bag. The best kind offer a flap over your information to protect your privacy. And, experts suggest using your business rather than personal information when possible.

· Place identification information inside the bad as well, just in case the outer tag is ripped, damaged, or lost. Also keep a travel itinerary in an outside pocket or inside your bag on the top so the airline can easily track you down.

· Secure a brightly coloured ribbon to each of your bags or place your initials in big bold letters on your bag so that it won’t be mistaken for someone else’s. Also, take a digital photo of the bag to show the luggage agent if you can’t find your bag.

· Remove old baggage tags to eliminate confusion among baggage handlers.

· Check your bags early about 90 minutes in advance (up to two hours for international travel), and add 30 minutes for peak travel times. Remember, last-minute check ins may not make it onto YOUR plane.

· Double and Triple check that your bags are ticketed correctly before your leave the luggage check-in area.

· Fill out completely the lost luggage reports at the airport and don’t leave without a claim number and contact information so you can check up on the status of your luggage.

· Generate a packing list that includes all items in each bag and leave a copy at home in case you need to file for compensation.