LOSING your luggage is among the most annoying things that can happen during a flight.
However, there are ways passengers can increase their chances of keeping their suitcase with them, or of getting it back after it’s gone missing.
PAThere are items you can put in your suitcase to prevent it from getting lost[/caption]
These simple measures don’t take very much time and can all be done before you arrive at the airport.
However, doing them will make sure your items either don’t end up on the other side of the world, or will be quickly returned to you if they get put on the wrong plane.
Book direct flights
Although flights with a layover can save you money, the direct routes are usually worth the extra cash.
Not only will they reduce the time in the air, they’ll also minimise your chances of something going wrong.
You Magazine recommend dodging the cheaper flights and forking out for the direct ones, to make sure you don’t lose your luggage.
They wrote: “Stopping off during your journey – especially at busy periods like Christmas – massively increases the risk of your bags going missing.”
Put your itinerary in your suitcase
There are several things you can physically do to your case before you check it in for your flight, including putting distinctive markers on it so you can find it at baggage reclaim.
Luggage straps and tags will make your case stand out among the crowd, but there are other items that could stop your case going missing from inside your luggage.
One of those is a print out of your itinerary, which will make it easier for airport staff to locate you and send your luggage to its correct destination.
You continued: Always stick a paper copy of your itinerary, or at least your personal details, inside your luggage. That way if airline staff open your lost case to try and work out who it belongs to, they’ll have the information to hand immediately.”
Invest in GPS
While a copy of your itinerary will let airline staff know where your case is supposed to be, a GPS tracker will tell you where it’s ended up.
These are pretty inexpensive items, but they allow passengers to track their luggage in real time from their phones or tablets, so they can find exactly where it is.
You added: Good-quality GPS trackers are now more affordable than ever: try Airtags or Tile Mates, which can both be tossed in your suitcase without a second thought.”
Other passengers use their phones in different ways to make it easier to relocate their luggage if it goes missing.
One of which is to take a picture of your bag before you check it in, which will make it easier for airport staff to identify it, rather than relying on a description.
Meanwhile luggage expert Anthony Collias, co-founder of luggage storage app Stasher, recommends passengers dividing their belongings among each others’ bags.
He said: “If you are travelling with companions, split your belongings between suitcases.
“If one bag goes missing, you will all still have some items.”
Meanwhile, this is what to do if you lose your luggage at the airport.
And these suitcases are always more likely to go missing.
AlamyBooking direct flights can prevent bags from going missing at the airport[/caption]