There is so much to worry about when going abroad, such as where your passport is and where you’ll store it while you’re away, how safe the destination is and if you’ve packed enough to last you for a week or two.
However, all of that goes out the window when you get to your destination airport just to find that your luggage somehow... didn’t make it over there with you. You remember checking it in, you’re sure you did everything you’re supposed to do but as the baggage claim carousel circles, your case just... isn’t there.
In most cases, you’ll find yourself without the essentials for a day or two before being reunited with your luggage but in the worst-case scenario, you simply never see it again.
One baggage officer has a key tip to prevent the worst-case scenario
Posting on the /r/TravelHacks Reddit community, user McVeggy says: “As a baggage officer, I strongly recommend attaching a sturdy personal identification tag to your checked luggage, in addition to the airline’s tag.
“Baggage tags can sometimes become detached during transit, especially if a bag gets caught on the conveyor system”
The classic luggage tag is actually pretty flimsy, it turns out.
They add: “While we’re usually able to reunite passengers with their bags even if the airline tag is missing, a small percentage remain unclaimed.
“A simple tag with your name and phone number (please add the country code) inside or outside the bag significantly increases the chances of us getting your bag back to you quickly, especially if you have a common suitcase like a generic black bag.”
Another airline employee agrees
User taxesrdifficult says: “As an airline employee responsible for reuniting bags, the best bags have a print out of their airline itinerary, or at least the airline reservation code inside one of the front pockets or right on top of all your belongings.”
In fact, they added: “An airline reservation code is by far the holy grail.”
Noted.