How to avoid lost luggage Lost luggage advice

Checklist: how to avoid lost luggage

1Check current restrictions

Before you pack, visit the airport's (or your airline's) website to ensure that you're up-to-date with current security restrictions.

2Check labels

Incorrectly printed, lost or torn-off labels are a major cause of luggage going astray so, before your bag disappears from check-in, make sure staff attach the label securely. Keep luggage receipts (usually stuck to your boarding pass or passport) safe.

3Make your luggage stand out

Black suitcases all tend to look alike, so slap bright stickers or strips of gaffer tape on yours to cut down the odds of someone walking off with it by mistake. Label it clearly and get rid of old flight tags.

4Fly direct

Things are more likely to go wrong when you change flights at a 'hub' airport. Up to 40% of luggage being transferred between flights needs to be sorted out manually, as scanners fail to read labels that are badly printed, damaged or have been torn off. Avoid tight connection timings too – you might just make it to the next flight, but the chances of your luggage doing so aren't so high.

5Add your address and flight details to your luggage

Mark your address and flight detail on the bag - inside and out. That way, if your luggage goes astray, it should eventually make its way back to you.

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