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9 Tips To Help Prevent You From Losing Your Luggage During Your Travels

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Syahirah Mazlan •  Jul 18, 2022

A supposed exciting and memorable trip can become memorable for all the wrong reasons. ?When getting ready for an adventure, you may experience so many emotions that it can be easy to forget to take precautions, especially with your luggage. While there may be no guarantee that you won’t lose your luggage, it’s always good to take preventive measures ahead of time. ? So regardless of if you’re going with kids in tow or solo, here are 9 tips to prevent you from losing your luggage when travelling and how to claim lost baggage! 

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How to claim lost baggage?

Unfortunately this question doesn't have a definite answer. ?If you lost your baggage, there's a few ways it could go. You could start by report it to the authorities of the country where you lost your baggage. However, the chances of being reunited with your lost items are very slim therefore if you have your travel insured, you'll be able to be compensated for the value of the items you lost! Make sure to call your insurance provider to begin the procedure of claiming your baggage.

How to prevent losing luggage?

1. Check in at the airport early

One place many travellers lose their luggage is at the airport. It’s important to remember that it takes a while for your luggage to be transported to the loading bay from the check in desk. So if you’re checking in late, the chances of your luggage being one of the last to reach the airplane is high! It may not even reach the loading bay fast enough to be loaded onto the plane. ?To prevent this, be sure to get to the airport early and check-in so that your luggage can be processed in time!

P.S. Check out these 10 Travelling Tips By Changi Airport Insiders For Post Covid Travel to help you navigate and plan your airport experience better!

2. Use a luggage tag

Nowadays, you might not see a lot of these luggage tags on travellers suitcases. Perhaps it’s troublesome, outdated or even just excessive to some. But it’s definitely a preventive measure! ?Purchase a sturdy tag that you can attach to your luggage handle, and include your name (or a nickname if you’re not comfortable) and your contact number or email address.

Make sure you attach it to somewhere visible on the luggage so that the person handling it can see it easily.

3. Consider investing in a GPS tracking tag

Living in the 21st century means solving recurring problems with modern solutions (aka technology✨)! There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to track and pin-point exactly where your luggage is. ? Thanks to advancements in technology, we now have tracking devices that can tell you where your items are in real time with a simple tap on your phone.

4. Make your luggage stand out

You don’t have to bedazzle your entire luggage or get an obnoxiously coloured bag, but some features that make it stand out will help you find it amongst a pile of other luggages on the conveyor belt or even at your accommodation. ? Try tying a fluorescent strap or sticking on a noticeable sticker onto your luggage so you can identify it better whether it be at the airport or when describing it to someone if you happen to lose it.

5. Keep your valuables on you

This may sound like a no-brainer but don’t keep your valuables in your luggage. Items like tablets, laptops, wallets, even wads of cash and the like! ? They won’t be covered by the airlines if your bag goes missing. So while it may be a hassle to carry them with you, it’s a safer option than risking expensive goods while travelling!

6. Have a spare change of clothes in your carry-on

In the case of layovers and transiting of flights, you might want to have a spare change of clothes on hand just in case your luggage takes a long time to get to you. This is not a rare situation that happens when travelling, it actually happens more often than not! ? While having extra clothing in your carry-on may be heavier and less glamorous than we’d like, it’s better to ensure you have something to wear if your luggage takes longer than a day to arrive at your destination.

Plus, it’s a lifesaver if you happen to accidentally spill something on yourself during your flight or need a change of clothes to feel fresh when you land!

7. Remove old bag tags or stickers from your luggage

Sometimes, we might keep old bag tags stuck to our luggages as keep sakes, but did you know that the consequences of that can be quite dire? ? When handling luggages, the airport staff have to sift through thousands of bags a day. And bag tags show information of where your luggage is headed to. By keeping old bag tags on your luggage, it might confuse the staff and have it sent somewhere wrong. To make sure we help the staff do a good job, clear your luggage of any old stickers and bag tags from previous trips before checking them in.

8. Double check your boarding tag information

We aren’t safe fom human error, so be sure to double check the information on the boarding tag attached to your luggage before it gets taken away. ? Make sure its going to the right destination and airport so that you won’t be left disappointed!

9. Buy travel insurance

This is the NUMBER ONE preventive measure you can take when it comes to the safety of your luggages. ? Buying travel insurance can protect you from many things including stolen or missing goods. Just ensure you purchase the proper amount that will cover your losses well!

P.S. Still unsure about travel insurance? Check out our article on Travel Insurance: What It Can Do For Your Travel During Covid-19!

While these cannot guarantee you won’t come across difficult situations and circumstances when it comes to your luggage in the future, they sure help to lower the chances of them going missing! With travel picking back up, SHARE this article with your loved ones to make sure they can be aware of these steps on their next vacation. ?