5 important tips to prevent your luggage from getting lost

Nothing spoils a trip faster than finding your bags have gone astray. Luckily, there are ways to prevent your luggage from getting lost along the way. Here are five of them.

You cannot overdo labelling on your luggage, but you should be cautious about what you put on the label.

• Avoid using your home phone number, use your work or cell phone number instead.
• If you want to put an address on the label, consider using a PO Box or work address, not your home address.
• You should also place a copy of your itinerary inside the bag.
• Don't forget to also label the inside of your bag as outside labels can get lost.

Take a look at the destination tickets that airline workers attach to your luggage at the point of departure. They should display the correct airport code for your destination along with correct flight numbers.

• Make sure the airline employee gives you the correct claim ticket to recover your bag at the end of your flight.

Many suitcases look the same: drab colour and few (if any) distinctive markings. When you're faced with hundreds of similar-looking bags on the luggage carousel, it's easy for yours to get lost in the mix.

• Consider purchasing a uniquely coloured bag that stands out from the rest and is easy to spot.
• You can also create a unique bag by drawing on it or affixing colourful ribbons or stickers to the bag's exterior.

If you pack a hazardous item in your luggage, such as a gun, ammunition or fireworks, the airline may confiscate your bag for searching. What's more, if your luggage is confiscated for searching it could delay it from reaching its destination, and the bag might become lost when it's put on another flight.

• Familiarize yourself with what the airline allows in your luggage prior to flying so your bag doesn't get confiscated.

Purchasing travel insurance will help ensure that the monetary value of your items will be reimbursed to you if your baggage should become lost or damaged.

• You may never need to use travel insurance, but the one time you do is when you'll be glad you purchased it.

There are never any guarantees that your luggage will not become lost, but with a few precautions on your part you can lessen the chances of getting to your destination with no bag.