Travel Tip 93

Top ten tips to prevent lost luggage

Both of these suitcases need some easily identifiable feature, especially when they’re face down.

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How to avoid lost luggage?

Last year I wrote about what to do about delayed luggage, both in preparation for Thanksgiving and in reaction to a disaster with my suitcase delayed between Alaska Airlines and Latam Airlines. In newsletter 15 and newsletter 74 I gave you some tips for dealing with lost or delayed luggage, but wouldn’t it be better to avoid the situation entirely?

Lost and delayed luggage is on my mind as Lima’s new airport’s opening date keeps getting pushed back. My confidence in the Lima airport’s new design, and its ability to not lose my luggage, is waning.

It always makes me nervous to see luggage apparently unattended on an airport runway.

So how can you prevent luggage getting lost? Or at least reduce the risk?

1. Always use a luggage tracer tag.

I’ve gotten in the habit of not only putting an AirTag in my checked luggage, but I also look at the Find My app on my phone when I board the plane, to see if my luggage shows as being with me. On a recent flight from Seattle to Los Angeles, I checked my the airtag location as soon as I boarded. Before my plane even left Seattle, I had figured out my bag wasn’t on the plane and filed a missing bag report in the Alaska Airlines app. The sooner you notice something is wrong, the more chances you have of the problem getting fixed quickly.

The built-in luggage card on the side of my suitcase is great, but I still have a backup tag.

2. Have multiple luggage tags.

Don’t rely on the flimsy paper tag that the airline puts on your bag, even with the extra bar code stickers. Have two sturdy luggage tags on each piece of luggage with your phone number, email address and physical address where you’re going.

3. Take off old tags.

I have tags with my parents’ address for when I’m going to the US, and I have different tags with my Cusco address for when I’m coming to Peru. I always switch them out and I make new tags with where I’m going when I’m traveling somewhere else. Make sure all tags have the address of where you want the bag to go if it gets lost.

Always remove old tags and stickers with barcodes. You don’t want them scanning the wrong barcode if your bag is lost.

4. Put your contact information inside the bag.

Even if you have sturdy luggage tags, they could get ripped off by rough handling or baggage machinery. Always put a full sheet of paper with your contact information inside so it’s impossible to miss if somebody opens your bag.

5. Book nonstop flights when possible.

The fewer airports your bags transit, the fewer opportunities the airlines have to lose your stuff.

There are a lot of places both inside and outside an airport where luggage can get lost. The fewer airports you go through, the better.

6. Take photos of your bags.

If your bag gets lost, make sure you have an accurate description of what it looks like. A photo is very helpful if there’s a language barrier between you and the airline staff, or if you’re reporting the loss by email and can attach a photo to the email.

7. Arrive early and check in ahead of schedule.

Luggage in a last minute rush is more likely to be lost than bags checked in two hours in advance.

8. Remove loose straps.

Remove or secure loose straps or parts can get caught on conveyor belts or in machinery. Luggage that staff have to wrestle away from machinery can get pulled off the right track. If you’re checking a backpack, have a sturdy canvas or fabric bag to put it in, as long as the bag also has strong handles for luggage tags.

If you have to check a backpack, remove or secure any loose straps.

9. Make sure your bag is easily identifiable.

I have a black suitcase with bright red ribbons on the handle, but I still missed it on the baggage carousel in LAX because it was upside down and I couldn’t see the ribbons. If you have a generic black bag, make sure it has an easily identifiable strap or something both for you and for airline staff.

10. Avoid checking anything.

If traveling with only a carry-on just isn’t possible, see if you can ship your luggage. Depending on where you’re going, this could be cheaper than airline checked luggage fees, which seem to go up every year.

The current Lima airport is relatively small, and easy to get around.

Blog

Travel Tips for the Lima Airport 

As long as we’re stuck with the old Lima Airport, this is everything you need to know. I’ll update this same blog, rather than write a new one, when the new airport opens.

Several tour companies offer bike tours of Lima which are always a hit with active kids.

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Best Things to do in Lima With Kids

For anybody coming to Peru, there’s always the dilemma of stopping in Lima or just breezing straight through on your way to Cusco, Arequipa or the rainforest. I hope someday travelers will go to other cities like Ayacucho or Cajamarca, but for now most people go directly to Cusco, Puerto Maldonado or Iquitos. This article about Lima was published by Lonely Planet and has lots of great tips, even if you’re not traveling with kids.