There are times when even the most committed carry-on travelers must check a bag. Perhaps you were given the dreaded Zone 5 boarding slot or the airplane is too small to accommodate your bag in the overhead bin. Or maybe you were compelled to purchase a lovely bottle of something that is greater than the 3.4 ounce/100 ml limit.
When carry-on travelers are forced to check a bag, their minds race through all the nightmare scenarios. To give you more peace of mind and help ensure your bag will be there when you arrive, follow these steps.
1. Invest in a luggage tracker. There are several great options on the market and they can simply be inserted into an inside pocket of your suitcase prior to your trip. Such as Tile and LugLoc. Tile uses Bluetooth and Lugloc uses GSM technology. They allow you to locate your bag through an app on your smartphone. Tile is less expensive, but LugLoc seems to have more powerful tracking technology (GSM; although you must pay for “traces” – which, at the time of this post, is around a dollar per trace). These cool technologies will give you greater peace of mind when you check your bag.
2. Buy a lock. Make sure it’s a TSA approved lock, preferably in a bright color to help you identify your bag at the baggage claim.
3. Make sure that you have a distinctive luggage tag with your name and phone number. A simple luggage tag will suffice. Avoid anything that looks expensive (Coach, LV etc). Put a copy of your contact information inside the luggage (such as an inside zipper pocket) as well.
4. Remove anything of great value from your bag. This seems self-explanatory, but many people still pack medication, computers, electronics, jewelry and currency in their luggage.
5. Verify that the gate agent has securely placed the tracking sticker on your luggage. And validate that the destination city code is the final destination of your trip.
6. Retain baggage claim stickers that the agent gives you (which are usually attached to your boarding pass).
What do you do when your bag does get lost? Read our post here.
(Image: Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock)
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