Lost Luggage, Travel Lounge

How Do Bags Get Lost Or Left Behind?

The baggage handling system is a complicated beast. Anything can go wrong! However, here are some common reasons why bags get damaged or delayed:

Tight Connections - Give yourself at least an hour for both you and your bags to reach a connecting flight. Even then, things can and will happen.

Bag Jams - Sometimes a bag will get stuck somewhere on a conveyor belt, causing a blockage.

Late Check-Ins - Because the bag was checked in late, the airline didn't have the time to get it to the airplane.

Full Flight - If a lot of people are flying and everyone checks in one or two big bags, there may not be room for all of them.

Weight and Balance - This is a complicated yet very important issue that sometimes leads to bags being left behind. This can occur quite a lot with the smaller planes. Too much weight could mean that the plane burns too much fuel or is unable to take off safely.

Missing Tags - Sometimes the bag tag gets torn off when it goes through the conveyor belt system. Without the tag, airline employees can't determine where your bag needs to go.

Misread Tags - Baggage handlers who are distracted or in a hurry sometimes misread a tag and load a bag onto the wrong plane.

Best Way to Protect Your Bags: Don''t Check Them

The only way to guarantee that the airline won''t mishandle your bag is to always carry-on your luggage whenever possible. Be aware of the airline's carry-on restrictions. Most airlines allow one carry-on bag plus one personal item.

Generally, you are allowed a bag that measures no more than 22 x 14 x 9 inches

Weight restrictions on airlines vary wildly. Most domestic airlines are normally generous, often letting you carry as much as 40 pounds worth of stuff. International airlines, however, can be quite stingy. Some international airlines demand that carry-on bags be so light, you couldn't get away with packing a laptop! Make sure you know the airline's weight restrictions ahead of time.

If You Must Check a Bag...

If you decide to check a bag, there are some things you can do to protect it.

First, always put your contact information in your bag. Print out a copy of your itinerary and lay it on top of your clothes. Have your phone number and address on both the inside and outside of your bag. Better yet, include information about where you'll be staying. That way if the bag is ever misplaced, the airline has an easier time reuniting you with it.

Check in early for your flight. If you check in late, the airline may not be able to load the bag onto the plane in time.

Remove old airline tags. Otherwise your bag could get loaded on the wrong flight.

Give yourself at least an hour to reach connecting flights. Better yet, try to avoid connecting flights if possible. Connections create more opportunities for something to go wrong.

Don't Pack Medication or Valuables in Your Checked Bag

Don't EVER pack medication in any bag you plan to check in ! ! ! Anything could happen to that bag. For that matter, don't pack any other valuables in your bag such as money, passports, important documents, jewellery, etc. In other words, don't pack anything in your checked luggage that you can't afford to lose.

What About Toiletries?

The infamous 3-1-1 rule: Each passenger is entitled to a clear 1-quart zip lock bag, which will contain 3 ounce bottles of liquids. That's all you can put in your carry-on bag.

Buy your necessities once you reach your destination.

A wasteful option, since you won't be able to take it back with you in your carry-on bag.

Stay in hotels that provide shampoo etc. Hotels won't provide everything you need for your stay, but at least it will free up space in your zip lock bag for other stuff.

Where possible, buy non-liquid products. Some companies are manufacturing toiletries in bar and powder form (toothpaste and shampoo). There are even sunscreens and bug repellents in towelette form.

♦ Luggage Forward (World)

Have your luggage picked up from your home and delivered directly to your destination so you can avoid hauling your luggage to and from the airport and bypass long check-in lines. Anything you would normally check, and even some things you couldn't, can be forwarded directly to your destination in over 200 countries. Luggage Forward has the ability to forward almost anything that you need to have with you when you travel and other items that are restricted by most airline carry on policies.

http://www.luggageforward.com/

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