6 immutable luggage rules I always follow

Lost luggage is the bane of the traveler, happening far too often. While lost luggage can never be fully prevented, there are steps you can take to help prevent your luggage from being lost, and minimize the impact if it is.

This year in April, US Airlines flew more than 47.5M passengers. There were more than 137,000 reports of mishandled baggage. That’s almost 3 bags per thousand passengers. For those who have been lucky so far, believe me, lost airline luggage is a very real problem.

Lost or mishandled luggage is not just an airline problem. Neighbors lost their luggage on their recent cruise. The luggage had been delivered to the wrong cabin. It took the crew 3 days to find it in an empty cabin.

I know friends who had their luggage delivered to the wrong room by the hotel’s bellhop, and waited 24 hours until it was found, and train passengers who used the luggage check-in service to find out their bags were put on the wrong train.

Here’s six immutable luggage rules I always follow:

1. If you can’t afford to loose it, don’t take it when you travel.

2. Never pack anything valuable in your checked-in luggage. Valuables packed in your checked-in luggage typically aren’t covered for loss by any of the airlines. Royal Caribbean Cruises, like most cruise lines state, “Unless negligent, Carrier (RCCL) is neither responsible nor liable for any loss of or damage to Passenger’s property, whether contained in luggage or otherwise,” and Amtrak only covers checked-in luggage losses to $500.

3. Pack all your valuables and a change of clothes in your carry-on. That includes cameras, computers, electronics, medications, etc.

4. If you can avoid checking-in luggage, do it. On short trips, pack light enough that you only need carry-on luggage.

5. When you arrive at your destination, carry your carry-on. At the hotel, or cruise ship terminal, you’re tempted to let hotel or cruise personnel handle your carry-on. Don’t! Your valuables and presumably a change of clothes are in your carry-on, so don’t chance losing them.

Whenever possible, accompany or take all your luggage to your hotel room personally. Always carry your own carry-on. Cruise ships’ luggage pallets are usually loaded with carry-on thrown on top. The carry-ons are therefore the most vulnerable to falling out into the water when loaded into the ship. Sometimes you’ll be lucky and your bag won’t sink, but it will still be soaked.

Extra Tip: I know it will make you work a little harder, but after seeing cruise luggage go overboard during loading, if the cruise line will permit it, I personally roll all my luggage aboard, not just my carry-on.

6. Lock your luggage. Yes, luggage locks and seals aren’t hard to break open, but I always lock or seal my luggage anyway, including my carry-ons. There are plenty of airline passengers who will pilfer items from your carry-ons, if given a chance. If you lock your luggage, thieves may move on to easier targets. Also, when your luggage is locked or sealed, if it falls or drops during transport, it’s more likely to remained closed, keeping your belongings intact. (*Use TSA approved locks for checked-in luggage.)

Here’s some additional suggestions to prevent or mitigate luggage problems while traveling:

• Avoid air itineraries with connecting flights if possible. Each time the airline handles your luggage is an opportunity for it to be mishandled or lost.

• Remove old airline luggage tags before checking in your luggage. You don’t want baggage handlers to send it on the wrong flight or to the wrong airport, by reading the wrong tag.

• Color tag or use some other durable method to make your bags more recognizable. Don’t just put one tag on your luggage. I put a colored ID tag on every handle of my luggage. I also put another colorful tag on each handle to set my bags apart from everyone else’s.

• At the airport, or the train station, get to the baggage claim area as soon as you are able. You want to be able to prevent someone walking off with your bags.

• Put your name on the outside and inside of the bag. On the inside of the bag, also hide your name in case your bag is stolen, but recovered, to make it easy to identify it. Put your itinerary in the inside of your bag so it’s easy for the airline, cruise line, hotel, or railway to get it to you quickly.

• When your bag is being checked, make sure the person checking it in puts the correct tag on it. Make sure you get your baggage claim receipt for each bag.

• Before you leave, use your digital camera or cell phone to take a picture of each piece of your luggage for identification later, if necessary. In case you have to put in a claim, have an inventory of what’s in each of your bags.

• If your luggage is missing, damaged, or something pilfered from it, report it before you leave the airport, hotel, ship, or railway station. Do that to maintain your rights. It will help you put in an insurance claim too.

*(added 6/23/2010)