How to Avoid Lost Luggage when Travelling

You shouldn't have to worry about losing your luggage when travelling. The inconvenience, the stress, and the potential cost of replacing your belongings are enough to ruin your trip. Sadly these things can happen from time to time.

According to Sita, in 2022, the mishandled baggage rate reached its highest point in a decade, with 26 million bags either lost, delayed or damaged. This amounted to almost 8 mishandled bags per 1,000.

Fortunately, the probability of a lost bag never being reunited with its owner is less than 1%. Automated baggage handling is becoming increasingly popular among airlines, partly because of its efficiency and minimal risk of mishandling baggage. The technology tracks bags along their journey and optimises their routing, even suggesting the best flight for the bag without human intervention.

Why Do Bags Go Missing?

Bags might miss their connection due to tight layovers or issues during the transfer process. If a bag's tag is damaged, detached, or incorrectly scanned, it can lead to misrouting.

Human error during the loading and unloading process could result in bags being placed on the wrong aircraft. Bags might be delayed or rerouted due to additional security screenings.

A significant contributor to luggage going missing is the complexity of baggage transfer during connecting flights. 42% of mishandled baggage incidents in 2022 occurred during these transfers. This highlights the challenges faced in efficiently transferring luggage between different aircraft and through various handling stages within the airport environment.

Provisional data for 2023 suggests a downward trend in mishandled baggage. In the first half of 2023, 5.7 million bags were mishandled, compared to 5.8 million in the same period in 2019. Rankings for American Airlines in 2023, reported the highest mishandled baggage rate among major US airlines.

Minimising the Chances of Lost Luggage

You can minimise your risk of losing luggage by taking proactive measures before starting your journey. Make sure you display your name, contact information, and destination on your bags. You can use luggage tags with multiple labels or write your information directly on the bag. If your luggage has identifying marks or damage, take photos from all sides.

A luggage tracking system is invaluable if your luggage is lost or damaged. To prevent inconvenience if your checked bags are delayed or lost, pack essentials like medication, toiletries, and a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage.

Remarkably in Japan at Kansai International Airport, they say they haven’t lost a single piece of luggage in over 30 years! Last year alone, the airport welcomed nearly 14 million passengers.

Use Send My Bag to Avoid Lost Luggage

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