Worried your summer holiday will be ruined by lost luggage? Check out these 3 simple rules that can slash the risk of your suitcases being left behind – or ending up in a different country altogether
Don’t let lost luggage spoil your holiday this summer with these three simple but effective preventative measures.
There is nothings worse than finally making it through border control, only to find your suitcase never even boarded the plane – or has magically ended up somewhere else. It’s a nightmare scenario that impacts millions of tourists every single year, despite technological advancing improving tracking capabilities.
Last year, it is thought 33.4 millions bags were mishandled, a slight decrease compared to the 33.8 million pieces of luggage that were mishandles in 2023 – but still an alarmingly high figure. While the majority of lost bags do end up being recovered – it can sometimes takes several days before you’ll be reunited with your holiday wardrobe, which can completely short, or city-hopping trips.
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However, The Independent has compiled three easy steps you can follow to drastically reduce the chances of rocking up to your hotel with nothing but the clothes on your back. “When booking flights, be aware that many of the bags that go missing are lost at connecting hubs such as London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Madrid,” the publication explained. “So you might want to pay a premium for a direct flight rather than one where you and your luggage are obliged to change planes.”
If you’re travelling short-haul to popular destinations such as Spain and Portugal, this will be a breeze. However, if you’re travelling long-haul, it might not be feasible – even if you’re willing to pay more.
Another handy piece of advise to stick to is making sure your contact details are included in your bag. This will help maximise the chances of your luggage being returned to you, especially if any external tags have been accidentally ripped off. It’s worth including you name, physical address, email and a phone number on a piece of paper – and placing it on the inside of the bag.
Of course, the easiest way to make sure your luggage doesn’t get lost is to not check-in any bags to begin with. This may not always be possible – but if you’re only going away for a few nights, you’ll easily be able to fit all of your essentials in a cabin bag.
Airlines such as British Airways (BA) actually allow customers to bring two pieces of luggage: a hand bag up to 40 x 30 x 15cm that can weigh up to 23kg but must fit under the seat in front of you, and a cabin bag to be stored in the overhead lockers. This can be up to 56 x 45 x 25cm in size and can also weigh up to 23kg.
As previously reported, even low-cost airline Ryanair is increasing the size of its free cabin bag following an EU ruling. Currently, passengers unwilling to pay for additional luggage must make sure their free ‘personal bag’ does not exceed 40 X 25 X 20cm – a volume of just 20 litres.
However, in the coming weeks, Ryanair will increase this to 40 X 30 X 20cm. It is still smaller than rival easyJet, which allows passengers to bring a free under seat bag of 45 x 36 x 20cm (including wheels and handles).
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