Back to Basics: 10 Tips for Successfully Checking Your Bags
December 14, 2008 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Air Travel, Back to Basics
Checking your bags does not have to be a traumatic experience!
While most of the time I carry on my bags, when I’m traveling for an extended stay, I usually check my bags. I don’t want to lug them through the airport, carrying them up and down stairs, and I don’t want to have to worry about the 3-1-1 liquid and gel rule.
If you are traveling with small children or lots of bags or other stuff, checking your bags is the way to go.
The resistance to checking bags seem to center on two issues.
People don’t want to wait in baggage claim for a long time. I used to think this, too. And then I looked at my watch and really timed how long it took for my bags to arrive. It’s really only 5-10 minutes. And that time is more than worth it to me to not have to drag everything around through the countless airports.
The other complaint is that no one wants their bags lost. Despite lots of hair raising tales about bags going missing, and the horrible statistics on lost bags, I have never had a bag get lost. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen; I’m saying that you can take precautions to make sure that it doesn’t happen to YOU.
So today I share with you my 10 tips for making sure that your checked bags arrive when where you do:
- It starts with packing — make sure that your bag is in good shape, no rips or broken zippers, and that it is sturdy enough to withstand the journey. It doesn’t do any good for your bag to arrive in a timely, only to be split apart because a small tear became a large one.
- Put a bag tag on the outside of your suitcase. I use something brightly colored, to make my standard issue black bag a little more noticeable on the luggage carousel. In fact, I usually use two bag tags, although I’m not really certain why I do that. On the bag tags, I list a home, business, and cell phone, so there are lots of ways to find me. Another option is brightly colored tape or decals placed on the bag. And, there are more and more bright fashion colored luggage, so you don’t have to join the traveling crowd with boring black luggage.
- Put a copy of your itinerary, along with your name, address, home phone, cell phone, and email, on the inside of the bag. I usually place everything into an envelope and pin the envelope to a pocket of the bag. I tape an additional business card on the outside. If my bag goes missing, along with the exterior bag tags, the airlines can still find me.
- If you check your bag with a curbside porter, make sure that the city code on the tag is the city code of your final destination. (Which means that you need to know your airport codes.) If you’re on a non-stop flight, this usually isn’t a problem, but occasionally, if you’re making a connecting flight, your connecting airport can inadvertently be tagged as your final destination. Double check!
- If you are checking your bags with a porter, tip them. I know that you shouldn’t have to, especially now that there is a charge for curbside check in, but I do it and chalk it up to putting good travel-karma out into the world.
- If you are checking your bags with a ticket agent at the airline counter, make sure that the tags match up, and make sure that in the crush of people in line, that the tags get on your bags rather than the person’s bag in the line next to you. At peak travel times there can be lots of pushing and jostling, so don’t lose sight of your bags till they are correctly tagged.
- Upon arrival at your destination, head off to baggage claim in an orderly fashion. If you need to stop by and use the restroom, do so. There’s nothing worse than people in the baggage claim area being grouchy because they have to go to the bathroom.
- Find the carousel where you bags will be arriving. Don’t push your way to the front of the offloading area. If you don’t know where the offloading area is, just look around. It’s the area where everyone is pushing and shoving. Why put yourself through that stress? Just find a spot somewhere along the carousel, and let everyone else get stressed out over being first. I usually pick a spot where no one is standing, and let the bags come to me.
- When the bags start rolling by, you’ll be able to quickly spot yours because you put that brightly colored bag tag on it. Lift it off the carousel and check to make sure that it is really yours. If you are waiting for another bag, make sure that you don’t block access to the carousel area with your already claimed bag.
- Keep your bag claim checks handy as you leave the baggage claim area. Some airports still match them up.
That’s all there is to it. Do what you can do, make sure that the people you can influence do what they’re supposed to do, and add in some good manners along the way. Maybe you’ll find that checking your bags isn’t so horrible after all!
Do you have a tip for checking your bag and making sure it goes where you do? Share it in the comments!
Image credit: SXC
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Another thing you can do is get the bag belts that buckle over your bag. If you get one with a design- it has a dual purpose of holding your bad tight, so it is not bulging or over stuffed – looking, and it helps you identify it, as well. I had bag get a broken zipper while in transit but it didn’t matter as bag buckle helped hold the bag closed. I didn’t lose a thing!
Those buckles are a GREAT idea. I’ve seen them in bungee type of cords, strechy straps, and actual buckles.
When I’m in baggage claim I try to match up the colorful accessory to the person I think will claim the bag. What does their strap selection say about them?!