How To: Protect Your Luggage from Careless Baggage Handlers

Reddit user craigyboy2601 knows a thing or two about airline baggage handlers. After all, he is one. So, when he offers some tips on how to protect your luggage from loss or damage, you should probably pay attention!

Here are the highlights from his post.

Same Size, Same Color

Try your best to match your luggage. Not only will other travelers assume you are super stylish, but it is more likely that baggage handlers will move them together. If they are the same size, they will also more likely stack better, giving handlers even more reason to not split up your luggage.

This will improve your odds of your bags coming off the plane at the same time.

Keep It Light

Be considerate and don't overstuff your bag. If it's too heavy, tired handlers are more likely to carelessly throw your luggage around to avoid the extra work.

On that same note, if you must pack that much, put it in something with wheels! Anything you can do to make the handler's job a little easier will help your luggage avoid damage.

Keep It Full

This one is not very intuitive, especially since you were just told to keep your bags as light as possible. Packing a bag half full, though, will make it harder to stack because of its irregular shape and weight. If you have extra room in your suitcase, fill it with something light, such as newspaper or air-filled bags!

Use Those Name Tags!

Fill out those name and address forms that you can tie onto your luggage. If your bags are misplaced, this is the only way employees will be able to tell where it was supposed to be going, other than opening up your luggage, but who wants that?

Also don't forget to remove the old luggage tags from your last trip. Mistakes happen, and if your luggage is misplaced, you don't want it being sent to the wrong destination!

If you're worried less about baggage handlers and more about thieves, why not use this clever travel tip that will have the airline actually watching your bag for you. What other packing tips do you know of? Do you have any horror stories involving lost or damaged luggage?