Losing One's Luggage

Picture this: you just got off of a long plane ride and you are waiting to de-board. You are probably exhausted from the trip and anxiously wanting to take a shower to wash all that plane filth off. You de-board and look for signs that indicate where the baggage claim is. You follow the signs along with the other passengers. Once you find the correct carousel you wait for the buzzer that indicates that your luggage will be making its way around the conveyor belt. The buzzer goes off and the conveyor belt begins to move; people try to squeeze through so they can make sure they are the first one to see the luggage emerge. You nervously wait for your bags to make their way onto the conveyor belt. Bag after bag makes its way around the carousel; some bags go around twice or more before they are claimed. The crowd thins out as passengers claim their bags and make their way outside. You see the same bag round the carousel for a fifth time. The conveyor belt stops. You still don’t have your bag. What do you do now?

Your initial reaction may be to curse and to shout, but the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and make your way to the baggage claim desk. At the baggage claim desk, they will ask for your basic flight information. The attendant will check to see if the baggage made it onto the plane or if it was misplaced. Hopefully, your bag was just misplaced and the attendant was able to find it. But if your bag is really lost, what now? The attendant will ask you to provide basic information and the address where you are staying; you will also have to fill out a lost baggage form. With any luck, you will have your bag before the end of your trip.

Following are some tips:

• Always pack your valuables and medications in your carry-on bag
• Attach a ribbon or another identifying marker so you can easily spot your luggage
• If your traveling with another person, pack an outfit into each other’s bags; if one of your bags gets lost, you won't be stuck without a change of clothes
• Pack an extra change of clothes in your carry-on bag
• Place an itinerary in your checked bagged; once the airline finds your bag, they will know where you are on your trip

Hopefully on your next flight, you wont be one of the last ones at the luggage carousel wondering where your bag is.