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.

Tips For Packing

Given the new fees that are being implemented by a select number of airlines, one does not want to over pack their bags. Packing for a trip can be stressful. There are some things that you can do before your trip that can make the experience of packing less hectic.



The best way to start packing is to make a list of items you will need to take with you. When writing your list, take into account the activities and or events that you will be attending. It is also a good idea to check what the weather will be like at your destination so you can plan accordingly. If you are traveling internationally, make sure you know the local traditions and culture and what types of clothing styles are considered taboo.

Before actually packing your suitcase, double-check your list to make sure you have everything. Also, see if you can eliminate an item or two. It is best to pack layers and items that can be used for more than one occasion. After selecting your clothes, double-checking your list, and eliminating an item or two, you can think about packing your toiletries. It is best to make a list for these items, as well.

The easiest way to pack toiletries would be in a toiletry kit. Remember, you do not need to pack your big bottles of shampoo or lotion. Many of the products you would need to bring with you can be bought at a trial/travel size. In case you forget to pack your toothpaste or toothbrush, you can always run to the drug store or to the hotel’s gift shop.

For your return trip, remember to take into account that you will probably be bringing back more items that you departed with. You should follow the same steps as you did when you first packed; that list you initially made will come in handy. You can use that list to determine if you have lost any of your items during your trip.

When packing for your return trip, do not take your dirty clothes and ball them up. This will take up more room. Fold them as you would your clean clothes. To keep your clean clothes separate from your dirty clothes put tissue paper or regular paper between them. This way you will know which clothes are dirty and which are clean and still have enough room for the extra clothes or souvenirs that were bought.

Charging for Second Bag

Recently numerous airlines have started to charge passengers if they want to check a second bag. Before, airlines would allow you to check two bags per-person and only charge extra if you needed to check a third. That is not the case anymore for Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways. The aforementioned airlines are now starting to charge $25 to check a second bag.


For most ‘casual’ travelers, this may not pose any inconvenience whatsoever; but what about a business traveler or a traveler who has to carry many samples or a one-of-a-kind item with them? Should they have to pay these new fees? Some airlines are exempting those who fly first class or passengers who participate in their miles program (usually only preferred members) from having to pay the extra fee.

So for those of you who do not meet the requirements that exempt you from this fee, what should you do? Some suggestions could be to try and pack lighter, if possible, or to try other methods of getting your goods to your destination. One could pay FedEx or UPS to ship their luggage to their destination, but this could end up costing more.

I went onto the UPS site to get a guesstimate for how much it would cost to ship luggage that weighed 51 pounds with the dimensions of 27 x 18 x 10 inches from Boston to San Francisco. If I sent off my luggage the day before I needed it, it would cost me $292 ($584 roundtrip). This price would include an extra charge for me to ship my package to a UPS center. In order to save myself some money I could send off my luggage five days before I plan on reaching my destination. If I choose this option, it would cost $59 ($118 roundtrip), which would also include the cost of shipping it to a UPS center.

Since there doesn’t seem to be a better option (if you have one I would love to hear it) I guess we will just have to drag our feet and pay the fee.