Lost LuggageArrive earlier than the airlines request

Airlines usually recommend passengers arrive 60 to 90 minutes early for domestic flights or 2 to 2.5 hours for international flights.  This guarantees the airline enough time to assign boarding passes, get passengers through security, and get the bags on the plane.  However, this doesn’t take into account the extra time required by TSA for bag searches.  A bag selected for a TSA search will not be placed on the plane if the search isn’t completed by takeoff time.  Arriving an extra 30 to 45 minutes early will give the airlines and TSA time to deal with luggage and decrease the likelihood of bags being lost.

Bring standard appropriately packed luggage

Maybe it’s coincidence, but my internal frame backpack gets separated from me much more frequently than friends’ and family members’ standard square suitcases.  I don’t know if TSA personnel see a frame pack and automatically assume it belongs to a pot-smoking hippie, or if it’s because the unshakeable shape of a pack means it gets set to the side to be squeezed in at the end and is forgotten.  All I know is that backpacks seem to become separated from their owners at statistically improbable rates.

Also, regardless of your choice of luggage, be sure to pack it appropriately.  Don’t overstuff it to the point of bursting.  Don’t lock it unless you have a TSA approved lock.  Don’t cram it full of electrical appliances or anything else that is going to look suspicious on the scanners.

Prepare for the inevitable

If you travel frequently, especially on international or multi-leg routes, chances are your bag will be lost at one point or another.

Here’s how to cope:

  • 1.  In addition to luggage tags, put your contact information, a family member’s information, the date of your departure and return travel, and your complete itinerary inside your bag.  If your bag has multiple pockets, include this information on sheets of paper inside at least 2 of the pockets.  That way when the flimsy tag rips off the outside and part of your bag gets wet, the information will still be readable inside the bag.  It may take weeks to get your bag back, but chances are much greater it will be returned to you if this information is accessible.
  • 2.  Pack a change of clothes and anything crucial to the beginning of your vacation in carry-on.  Yes, it’s an extra hassle to tote more stuff onto the plane, but if your bag gets lost you’ll be glad you did.
  • 3.  Upon arrival at your destination, file a claim immediately with the airline, and be sure they know what specific hardships your lost luggage will be causing.  Many airlines will provide free toiletry kits or a small sum of money to buy necessary items until your luggage arrives.