Although lost luggage is a fairly common occurrence for Brits, the reassuring news is that of those who have experienced lost luggage, 94% had it returned and 66% said that they got it back very swiftly.
Following the recent technical hitch and current staff shortages at London airports which have caused thousands of fliers’ luggage to be left behind, a new poll by TripAdvisor reveals that almost half (47%) of British travellers have experienced losing their luggage *.
Although lost luggage is a fairly common occurrence for Brits, the reassuring news is that of those who have experienced lost luggage, 94% had it returned and 66% said that they got it back very swiftly.
“It is always a stressful experience when you lose your luggage, but there are steps you can take to increase the chances of it being returned quickly and safely. A good tip is to photograph your luggage on your phone before you check it in. That way if you lose it, you have a photo that the airline can use to help identify it,” commented Katherine Clark, regional business development director for TripAdvisor Flights.
Katherine Clark, regional business development director for TripAdvisor Flights gives her top tips to help prevent losing luggage or at least ease the pain should it happen:
· Know your luggage – saying you have an black bag isn’t as helpful as saying you have a 75cm Black Cosmolite Samsonite Bag
· Identify your luggage – make sure you add your own luggage label. Whilst some airlines provide these at check-in, it’s a good idea to invest in a sturdier version and ensure it’s on your bag before travel. Additionally, place your name, address and contact details on a sheet of paper inside your bag as a backup. As a third precaution tie a ribbon to the handle. Not only will this help you identify your bag at reclaim, it could also help the airline return your bag to you
· Travel light – who wants the pain of waiting for bags and the possibility of losing them when you can pack what you need in your hand luggage? Just make sure you adhere to all the policies surrounding hand luggage, including the limitations on liquids
· Connecting flights – make sure you listen to the airlines when changing aircraft to a connecting flight. Not all bags are checked to the final destination – some airports require you to collect and re-check bags between flights and this can be a cause of lost baggage
· Insurance – unfortunately it’s a fact that bags do sometimes go missing. Always travel with insurance and make sure you inform the airline as soon as you know the bag is missing.
*Poll carried out on 10,611 respondents on TripAdvisor.co.uk between 02 July – 08 July 2014
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
