PSA - Please label your luggage!!

[Dax]

Hey all you flyers! I work at MCO and in the department I work in I see every airlines baggage come through the system on its way out of MCO. This also means I see a lot of bags come in with a missing bag tag. This is the tag the airline sticks on your luggage when you check it in. They easily come off and get lost. This means your bag goes rogue. It ends up in my office. But Dax you say...I put one of those super fancy Disney bag tags on my bags. Yep...you did...and it may have gotten broken as well. Or, as in most cases, is left blank! So we still have no idea who the bag belongs to. So here is how to help us in the future get your bag back to you as quickly as possible.

In the front pocket of your bag, place a piece of paper with the following info:

Your Name - First and Last
Your Cell # - Yes, I have called passengers while they were still at MCO to let them know we still had the bag. This way you can call the airline yourself and yell at them too!
The airline you are flying, flight numbers, and city.

Also make all this easy to read. Once your trip is over, throw it away and make a new one for the next trip. Remove old luggage tags from your bags as well. This stuff can confuse the system and cause mis-sorting and possible delays in getting your bags to the proper places.

Also, I know people love to tie fancy things like streamers, ribbons, hair bows, bath loofahs and other random dangle items from their luggage...Take my advice. DO NOT DO IT!!!! Just dont. That stuff gets caught in the baggage system, and then sucks in your bag, destroying it in the process. When my mechanics need to remove it, they use knives, box cutters and any thing else they can. The system takes priority over the bags any time. I have seen bags get ripped apart and underwear strewn all over the floor because someone tied a bath loofah to the bag and it jammed up the system.

So that is my PSA..Hopefully this information makes your next trip flying a little bit better. And if you have more questions about baggage and TSA...let me know...

 

[Sarahraegraham]

I appreciate you taking the time to post a PSA! If you were to suggest an identifier to put on a bag that would not be an issue for the sorting system, what would it be?

 

[magicmommy]

Thanks so much. We never use anything to identify the bags, but also never put anything inside to identify us.
Greatly appreciated the tip and will do so going forward!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks Dax! Great info. I always have a piece of paper in those front pockets with my email address, and name on it. I never thought of putting in my flight info! Thanks!!!

 

[elaine amj]

Can I ask a luggage question? We are arriving about 8pm at night, staying at an airport hotel, then shuttling back to the airport the next morning to take ME to Disney.

Is it possible to leave our luggage (with our ME tags) to be sent to our resort or will we have to take them with us and bring them on the ME bus the next morning?

And thanks for your PSA! I have started using luggage straps and luggage tags in recent years thankfully and will remember not to use ribbons and dangly things. Also, thanks for the suggestion about adding the sheet of paper with travel info. Usually I just use my luggage tag with my standard info and don't add info for each trip.

 

[sam_gordon]

My bags don't have an outside pocket.

 

[FCDub]

Can I ask a luggage question? We are arriving about 8pm at night, staying at an airport hotel, then shuttling back to the airport the next morning to take ME to Disney.

Is it possible to leave our luggage (with our ME tags) to be sent to our resort or will we have to take them with us and bring them on the ME bus the next morning?

And thanks for your PSA! I have started using luggage straps and luggage tags in recent years thankfully and will remember not to use ribbons and dangly things. Also, thanks for the suggestion about adding the sheet of paper with travel info. Usually I just use my luggage tag with my standard info and don't add info for each trip.

They won't take your bags if you don't have a valid resort stay (which you won't for your arrival night). Just grab them and take them with you to your airport hotel.

 

[Jimsig]

I have a word document saved on my computer for any trips that has all the info you mentioned and I also put the date and my airline reservation # on it.

Looks something like this for a trip to Disney printed out on and 8 1/2x11 paper in bold and easy to read font with a big type size. Want to make it as easy as possible for Dax to be able to find me if needed.


SMITH


Jet Blue
CDK1256F

Flight 1233

BOS-MCO

06-24-16


Cell# 555-555-5555


If I have a connecting flight I'll put both flight numbers on it and the connecting airport so it might say BOS-BWI-MCO.
I print out one for the way back and keep that with my travel docs until it's time to go home.

 

[goofy4tink]

Can I ask a luggage question? We are arriving about 8pm at night, staying at an airport hotel, then shuttling back to the airport the next morning to take ME to Disney.

Is it possible to leave our luggage (with our ME tags) to be sent to our resort or will we have to take them with us and bring them on the ME bus the next morning?

And thanks for your PSA! I have started using luggage straps and luggage tags in recent years thankfully and will remember not to use ribbons and dangly things. Also, thanks for the suggestion about adding the sheet of paper with travel info. Usually I just use my luggage tag with my standard info and don't add info for each trip.

Nope. Your DME reservation is tied to your resort reservation...supposedly anyway. So, they shouldn't be taking any tagged luggage that arrives on the day before ccheckin. The tags have the checkin date, so it should be obvious. If those bags aren't picked up, they will be sent out to the baggage claim area, where they will go around and around....within anyone's grasp....until baggage workers come out and take unclaimed bags to the holding area. There are supposed to be DME workers that will go and check in the morning, and then get the bags to the correct resort. I would just not tag the bags, and claim them and take them to your airport hotel with you, and to the bus in the morning!

I have a word document saved on my computer for any trips that has all the info you mentioned and I also put the date and my airline reservation # on it.

Looks something like this for a trip to Disney printed out on and 8 1/2x11 paper in bold and easy to read font with a big type size. Want to make it as easy as possible for Dax to be able to find me if needed.


SMITH


Jet Blue
CDK1256F

Flight 1233

BOS-MCO

06-24-16


Cell# 555-555-5555


If I have a connecting flight I'll put both flight numbers on it and the connecting airport so it might say BOS-BWI-MCO.
I print out one for the way back and keep that with my travel docs until it's time to go home.

I am going to steal this idea....it's wonderful. I've had my bags go 'missing' just once. I want to make it as easy as possible for them to find that bag and get it to me!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I have a word document saved on my computer for any trips that has all the info you mentioned and I also put the date and my airline reservation # on it.

Looks something like this for a trip to Disney printed out on and 8 1/2x11 paper in bold and easy to read font with a big type size. Want to make it as easy as possible for Dax to be able to find me if needed.


SMITH


Jet Blue
CDK1256F

Flight 1233

BOS-MCO

06-24-16


Cell# 555-555-5555


If I have a connecting flight I'll put both flight numbers on it and the connecting airport so it might say BOS-BWI-MCO.
I print out one for the way back and keep that with my travel docs until it's time to go home.

This is what I do too! My luggage has 3 pockets in the front and I even put one in each pocket. Probably overkill but I'm comfortable with that.
I do have small green ribbons tied to my luggage - they only have 1/2 hangover but now I'm thinking maybe I should get rid of those and put some lime green paint on the front and back of my suitcase instead for easy ID when my luggage comes down the belt at baggage claim.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Dax - what are your thoughts on luggage belts? I like mine because I can tell my bag apart from the thousand other black bags out there.

 

[Carriemel]

I'll answer this - we like them...WHEN they're used correctly. In other words, don't just wrap it around the bag. Use the side handle to thread the belt through. Otherwise, you're going to probably be missing the belt, as it can easily slide off your bag.

I work for TSA

 

[jo-jo]

How do you feel about duct tape? We have at strip of decorative duct tape of each side of luggage. It's just laying flat, not holding the bag together.

 

[Dax]

If you want an identifier...use decoractive tape...wrap the handles...and a couple extra pieces on the luggage itself. Straps are OK...but they can get caught too..

 

[Dax]

I'll answer this - we like them...WHEN they're used correctly. In other words, don't just wrap it around the bag. Use the side handle to thread the belt through. Otherwise, you're going to probably be missing the belt, as it can easily slide off your bag.

I work for TSA

Someone who understands!

 

[Jimsig]

Steal away Goofy4Tink, or anybody for that matter. When we went on an Alaskan cruise last summer I even went as far as including sheets for the luggage for when it got loaded on the boat. Instead of a flight number we put the boat name, our cabin number, and cell phone number.

To identify bags I have seen people spray paint a big X or and O, or even what I figure was the first letter of their last name on the back and even front of their bag in florescent paint.

 

[elaine amj]

Nope. Your DME reservation is tied to your resort reservation...supposedly anyway. So, they shouldn't be taking any tagged luggage that arrives on the day before ccheckin. The tags have the checkin date, so it should be obvious. If those bags aren't picked up, they will be sent out to the baggage claim area, where they will go around and around....within anyone's grasp....until baggage workers come out and take unclaimed bags to the holding area. There are supposed to be DME workers that will go and check in the morning, and then get the bags to the correct resort. I would just not tag the bags, and claim them and take them to your airport hotel with you, and to the bus in the morning!

Thanks! This is what I figured would happen - but was curious anyway. I have actually left my bags to end up in the holding area before (not a Disney trip) as I was crashing overnight in an airport hotel and could not get to baggage claim. Thankfully my luggage was there the next morning

Certainly a risk though so most likely I'll just take all my luggage with me.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

I have another question - I have hard-sided luggage without an outside pocket. Where would you suggest I place this identifying sheet? If you have any other tips, I'd love to hear them as well!!!

I really appreciate you offering these tips! We were super close to not having our luggage on a cruise a couple of years ago (We arrived night before and luggage didn't arrive with us. I waited at the luggage carousel for the next flight that came from our city - there it was!) and it was super stressful. It was such an awful feeling that I really want to do all I can to make sure my luggage will make it to me.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have another question - I have hard-sided luggage without an outside pocket. Where would you suggest I place this identifying sheet? If you have any other tips, I'd love to hear them as well!!!

I really appreciate you offering these tips! We were super close to not having our luggage on a cruise a couple of years ago (We arrived night before and luggage didn't arrive with us. I waited at the luggage carousel for the next flight that came from our city - there it was!) and it was super stressful. It was such an awful feeling that I really want to do all I can to make sure my luggage will make it to me.

Just put it inside your bag, on the top. I've actually seen some hard sided luggage come out with a piece of paper on the front, with clear shipping tape over it (at least that's what it looked like to me), and an email address on it. Not sure if that works out or not.

 

[Euby]

Thanks for posting this! I usually use decorative tape. How do you feel about zipper pulls? I've seen some made of para-cord that were 4 inches long!