As if air travel didn’t have enough pitfalls on its own, there’s also the frustrating and real possibility that an airline could lose your checked luggage. According to a 2024 study by SITA, an IT company that provides bag-tracking systems to airlines, 36.1 million suitcases worldwide were mishandled in 2023, meaning 36.1 million bags were lost, delayed, damaged, or stolen. That is about 6.9 bags per every thousand passengers.
Mishandled rates have decreased over the recent years: In 2022, it was 7.6 bags per every 1,000 passengers and in 2007, the first year SITA started tracking, it was 46.9. Airlines have also implemented various systems to minimize such occurrences, including digital bag tags and programming within their apps to allow travelers to track their luggage in real time. Still, there are proactive steps you can take as an air traveler to reduce your chances of delayed or misplaced baggage.
Read on for what you can do as a traveler to help keep track of your bags—and to help airlines keep track of them, too.
1. Use a luggage tag. Every time.
Even if you plan to take your bag as a carry-on, use a luggage tag with your contact information on it. You never know when you’re going to be forced to gate check. For that contact information, be sure to include your name, phone number, and email address, as those are likely the fastest ways to reach you. Avoid putting your home address, as it could pose a safety concern. And make sure that tag is securely attached.
2. Put your contact information in the bag, too.
Place your phone number and address inside the bag, in a highly visible place. How you do it is up to you: sticker; note card; an additional tag. That way, an airline can easily contact you. You might also consider putting your travel itinerary in the luggage—it could help airline staff route it to you faster.
3. Book a nonstop flight whenever possible.
There are fewer opportunities for foul-ups and mishandling between flights when there are fewer connections and layovers. This is especially true on international flights where bags need to clear customs.
4. Take old stickers off your luggage.
Airlines put barcode stickers on checked luggage so that they can scan them and keep track of bags. This is helpful if you lose a suitcase, but it could work against you if the airline staff can’t tell which sticker is the most current one. According to SITA, 4 percent of all mishandled bags are due to errors in tagging and stickering. So remove old bag tag stickers from your luggage before you check it.
5. Add an Apple AirTag to each bag you want to track.
The FAA allows travelers to put AirTags in their bags, but note that not every brand of tracker will meet the safety requirements. “Luggage tracking devices powered by lithium metal cells that have 0.3 grams or less of lithium can be used on checked baggage,” the FAA said in a statement shared with Afar. “Apple AirTags meet this threshold; other luggage tracking devices may not.” When you file your missing bag report with the airline, you can share its current whereabouts, which should help the airline find it more quickly. As of November 2024, travelers can now share a secure link for an AirTag’s location with certain airlines, to help the carrier find your luggage more quickly and efficiently.
6. Have a detailed description of your bag ready.
If your luggage is misplaced, be prepared to give the airline the exact manufacturer, size, color, and any distinguishing features of your bag so they have a good idea of what to look for. Saying “black” and “big enough to need to be checked” isn’t really helpful. Also, keep an itemized list of what is in your suitcase—you can provide it to the airline and it may help people identify it faster, especially if your bag contains a unique item. It’s also a good idea to take a picture of the contents of your bag when you pack. This will come in handy if you do need to file a lost luggage claim; then the airline can’t dispute what the contents of the bag were.
7. Arrive early for your flight and check in your luggage well in advance.
“Arriving early provides a less stressful travel experience, and it also minimizes the chances of baggage mishandling due to a last-minute rush,” says Matthew Robb, senior vice president of Technical Operations at Denver International Airport. Because arriving early gives airline staff ample time to properly tag and load your luggage onto the correct flight, it can reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled.
8. Secure (or remove) loose parts.
Robb added that “any loose straps should be tightened or ideally removed from backpacks and duffel bags to ensure they don’t get snagged or damaged on their journey to and from the airplane.” Undone buckles on your luggage, for instance, can get caught in machinery en route to the plane, causing the flight to be delayed.
9. Make sure your bag is easily identifiable.
Try a bright ribbon or a luggage tag with a distinctive pattern or print, or use luggage in one of the great colors that our favorite stylish luggage brands sell. It’ll also make it less likely that someone will mistake your bag for their own. (Not sure what bag to get? We’ve got a guide to shopping for luggage.)
10. Be persistent (but polite!) with follow-ups.
If your bag is lost, staff will have to search for it manually. Getting someone to care could go a long way.
11. Carry-on only, if you can.
When you check a bag, you’re at the mercy of airline transfers, rushed baggage handlers, and the occasional conveyor belt meltdown. But with a carry-on, unless you’re forced to gate check, you know exactly where your belongings are at all times. Carrying-on only is especially good advice if you’re traveling outside of the United States. According to SITA, only 2.4 out of every 1,000 bags are mishandled domestically, while 6.9 of every 1,000 in 2023 were mishandled internationally, with Europe being the worst offender in terms of mishandling at a rate of 10.6 of every 1,000 bags.
12. Ship your luggage instead of checking it.
If you have many bags to check, or bulky items like golf clubs, you may opt to skip the worry and cost of checking those in and use a shipping company. There are many companies that handle luggage shipping, and they usually offer such benefits as guaranteed arrival, door-to-door pickup and delivery, insurance, and 24-hour phone service so that you will always have someone to call if you’re worried about your bag.
This article was originally published on December 11, 2023, and was updated on March 5, 2025.
