Trying to find your luggage at baggage claim can be a nightmare. There are hundreds of other suitcases, from which you must snatch your luggage. Additionally, you must also worry about baggage theft. Baggage carousels are an easy target for thieves. In fact, Phoenix Arizona police discovered over 1,000 stolen pieces of luggage at a thief’s home in 2013. This type of theft plays out in every major airport every single year. Follow these tips to make picking up your luggage easier and reduce the chances of your luggage being stolen at baggage claim.
Go Directly to Baggage Claim
Go directly to baggage claim once your flight lands. Do not stop to shop, eat, or chat. You should not even stop to use the restroom, if you can help it. Most luggage arrives at the carousel within a half hour of landing.
This might seem like a lot of time, but it is not. Keep in mind that you may have to go all the way across the airport to retrieve your luggage.
By heading directly to baggage claim, you will be able to retrieve your luggage as soon as it appears on the carousel. The will prevent your luggage from being grabbed by a thief.
Use Easily Identifiable Luggage
Cerulean blue might not be your favorite color, but it will certainly stand out in a crowd of hundreds of black and brown suitcases. While you do not have to choose cerulean blue specifically, you should choose a suitcase color that is easily identifiable.
Keep in mind that a unique suitcase color not only helps you to identify your bag much faster, but will also help to prevent theft. After all, it would be quite easy for a thief to walk up to the carousel and grab a black suitcase. How would you know that it was not yours? Keep it simple and buy a suitcase that stands out.
Tag Your Bags
If you do not want to buy a new suitcase, you can still make your luggage stand out. Consider adding one of the following to your non-descript bags.
- ribbons
- colorful fabric such as scarves or bandanas
- oversize, colorful tags
- luggage belt
- stickers
Any of these items can help you to identify your bags the first time they rotate around the carousel. Remember, getting to your luggage without delay in combination with making your luggage immediately identifiable will not only help to prevent theft, but also get you in and out of baggage claim in record time.