How to Get Your Lost Luggage and Unclaimed Baggage Back

LUGGAGE LOST & FOUND Famous Misplaced Parcels & What to Do If Your Luggage Goes Astray There are plenty of stresses while traveling-packing, making connections, going through security, or even sitting through the on-flight movie. However, losing your bag ranks as one of the worst travel experiences. Thankfully, there are ways to help prevent bag loss and to retrieve your lost possessions. CHECKED ON, CARRIED OFF x one million There were 25.8 million mishandled bags in 2011, which cost the industry $2.58 billion Of mishandled bags... 86% were delayed 11% were damaged or pilfered 3% were lost or stolen CELEBRITY LUGGAGE MISHAPS It's not just you-even celebrities lose their luggage. Take a look at some incidents from the last decade. 2006 The Duchess of Argyll flew from London to Glasgow and her bag was lost. It was filled with over $150,000 of jewelry: 2010 Rocker Alice Cooper lost his bag on a flight to the U.K. He lost props for his "Halloween Night of Fear" concerts: • Victorian diamond tiara • Emerald ring • Pearl earrings • Cartier brooch • Skulls & skeletons • Fake blood • A giant syringe 2011 Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe lost her bag en route to St. Bart's. She lost expensive designer clothing, including: 2012 ATELL Reality star Kim Kardashian claims her suitcase was tampered with while in transit in Europe. She lost: • Tom Ford for Gucci leather jacket (collectible) • Missoni kaftans ($550 each) • A pair of vintage sunglasses given to her by her late father 10 AMAZING THINGS FOUND IN ABANDONED LUGGAGE Ever wonder where lost luggage ends up if no one claims it? It might be sold at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, which receives abandoned luggage from airlines. More than a few unusual items have been unzipped from average-looking bags, such as: 50 vacuum-packed frogs A full suit of armor An engraved headstone A 40.95-carat natural emerald RIP A camera from the space shuttle (returned to NASA) A missile guidance system (returned to the Air Force) A shrunken head A live rattlesnake An Egyptian burial mask (4,000 years old) Hoggle, the dwarf from the movie Labyrinth WHY BAGS GET LOST There are a number of reasons a bag could get lost or delayed. Some common ones are: Mistaken Identity Solution Travel with a unique bag. Sew on patches, attach ribbons, use fabric paint-anything to make your bag stand out. This also helps identify your bag if it is lost in transit. Someone could nab your bag thinking that it's their own. Connecting Flight Your bag doesn't make it on the plane because there isn't enough time between flights. Solution Schedule connections with at least an hour between flights. 53% of all mishandled bags are due to transfer flights. 53% Late Check-In If you have to run to the terminal, your bag might not have time to get on the plane. Solution Always check in at least an hour ealy. 15% of all mishandled bags are due to failure to load. 15% Bag Tag Mix-ups The bag tag can get torn off, or misread... and your bag can get sent to the wrong Solution Don't overstuff your bag; that makes it likely to get caught in the machinery. Always remove old tags from your luggage. place. No Contact Info Solution Make sure to attach your Airline workers have no address to the outside of the way to return your bag if they don't know that it is yours. bag. To be on the safe side, also include contact info on the inside of the bag. In case of a lost bag, always pack a change of clothes, small toiletries, and any valuables in your carry-on bag. LOSE YOUR LUGGAGE? DON'T WORRY. Remember, 99% of checked bags were delivered on time in 2011! Hopefully, your bag will arrive safely and on time at your destination. However, if something goes wrong, there's no reason to panic. First, contact your airline. Then, branch out into other solutions. 99% Airport Lost and Found has a high success rate of finding your lost property. It lets you upload photographs and a detailed description of your lost items. It alerts: • Airport employees, attendants, and security • Airport restaurants and shops • Taxis, buses, and trains Even if your bag is lost, you can get it back in an easy and timely manner. Then, you can enjoy your trip worry-free and with all your possessions, like you were meant to. SOURCES http://www.sita.aero/knowledge-innovation/industry-surveys-reports/baggage-report-2012 http://www.bendavidjewelers.com/blog/150000-of-jewelry-in-lost-luggage-found-six-years-later http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0007561.html http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/zoe_clothes_lost_in_transit_JBOKZFETahqDkrso5OARBO http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9300696/More-woe-for-Heathrow-as-Kim-Kardashian-claims-BA-stole-her-sunglasses.html http://unclaimedbaggage.com/p/about/interesting_stuff http://www.squidoo.com/lost-luggage http://www.sita.aero/knowledge-innovation/industry-surveys-reports/baggage-report-2012 http://www.sita.aero/knowledge-innovation/industry-surveys-reports/baggage-report-2012 http://www.airportlostandfound.com/faq/ Airport LOST AND FOUND WORLDWIDE LOST AND FOUND DATABASE www.airportlostandfound.com