Do You Really Need Luggage Tags? Why I Never Travel Without Them
Why make travel more complicated?
You’ve got to organise your passport, maybe apply for a visa, book your flights and accommodation, then pack everything.
Now people are telling you that you need a luggage tag as well.
That was me.
The airline already puts one of those paper baggage tags on your suitcase, so why would I need another one?
You don’t think you’ll need a luggage tag until you’re standing at the baggage carousel wondering which black suitcase is yours.
That happened to me.
Since then, I’ve always had something on my luggage that makes it obvious it’s mine.
The question remains. So, do you really need luggage tags? Let’s find out.
Airline Luggage Gets Moved by Humans
We tend to imagine airports are completely automated.
They’re not.
People load bags. People unload them. People sort them. People move them onto another aircraft when you’re changing flights.
Every now and then something goes wrong.
A suitcase ends up on the wrong trolley.
A paper baggage tag gets caught on a conveyor.
Someone grabs the wrong bag because it looks exactly like theirs.
It doesn’t happen every day, but it happens often enough that I don’t want to rely on luck.
A luggage tag gives airline staff another way to work out who owns a suitcase if the airline’s own tag has disappeared.
That’s reason enough for me.
Every Black Suitcase Looks the Same
Walk into any baggage claim area and have a look.
It’s almost funny.
Black suitcase.
Black suitcase.
Another black suitcase.
Then another.
If your suitcase looks like everyone else’s, don’t be surprised if somebody picks it up before realising they’ve made a mistake.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to stop an awkward mix-up.
When your first name or initials are stamped in gold foil, there’s a lot less chance of someone walking off with your suitcase by mistake.
What Information Should Go on a Luggage Tag?
People often ask whether they should put their home address on the outside.
Personally, I don’t.
My name? Yes.
My mobile number? Definitely.
My email address? Sure.
My full home address? No!
I’d rather not advertise that to anyone walking through an airport.
Instead, I keep another card inside my suitcase with more detailed contact information, my itinerary and an emergency contact.
If the outside tag is damaged, there’s still information inside the bag.
It costs nothing and takes about thirty seconds.
What About a SpotMinders Tracking Card?
A luggage tag helps someone identify your suitcase.
A SpotMinders Tracking Card helps you work out where it is if it goes missing.
The card connects to Apple Find My, much like an AirTag, but its flat shape makes it easy to slip inside your suitcase or travel bag.
If your luggage takes an unexpected trip without you, you can check its location from your iPhone. When it is nearby, you can also make the card play a sound.
If you’re an iPhone user, I reckon it’s well worth slipping one inside your suitcase. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but if your luggage decides to go sightseeing without you, you’ll be glad it’s there.
It doesn’t replace a luggage tag. The two do different jobs.
The luggage tag helps airline staff identify who owns the suitcase. The tracking card helps you locate it.
Using both sounds like a pretty sensible backup plan to me.
Don’t Forget Your Carry-On
Most people remember to tag checked luggage.
Hardly anyone bothers with their carry-on.
I think they should.
Carry-on bags get left in airport lounges.
People leave them beside café tables.
Someone walks away from a charging station and suddenly can’t remember where they put it.
I’m a big fan of personalised leather luggage tags. They make your bag easy to spot on the carousel and make it much easier for airline staff, or an honest person who finds it, to work out who it belongs to.
Why I Prefer Leather Luggage Tags
I’ve bought the cheap plastic ones.
Most didn’t last very long.
The plastic cracked.
The little strap stretched.
One disappeared completely somewhere during a trip and I never saw it again.
That’s why we chose genuine crazy horse leather for our luggage tags at Artisan Foil Co. Personalise it with your name or initials and your suitcase becomes much easier to recognise on the baggage carousel.
Leather simply stands up to the rigours of travel better.
It copes with knocks, rain, baggage handlers and years of being dragged through airports. Better still, it actually looks better as it ages.
I’m a big believer in buying something once instead of replacing it every holiday.
One Last Tip
Before every trip I take a quick photo of my suitcase with my phone.
It takes all of five seconds.
If the airline ever asks what it looks like, I don’t have to remember whether it was the dark grey one or the black one with the silver zip.
I’ve got the photo.
Simple things like that can make recovering lost luggage much easier.
So, Do You Really Need a Luggage Tag?
I think so.
Not because airlines lose bags every day.
Not because every suitcase ends up in the wrong country.
But because when something does go wrong, a luggage tag can make getting your bag back a whole lot easier.
It’s one of those travel accessories you barely notice until the day you really need it.
And if that day ever comes, you’ll be glad it was attached to your suitcase.