5 Ways to Make Your Luggage Safe While Travelling
There’s nothing worse than losing something that is of great value to you. 23.1 million bags had been lost and mishandled in 2015. That’s 6.5 bags per 1,000 passengers. Boeing 787 carries 290 people. That’s about two bags per flight. And that’s just bags that were lost, stolen, or mishandled at airports. That doesn’t include bags that were lost or stolen while on foot.
We can afford more than ever now. That also means that we can lose more than ever. Safety is a big concern. This post will help you keep your luggage safe while at the airport and on foot.
Make Your Luggage Look Unique
If you want to keep your luggage safe while travelling, make sure it looks unique, and if you don’t have a tag with your information on it, then it could be lost forever.
It’s a lot cheaper to produce items in bulk than in low quantities. That makes luggage more affordable, but it also means that a lot of people are going to have the same luggage.
Perhaps simply paint your luggage in several different colours. Perhaps put a cover on it. There are many ways to make your luggage unique. If you make it look different, then it will be a lot easier for somebody to notice that your luggage doesn’t belong to them.
Store Your Luggage Somewhere
Fly via multiple stops. Have 8 hours until your next flight. Decide that you want to explore the city. Constant noise from wheels. One of your hands constantly occupied. That’s just some of the problems that come with carrying your luggage. Does that mean that you can’t go anywhere without your luggage?
How will you go to the bathroom?
If you want to enjoy yourself while keeping your luggage safe, you will need to store it in a safe location.
But facilities aren’t located in great places. Why should you have to pay for transport just to get to a facility? Luckily most stations and hotels can store your luggage. The problem with that is that you never know if there will be space for your luggage as you can’t book in advance and if your luggage gets lost, you don’t have any insurance which is why you might find LuggageHero convenient if you are in London or Copenhagen.
You are more than likely going to be in a shop than anywhere else while travelling which makes LuggageHero super convenient as you can simply put your luggage into one of the over 120 shops that support this scheme. It’s all done through an app which means that you won’t have to call anybody and you will instantly know that you have a place to leave your luggage in.
It’s only €1 per hour. And you are fully insured free of charge every single time for up to €670 per luggage.
Have a Lock
It’s as easy for a thief to open your luggage as it is for you without a lock. A lock will make sure that you individual items cannot be easily taken from your luggage.
The statistic at the start of this post shows that your luggage isn’t as safe as you might think.
If you are exploring on foot and don’t have a lock on your luggage, LuggageHero gives you a security seal which will show you if somebody has looked into your luggage.
Track Your Luggage
Trackers have been getting more popular lately. A tracker is a small device that you place in your luggage. When needed, you open up an app on your phone, and it will provide you with the location of your luggage right away. Regardless of how far away it is.
Locks are great when it comes to taking individual items, but somebody could always decide to take your entire luggage. And if you have a lot of valuables with you, then a tracker is very useful to have.
Get Insurance for Your Luggage
If you followed all of these tips, then your luggage should be safe. But for maximum protection, you can always get insurance.
An airline company won’t reimburse you if your luggage gets lost or stolen. Your luggage is your responsibility unless a high value has been declared prior.
Unless you pay for insurance or are on foot and using LuggageHero, you won’t get any money back.
Conclusion – Is It Possible to Keep Your Luggage Safe While Travelling?
-
will allow you to explore the city without worrying about your luggage.
- Customising your luggage will prevent people from taking it by accident
- A lock will prevent people from opening your luggage with ease.
- A tracker will track your luggage if lost or stolen.
- Insurence will protect individual items.
You were wondering about how to keep your luggage safe while travelling, that’s how.
9 tips for checked-in luggage when traveling in Europe
Most airlines now charge you for checking your luggage in when you book one of their economy fares, so the first thing to check if you need to check-in luggage, is the airline policy regarding luggage. Plus, when you book your tickets online and will be doing some connections between different airlines, you must check the policies of every airline you will be flying with, they can change (a lot).
Sometimes pricing (or free items) depend on the dates, the destination, the number or the size of you bag, so you must check when traveling to a new destination. But also, they might change these from time to time and publish different discounts or offers when booking in advance.
Below you will find some links to the check-in policies to some of the most used european airlines:
| Check-in policies | |
|---|---|
| Aerolínea | Link |
| Aer Lingus | Link |
| Air Europa | Link |
| Air France | Link |
| Britsh Airways | Link |
| EasyJet | Link |
| Iberia | Link |
| KLM | Link |
| Lufthansa | Link |
| Norwegian | Link |
| Ryanair | Link |
| Volotea | Link |
| Vueling | Link |
And you can also use a meta-search engine such as Trabber or Skyscanner and add the number of bags so they can add them to the prices shown (some engines show wrong luggage prices when there are offers but are a good starting point).
2. Join the frequent travel program
When traveling a lot, frequent travel programs provide with extra tickets, discounts and/or other benefits to you. You might not get many when holding a regular card, but categories gold, elite, preferred or similar are always a great deal (you need to travel a lot or have your credit card with them to get there, but when you do it is).
For example, Iberia Plus Gold travelers get an extra 20 kg bag when traveling internationally. Other programs give you access to VIP rooms or get you a better seat for a cheaper price (or free.)
3. Weight your bags at home
Sometimes the cost of those extra kilograms in your hand or checked-in luggage can cost you more than booking an extra bag in advance. Cheap hand scales can cost about 20 euros and you can use them forever. Plus, most of them are as big as an smartphone (if not smaller) and you can take them with you on your trip.
Take into account that knowing your wieght in advance will allow not only to avoid extra costs, but to leave room for those amazing finds you will by at your destination and to spread the extra weight among the people traveling with you (so non of you has to pay for that.)
4. You can Send your bags through transport companies
When you are moving a lot of luggage, it can be an interesting choice to send your luggage through cargo transport instead of taking them with you on the plane. Some countries make it a bit expensive, but you will avoid the check-in lines, carrying them around (allowing for cheaper or faster transport options) or paying extra fees when boarding. Plus, you get a tracking code that allows you to know where it is and when it will arrive.
On the other side, courier in Europe is not that fast when trying to get something to the country side and deliveries won’t work on weekends.
5. Get a better luggage (less weight, more things)
Today, there are ultra light bags that allow to improve the way we use the weithg limits that each airline imposes. Investing in better luggage also allows for better movement when in the ariport, easier carrying around or less wrinkles.
Just so you get an idea
| Price-weight comparison in luggage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Model | Precio | Peso | Link |
| Hand luggage | Cubelite Spinner 55 cm Cabin Grafito | 40€ | 2,5 kg | Link |
| Hand luggage | Aerolite ABS | 359€ | 1,7 kg | Link |
| Check-in luggage | American Tourister 68 cm | 140€ | 3,7 kg | Link |
| Check-in luggage | Samsonite Flux Spinner 69 cm | 200€ | 3,49 kg | Link |
If you travel a lot, it might pay off to pay a bit more for some extra room. It’s up to you how much more is a little more.
6. Keep the heavy things with you and wear the biggest clothes
Checked-in luggage gets weighted, you are not. Plus, not every airline weights your hand luggage (but for the really cheap low cost ones).
On the other side, extra volume is easily spotted and you should take care with that.
7. Use all the space in your bag wisely
Not everything that you put in your luggage will be used. The “what if” take space but you can usually use something else if the “if” happens. You better plan your luggage for what you know you will be doing each day and the weather. Are you going out at night? Can you mix & match? Do you have lighter options that can work as a substitute?
8. Upgrade
Buying more expensive tickets that include checked-in luggage can help you save as they sometimes cost less than adding an additional bag. Plus they provide with extra benefits such as bigger leg room, preferred boarding or access to VIP lounges.
9. Find out what can go free and what is an extra
Yes, some things can still travel free. For example, musical instruments and baby trolleys are free in many airlines. On the other side, bikes, snowboards or skies have a different fare that is not included in your ticket fare and is not usually and option when booking online.
9 tips for checked-in luggage when traveling in Europe
Most airlines now charge you for checking your luggage in when you book one of their economy fares, so the first thing to check if you need to check-in luggage, is the airline policy regarding luggage. Plus, when you book your tickets online and will be doing some connections between different airlines, you must check the policies of every airline you will be flying with, they can change (a lot).
Sometimes pricing (or free items) depend on the dates, the destination, the number or the size of you bag, so you must check when traveling to a new destination. But also, they might change these from time to time and publish different discounts or offers when booking in advance.
Below you will find some links to the check-in policies to some of the most used european airlines:
| Check-in policies | |
|---|---|
| Aerolínea | Link |
| Aer Lingus | Link |
| Air Europa | Link |
| Air France | Link |
| Britsh Airways | Link |
| EasyJet | Link |
| Iberia | Link |
| KLM | Link |
| Lufthansa | Link |
| Norwegian | Link |
| Ryanair | Link |
| Volotea | Link |
| Vueling | Link |
And you can also use a meta-search engine such as Trabber or Skyscanner and add the number of bags so they can add them to the prices shown (some engines show wrong luggage prices when there are offers but are a good starting point).
2. Join the frequent travel program
When traveling a lot, frequent travel programs provide with extra tickets, discounts and/or other benefits to you. You might not get many when holding a regular card, but categories gold, elite, preferred or similar are always a great deal (you need to travel a lot or have your credit card with them to get there, but when you do it is).
For example, Iberia Plus Gold travelers get an extra 20 kg bag when traveling internationally. Other programs give you access to VIP rooms or get you a better seat for a cheaper price (or free.)
3. Weight your bags at home
Sometimes the cost of those extra kilograms in your hand or checked-in luggage can cost you more than booking an extra bag in advance. Cheap hand scales can cost about 20 euros and you can use them forever. Plus, most of them are as big as an smartphone (if not smaller) and you can take them with you on your trip.
Take into account that knowing your wieght in advance will allow not only to avoid extra costs, but to leave room for those amazing finds you will by at your destination and to spread the extra weight among the people traveling with you (so non of you has to pay for that.)
4. You can Send your bags through transport companies
When you are moving a lot of luggage, it can be an interesting choice to send your luggage through cargo transport instead of taking them with you on the plane. Some countries make it a bit expensive, but you will avoid the check-in lines, carrying them around (allowing for cheaper or faster transport options) or paying extra fees when boarding. Plus, you get a tracking code that allows you to know where it is and when it will arrive.
On the other side, courier in Europe is not that fast when trying to get something to the country side and deliveries won’t work on weekends.
5. Get a better luggage (less weight, more things)
Today, there are ultra light bags that allow to improve the way we use the weithg limits that each airline imposes. Investing in better luggage also allows for better movement when in the ariport, easier carrying around or less wrinkles.
Just so you get an idea
| Price-weight comparison in luggage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Model | Precio | Peso | Link |
| Hand luggage | Cubelite Spinner 55 cm Cabin Grafito | 40€ | 2,5 kg | Link |
| Hand luggage | Aerolite ABS | 359€ | 1,7 kg | Link |
| Check-in luggage | American Tourister 68 cm | 140€ | 3,7 kg | Link |
| Check-in luggage | Samsonite Flux Spinner 69 cm | 200€ | 3,49 kg | Link |
If you travel a lot, it might pay off to pay a bit more for some extra room. It’s up to you how much more is a little more.
6. Keep the heavy things with you and wear the biggest clothes
Checked-in luggage gets weighted, you are not. Plus, not every airline weights your hand luggage (but for the really cheap low cost ones).
On the other side, extra volume is easily spotted and you should take care with that.
7. Use all the space in your bag wisely
Not everything that you put in your luggage will be used. The “what if” take space but you can usually use something else if the “if” happens. You better plan your luggage for what you know you will be doing each day and the weather. Are you going out at night? Can you mix & match? Do you have lighter options that can work as a substitute?
8. Upgrade
Buying more expensive tickets that include checked-in luggage can help you save as they sometimes cost less than adding an additional bag. Plus they provide with extra benefits such as bigger leg room, preferred boarding or access to VIP lounges.
9. Find out what can go free and what is an extra
Yes, some things can still travel free. For example, musical instruments and baby trolleys are free in many airlines. On the other side, bikes, snowboards or skies have a different fare that is not included in your ticket fare and is not usually and option when booking online.
Source https://luggagehero.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-luggage-safe-while-travelling/
Source https://trucosviajeros.com/en-us/9-tips-for-checked-in-luggage-when-traveling-in-europe/#:~:text=9%20tips%20for%20checked-in%20luggage%20when%20traveling%20in,wisely%20…%208%208.%20Upgrade%20…%20Meer%20items
Source https://trucosviajeros.com/en-us/9-tips-for-checked-in-luggage-when-traveling-in-europe/