Luggage Labels

[Misky]

When we receive our ticket pack from the Travel Agents, previously there have always been pre-printed luggage labels, but not this time! I can't remember what I need to put on them (if I can find some). Is it name, flight number, date of flight, and hotel address (or home address for the return flight)? I might have to make my own with cardboard & sellotape... Thanks for any help.

[samak]

Never put your home address on the labels outside. Advertisement to any thieves working at the airport that your home may be empty.

[Misky]

I never thought of that Samak - I'd better put a note inside with my home address, in case it's lost by the airline on the way home then. Thanks.

[jno]

they'll probably give you some at check-in, but their own destination tags should do the trick, so you don't actually need them. It's just a useful extra if your baggage does go missing.

[mike11111]

I once decided to dispense with luggage labels when flying from London to Paris. My suitcase turned up three days later having been kept in London because the lack of a label made it highly suspicious. The solution is two labels, one with the outward address and one with the return address to be attached when you come home.

[Im a BusyBee]

i always put my mobile number on mine, very boldly, as i always take it with me and that would be the quickest way of contacting me should they go astray.

[carmalee]

depending where you are going - think about having your luggage vacuum wrapped at the airport (unnecessary if you have a solid suitcase though) -I go to Africa a lot and always do this to stop anyone slipping something in my case. For less dodgy destinations it's probably not necessary.

[Misky]

Thanks very much everyone - I will def. put luggage labels on then, just in case (scuse the pun). I'll just put as much information on as will fit. I thought it was probably cut-backs that are eveywhere now that have resulted in TIU not sending these.Cheers.

[237SJ]

When I go on holiday I just put my name and the address of my destination. When I come back I put my name and home address. You don`t need any flight details as that is all on the tag the airline puts on the bag. You should put something inside the case somewhere with contact details so that if the bag gets lost and has to be forwarded to you, you can be traced. An airline will open the suitcase to find this if your outside label comes off.

[Misky]

Thanks for that - I'm off to Wilkos and/or the Post Office to see if they sell something suitable, otherwise I'll make something myself. So no flight details as that's on the tag the girl puts on at the check-in desk, just something to say where to send it if if's lost.... And a mobile phone number. Got it! Cheers.

[237SJ]

I wouldn`t put a mobile phone number (or any type of phone number on the outside of a suitcase). Regarding the tag, I use a little leather one with a buckle strap. It has a piece of card inside. I cut another piece of card with my home address and slide that in for the homeward journey.

[theshedman]

This comes from the Thomas Cook website. It seems they don't give them out unless you ask for them these days.

Most travel agents no longer give these out, however, you can pick some up at the airport if you require them.

Airlines now use the bar coded label attached at check-in to identify each traveller’s luggage.

I usually do the same as mike11111 and 237SJ. I also put one of those straps around the case as this makes it a lot easier to find the case when it comes around the conveyor belt and you can also get them with a name printed on. A lot of people have similar cases and straps but the chances of them both being same colour as yours are slim.

[Misky]

Thanks Shedman - I should really have thought of asking the Travel Agents! I bought some from the Post Office for £2.29, but if I use separate ones for on the way back, with only names and home address & telephone number on, I can use these again and again! If I see those straps before I go, I might invest. Last year, we saw my husband's case go on to the carousel but it never came round to us, and I found an old man had taken it and put it in his pile without checking the name tag. I'm already worrying about that happening again, so a strap would do the job. Thank you.

[theshedman]

Hi Misky, here is the link to the place I bought ours from.

http://www.able-label...ts/Luggage_Straps.asp

We just had our surname on ours. That way the rest of the family use them too. You can buy unnamed ones from the post office or many others stores so they are not hard to get.

[Misky]

Oh, I like them! I've saved that to buy some for next time, we leave in a couple of days.... Thanks very much!

[Old_Geezer]

I always used to put my parents' address so in the unlikely event thieves took it as an invite, they 'd make the trip to find the place still occupied. Can't do that any more though. Still I do wonder what chance of some thief actually going miles down the motorway for a possible empty house, when there must be richer pickings locally.

[Misky]

Old Geezer- I try not to be too paranoid about things like that, but hadn't thought of using another address. Having said that, my parents would kill me themselves if the reason they were faced with a Manc burglar in County Durham turned out to be because I had given their address on a luggage label! lol

[jno]

straps are good, as long as you get something different from the rest (some sellers will weave your name into them). Everyone seems to put yellow straps round black bags, which doesn't really differentiate them much. Our hotel gave away our unstrapped black bag last year - the wrong guest took it out of their storeroom and didn't return it. So now we always use straps.

[joggerjayne]

How about writing your name and mobile number in marker pen on the actual suitcase.

[spudqueen]

I put my works address in my case. That way I can be contacted, but none of the airport workers knows where I actually live!

[Misky]

Blimey - I have never been worried about people being bothered enough to look at my case with a view to robbing my house, but I am now! I think I'll pin my hopes on the fact that I'm flying from Manchester which is about two hours from where I live... Fingers crossed!