Is your luggage getting lost?
I have been getting phone calls from our clients who are traveling to Europe this fall about the news of lost luggage. The news is showing pictures of a sea of “lost” luggage at various airports. Some news outlets such as the New York post are even saying that there are baggage system malfunctions which are causing severe delays.
So what is really happening, and are bags “lost”? Not really. Something really cool about the tag that they put on your checked bag is that they have RFID embedded in the tag. So when your luggage arrives at any airport, it is scanned and the system knows where to send it. I had read an article several years ago (2003) stating that a Las Vegas airport was the first to try out this system of adding RFID to their luggage tags. They could track luggage with 99.8% accuracy which led to a significant decrease in lost luggage. After this was a success, many airports started using the same system.
So if there is a system that can pinpoint where your luggage is at all the time, how does it get lost? Well, human error. I think we all know about that, so enough said. Another way is if the system goes down as it did in Heathrow a few months ago. This leads to more humans sorting luggage than a system that is 99.8% accurate. In April 2022 more wheelchairs were mishandled than pieces of luggage, double the amount. So if you have someone with you who has a wheelchair, they are more likely to lose that than your luggage.
Is your luggage really lost? The good news is that your luggage doesn’t really get lost. There are many factors that take place: delays, connections, cancellations. If your flight gets delayed and you are running through the airport like the family in Home Alone, you might make the flight but your luggage might not. That is ok, it will be on the next flight to you. If you are delayed coming back into the country and you opt not to pick up your checked luggage because you want to make your connection, again, your luggage isn’t lost but will have to go through a few more checks before it gets to you.
So what can you do to not lose your luggage? I have been reading a lot about people putting Apple Airtags into their luggage. This is a great way to keep track of where your luggage is located at all times and helps the airlines as well. There are also several RFID tags you can purchase off of Amazon that help you find your luggage. Either of these will help give you peace of mind, but just remember that nothing is ever guaranteed!
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"I wanted to also say what a pleasure it’s been planning our trip with you. We really think your ideas would have made our trip to Italy a trip of a lifetime. We are looking forward to re-booking this vacation when the virus situation is no longer an issue. I also can’t thank you enough for all your help. Reg and I are so looking forward to calling you with new dates someday hopefully soon."
Regis Family
Philadelphia, PA
“Mary is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! She was extremely knowledgeable about each of the cities we went to and different excursions we were able to try. She gave us wonderful recommendations of what to do and what is not worth the time and/or money. She was very organized and sent us a binder of our itinerary as well as all of the vouchers we would need for our trip. She set up personal transfers from the airports/train stations/hotels/etc. which was wonderful! We did not have to worry about what time we needed to leave or how we were going to get there. This allowed us to enjoy our trip and not stress about the details. I would recommend Mary to anyone looking for an amazing and stress-free trip! She thinks of every little thing and is there to guide you every step of the way! I will definitely be using her anytime we need a vacation and recommending her to all of our friends and family!!”
Stephanie
Ohio
We have changed the Greece dates to 2023. We had so many people interested in traveling with us, but still wanted to wait another year. We want everyone to feel comfortable, so we have decided to move the dates to 2023.
