If you’ve ever spent any time at all at an airport, you know how stressful it can be to watch hundreds of nearly identical suitcases move quickly over a conveyor belt while you search the carousel for your most valuable belongings.
While ingenious travelers have found that attaching a ribbon to their bags makes them stand out from the crowd, an airport employee is cautioning visitors that employing personal markings entails carrying baggage that cannot be unloaded.
Even the most seasoned travelers can become terrified by the prospect of misplacing their luggage while traveling.
In order to lessen the possibility of their luggage being seized by another passenger or of constantly watching it slowly spin by on the conveyor belt, travelers are making sure their suitcases stand out from the others by tying vibrant ribbons on them.
However, John, a baggage handler at Dublin Airport, claims that these well-liked tips are more detrimental than beneficial.
It may even turn your worst travel fear into reality.
Keep the ribbon at home.
John disclosed to RSVP Live that attaching identifying ribbons to your luggage may result in delays, potentially causing your items to miss the trip.
“Ribbons that people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall,” John told the outlet. “If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight.”
Checking in your suitcase without identifiers, like ribbons and old travel stickers, gives it a better chance of arriving easily.
John offers: “Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process.”
Another thing that can cause problems with your baggage is marzipan, the delicious sugary almond treat, and John warns you may be flagged by security if you take it on vacation.
“Never put marzipan in your suitcase. The Dublin baggage expert stated, “Your bag will be removed and you will be called from the plane for a bag search because it has the same density as some explosives.”
Last but not least, make sure your luggage is wheels side up to prevent damage before putting it on the little conveyor belt for handlers like John.
No more ordinary luggage
You no longer need to carry standard black, brown, or blue luggage because luggage has changed dramatically over the past few decades.
Travel & Leisure claims that black luggage “is one of the most versatile colors, if not the most, which is why it’s so popular.”
“For this reason, it’s worth selecting a different hue if you want your luggage to stand out at baggage claim,” the outlet says. Consider a suitcase with a design instead, or one that’s brightly colored, like hot pink.
If pink isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other vivid, striking hues of baggage available that will make your belongings stand out from the crowd.
If you’re unwilling to part with your current containers, think about adding distinguishing characteristics that won’t obstruct scanning with fabric paint or stickers.
Travelers from all over the world should feel less stressed after reading the Dublin Airport handler’s advice!
