Losing your luggage while flying is the worst. You arrive at your destination, only to discover that your bag is nowhere to be found. Of course, you really needed the stuff you packed, but beyond that you start stressing that your things will never make their way back to you. Even though lost luggage is often completely out of your control, you might be surprised to learn that’s not always the case — sometimes it’s actually your fault. The issue lies with those little baggage stickers on your luggage, the ones about the size of a postage stamp. Things can go very, very wrong if you forget to remove the old ones on your bag before your next flight. That’s because those stickers have very specific information to ensure that your bag will arrive with you at your destination. Baggage stickers contain barcodes that link the bag to the individual traveler and airline ticket, as well as details about your airline, flight and date of travel. While their original purpose is to provide a backup solution in case the main tag gets damaged or lost, the barcode on the sticker can be scanned to get details about your bag or reprint the main tag if necessary. The easy way to avoid issues is to always remove the tag as soon as you retrieve your bag. That way, there will be no mix-ups and you and your bag will arrive at the same destination.
