What do you do to make picking up luggage easier?

[Sheffie]

My DW and I are going on our first cruise together and she doesn't necessarily appreciate my way of making it so luggage is easily discerned from other luggage. When I travel via airlines, or on my last cruise, I place a single band of duct tape, high visibility in color, around anything other than carry on luggage. I've found it much easier than looking through the sea of black luggage most have, and it can be spotted from a mile away ;). Plus you just never know when a little duct tape will come in handy as well.

 

In order to help ensure my DW doesn't feel embarassed due to the ungainly nature of the duct tape band, what do others do to help identify their luggage very easily?

 

 

This is exactly what we do. Others have commented on how easy it is to spot our luggage. There are some cool duct tapes out there now: spotted, striped, etc. let her pick out her favorite. There is no reason to be embarrassed.

[Happy ks]

I use colored handle wraps and colorful luggage tags, usually 2 of them.

 

I can usually find our luggage in the sea of black, especially our extra large rolling garment bag. Hardly anyone has a bag like ours.

 

I work a second, part time job in a luggage/travel store, we sell lots of handle wraps, luggage straps and tons of colorful luggage tags. There are different types in several price points, some neon, some locking, some plain old black (good for colorful luggage!).

[fuelerdude]

I'm with you, only I use hot pink duct tape in the shape of a smiley! and I travel enough to know there are many things more embarassing than that!! Ha ha :eek:

 

 

Oh do tell..........maybe not now that I think of it :eek:.

 

I think I'll show this topic to DW and I imagine it will help allay her fears. Though the luggage straps do look like it's the same premise and could help a bag from bursting open.

 

I work at an airport and the things I've seen airline employees do with the poor defenseless bags . I would never put anything breakable in a checked bag.

[GORDONCHICK]

I use purple duck tape on the handles and then we have large fluorescent luggage tags.

 

Just make sure anything you tie to your luggage doesn't hang off too much. I've seen luggage torn apart because someone tied a shower pouf to their luggage and it got caught in a conveyor belt.

[klgreen803]

We use hot pink logger's flagging tape and it works great

[SadieN]

I use purple duck tape on the handles and then we have large fluorescent luggage tags.

 

Just make sure anything you tie to your luggage doesn't hang off too much. I've seen luggage torn apart because someone tied a shower pouf to their luggage and it got caught in a conveyor belt.

 

We've encountered the whole checkin process for Alaskan Airlines in Anchorage shut down because of a conveyor belt problem.

 

DDs have bright pink luggage that a friend then painted on. One has a huge guitar and the other an iPod.

Sis outlined her hands with puff paint on her black suitcases.

 

Look for unusual patterns/colors. Right now DDtheOlder is traveling with a 1980's era brown Jordache tweed suitcase with the four puny wheels. Weighs practically nothing.

[jocap]

I used to have a vast Smiley :) on each side of a dull case; my friend, for some reason, had a vast duck.....they certainly stood out!:rolleyes:

[bonsai3s]

...a few may already have one at home. Yes, it is expensive. Perhaps this tracking device is what you are looking for.

http://www.globaltrackinggroup.com/gps-tracking-device-ubi4000.cfm

[SadieN]

...a few may already have one at home. Yes, it is expensive. Perhaps this tracking device is what you are looking for.

 

http://www.globaltrackinggroup.com/gps-tracking-device-ubi4000.cfm

 

 

But what do you do if you lost your keys?;):D

[Allis154]

When we had black luggage, we used pompoms on the handles. Now that we have beautiful blue bags, they are easier to see.

 

However, I like the idea of the duck tape...I'll have to try that sometime. Does it leave a residue on the case? I have hard-sided, and still have marks from the airline stickers :(

[fuelerdude]

However, I like the idea of the duck tape...I'll have to try that sometime. Does it leave a residue on the case? I have hard-sided, and still have marks from the airline stickers :(

 

I can't speak for the hard side cases, as I have fabric/soft cases. If it is hot, the tape can leave residue on the fabric, but nothing Goo Gone or other similar products should be able to easily remove.

 

From my experience with using duct tape on other hard surfaces, I'd say it most likely would leave a residue, but Goo Gone or other similar products should easily able to remove. The problem with the goo gone on a hard surface is it can leave an oily residue which can be removed with isopropyl alcohol. The Goo Gone would get rid of the remnants of the airline stickers as well (works good for removing emblems and bumber stickers from cars too.). :D

[spookwife]

My DW and I are going on our first cruise together and she doesn't necessarily appreciate my way of making it so luggage is easily discerned from other luggage. When I travel via airlines, or on my last cruise, I place a single band of duct tape, high visibility in color, around anything other than carry on luggage. I've found it much easier than looking through the sea of black luggage most have, and it can be spotted from a mile away ;). Plus you just never know when a little duct tape will come in handy as well.

 

In order to help ensure my DW doesn't feel embarassed due to the ungainly nature of the duct tape band, what do others do to help identify their luggage very easily?

 

you are not the first to do so, I often see duct tape used this way. DH has these Safety Yellow tags that are simply large strips of the fabric used to make safety belts attached to a lanyard that is wrapped around the handles of our boring all black luggage. the tags are quite long and as long as the bag is not lying on it on the carousel he can find it easily

 

I have also seen printed fabric tied around the handles and on hard sided luggage, stickers.

[bonsai3s]

But what do you do if you lost your keys?;):D

 

...agree. SadieN, you got me laughing! Valid and true. Us old folks can't count the number of times we've lost our keys. :)

[yarnop]

My mother painted flowers on hers and Dads. She painted a big celtic knot on my pieces.

I have also seen where some have attached bath puffs (all the same color) to their handles.

[Nudetypist]

When I was picking out luggage, I bought the ugliest orange color and knew no one else would own it. I could spot it easily every time.

[cr8tiv1]

But what do you do if you lost your keys?;):D

 

I've done that many a times. Tore apart a travel trailer looking for my keys (and found them a few weeks later). Luckily, my neighbor had my key. Now I take a picture (love digital cameras) of the "safe place I stuck my keys".

 

Renee

[toberman]

Anything that shouts out, "this is not your bag", the louder the better, and not to be shy about it.

 

This made me laugh because I actually have bright orange bag tags that say "This is Not Your Bag" !! :) And they worked - last year at the airport someone grabbed my bag and his daughter standing beside him said "Dad, That's not your bag". :D

[red-rose]

This made me laugh because I actually have bright orange bag tags that say "This is Not Your Bag" !! :) And they worked - last year at the airport someone grabbed my bag and his daughter standing beside him said "Dad, That's not your bag". :D

 

lol! that's hilarious!

[germanyboy]

Yellow straps around the bags,

pink kerchief tied on the handles,

and bright neon shoelaces tied around the handles makes it easy for me to see them.

And it alerts others that it is not theirs.

[Wastegirl]

I always thought that my uncommon coffee brown luggage, along with unusual tags on the handles would solve any problems. However my tags got ripped off. I then replaced the tags with ribbons, tightly tied. Next trip out came our suitcases, both neatly together on the conveyor, but one with the ribbon missing. Oh well I said to myself, the ribbon is not such a good idea, obviously that gets ripped off as well.

 

Imagine my surprise when my name gets called, come to the service desk. Off I trot to find a very irate lady (who abused me but another story) with my ribbon bedecked suitcase, a mirror image of hers.

 

Right I can see two uncommon suitcases on the same flight but who would have thought that hers would come out nestled right up against my husbands, what would be the odds on that.

 

Now I have to look at another way, before our cruise, to differentiate our suitcases :)

[sail7seas]

If only we all would put name/luggage tags on our suitcases and actually check the tag before removing the bag from the airport carousel or cruise terminal luggage section.

 

Put on two tags; put on three. There is no limit to how many you can put on your suitcase. Duplication of tags is a good thing. :)

 

READ your NAME TAGS......... Please. :)

 

[Wastegirl]

If only we all would put name/luggage tags on our suitcases and actually check the tag before removing the bag from the airport carousel or cruise terminal luggage section.

 

Put on two tags; put on three. There is no limit to how many you can put on your suitcase. Duplication of tags is a good thing. :)

 

READ your NAME TAGS......... Please. :)

 

 

Ahhh but I thought my name tag had been ripped off along with my ribbon and not to point fingers but it was my husband that picked up the bags while I was organising the hire car. Do I need to say more - male, can only do one thing at a time, always forgets to keep his reading glasses on him, etc etc

 

My experience does reinforce the need for name tags though, if mine hadn't had one on it with my mobile number they wouldn't have been able to contact me so quickly and if the person's bag my husband had picked up had tags on it, even he would have noticed something wrong. Or at least I would have noticed when he turned up at the car hire counter instead of just saying, oh my ribbon and tag have been ripped off.

[Conshydot]

We attach those net body scrubber puffs on our luggage handles. You can get them at the dollar store or you can get the net at a craft store and make your own.

 

I also use a luggage strap that reads Hogwarts, at an airport a child saw it and asked if I knew Harry Potter:).

[ducklite]

My two larger bags which I seldom use both have my last name and cell number written on them in silver Sharpie and have silicone luggage tags which are an unusual shape and color from a trade organization I belong to.

[liketogo2]

I use fabric markers or fabric paints and write the names of foreign ports in large, multi-colors on the outside of my luggage. I have Toronto, Paris, London, Athens, Hong Kong, Roma, Warsaw, etc. written on front, back, sides, top and bottom so no matter which way my luggage is placed on the baggage carousel or mixed among a sea of different black bags, mine stands out from all the rest. Now, if I had bought the most expensive luggage in the world, maybe I wouldn't have the guts to "decorate" it. But, my average-priced luggage is perfect for this artful means of identifying my bags. Have fun letting your artist emerge so that your luggage will be one of a kind. If writing the names initimdates you, come up with some easy foreign flags (i.e., Italy, France, Greece, etc.) and use the paints to put the flags all around your luggage.