My daughter-in-law is flying for the first time, alone. I'm concerned that her generic, black , soft-sided suitcase looks like everyone else's, and she may not be able to spot it at baggage claim. Any suggestions for marking soft-sided luggage? She's not the type to take a spray paint can to it.

Go to the dollar store, get a roll of yellow (duck style tape) put the Delta sign on the back.

Fluffy pompoms in her school colors? A bumper sticker or two?

I use a handle wrap on the side (secondary) handle.No matter how the suitcase lands on the belt it is always visible and has the added benefit of making the fabric handle more comfortable.

It's made out of bright yellow padded fabric. It wraps around the handle and is secured with velco. Mine has some company's logo on it.

Here is a picture and how to make one:

http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot....dle-cover.html

Adding to JoanneH's idea, if she doesn't want bright yellow duct tape, I just saw printed duct tape in zebra stripes, camo and some other fashiony prints.

My Dh puts a strap around our suitcases; we also have neon green luggage tags.

I've seen straps at some stores that identify your bag and keep it from popping open. I made my own from some flat nylon webbing strap and fasteners I found at a boat supply store. They are adjustable, so be sure it is long enough for a fully stuffed bag.

Using a silver Sharpie pen, I write one word on each face of the bag. Any word, just not our name. Your street name ("maple", "sherman") or a foreign word for your favorite color ("rosso", "azul"). We use the same word on all of my and my husband's bags, but with a black Sharpie of course on bags other than the black ones.

I just buy a piece of ribbon in an unusal colour and tie it on to the handle.

I use an oversized luggage tag that is distinctive; mine is a Hawaiian print (but you can find ones say in hot pink or bright orange at a luggage store). In addition I use a red luggage strap (that also serves as additional security should a zipper come undone) wrapped around the bag, like what Clevelandbrown recommends, mine is from Samsonite and cost $10.

Me, I travel with a pink suitcase w/white polka dots. I always know when my bag arrives on the carousel.

I just saw some very colorful tapes at a Staples store yesterday, and they would work nicely as decoration on the outside of a bag...It was not duct tape, more like a wide packaging tape, but it would be pretty easy to recognize your own bag using this kind of tape, applied in a design/pattern. However, if the bag is canvas, then it is more difficult to apply tape that will stick! Then, the yarn or colorful handle decoration would work.

I also just picked up some cute luggage tags, with sayings like "You wouldn't fit in my clothes" or "there is nothing of value in this bag"... I thought they were pretty cute!

Whatever you do about identifying marks on the outside, tags can be detached or straps broken, so be sure to have information inside the bag. Place a copy of your itinerary in there, including addresses and phone numbers for your first few days, and write cell phone numbers on the lining of the bag with a permanent marker.

Since we have never been concerned about marking up our luggage, years ago we starting painting a large simple design in white hobby paint on all sides, and both ends. It is extremely easy to identify, and almost impossible for someone else to claim by mistake. Straps, pom-poms, and various other decorations have the potential to fall off or get caught in something.

I have never had a luggage tag go missing of a strap break, in 3 decades of traveling. The airline is not going to open a suitcase, find your itinerary, and track you down. If a suitcase goes missing, it's up to you to file a report with the airlines.

Actually, airlines open bags to identify owners, but it will not happen for weeks or months when they are cleaning their shelves of lost luggage. By then you have likely given up all hope.

I've lost several pom poms and tags over the years, but considering how many miles I rack up it's pretty rare. The handle covers are pretty secure with 6 inches of velcro, but you never know!

The simplest way: don't check your bag.

This OP didn't ask about security or lost luggage, only about how to easily spot your own suitcase as it comes off the conveyor belt at the airport. For that, any small splash of color, tied to the handle, taped to the bag, will do the trick.

I now have a bright blue suitcase that is pretty easy to identify, but when I had my old black one, I painted the wheels and sewed or glued flag patches of the places I'd been to, starting with the European Union flag in the middle, when it had less stars. Front and back, of course, since the luggage ends up on either side.

We use "big tags," round ones with a bright yellow rim that fasten on to a suitcase handle. You can spot them across the room. We also use bright yellow "wraps" for the handle itself; they close with velcro.

I bought a yard of "Tri-colored" ribbon at an Irish store years ago. I tied a big piece to both handles on my luggage. Always easy to spot and have never seen a duplicate.

I have a tartan ribbon tide to my handle. Also have a luggage strap that wraps around the suitcase with my name on it, got it as a christmas present one year. They are made to measure from a UK company, but can't remember the name of it.