Susan

I have to start thinking about how to label my luggage for a trip to Europe. Do you put your name and full address for all to see?<BR>What do you put for ID? I don't want the world to see I am out of "town".<BR>Also, do you tie cute little ribbons on the luggage for your own ID?<BR>

Rod

Name and address is on a card on the inside of the luggage, and in a covered tag on the outside, so neither is readily visible. Though someone could open the outside tag, it takes more than a glance, and tags are usually required on the outside by airlines anyway so they can identify luggage.<BR><BR>For ease of finding on baggage carousels, I tape on colored plastic tape. Nothing cute, though!<BR>

Tia

I used to tie on plaid ribbons but now so many people do all you see on the ramp are black bags with plaid ribbons. So on to Plan B.

kate

I use leather labels on the outside with our name and address. Inside I put tags with names address and hotel we will be staying at.<BR>My luggage is black so we put blue tape on the bottom between the wheels. You can see it when it is lying on its side, all battered and tired from the luggage handlers beating it up .

Dick Yeager

We have the luggage tags with our name, phone # and my wife's business address. We also have tags that have my name and Royal Hawiian, etc. <BR><BR>The best way to spot your bags at the carousel is to use colored duct tape. Our bags are pretty dark (black) and we use yellow duct tape all over the tops, sides, etc. I can spot out Bumble Bee luggage coming a mile away. Really neat.<BR><BR>Dick

Alice

I decided to humor myself this trip, so I painted my navy bag with fabric paint. I scripted city names like "Paris, Venice, London" all over it, and attempted little designs like Eiffel Tower, passport, etc. Along the sides I did geometric designs - all of this in lime, orange and purple. <BR>We have a mailbox service that looks like an address, and I use that on the luggage tags. Inside the bags I put a note with the dates/hotels/ph#s in case it needs to be forwarded somewhere.

teacher

I ran on to some of that Hot pink duct tape a couple years ago. I put a couple pieces near the handle so my black-like -everyone elses -wheeled luggage stands out. Not only to me but in case someone else picks it up and thinks it is theirs.<BR> When traveling with a large group of students, we had them put the schools initials on each bag with colored tape also. Whenever any of us saw the initials on the luggage, we pulled them off the carousel. It really helped.

carolyn

My daughter gave me some luggage tags for a gift that are white with the flags of different countries on the back, very colorful and easy to spot.

Shelley

Am I missing something here - if you put your name and address on a tag on the inside of your luggage - what good is that? Isn't your luggage locked? How would that enable your luggage to be returned to you?

Christina

Because if it is lost and the airline can't read your tag on the outside (or it gets torn off, etc.), they will open it to try to identify the owners.<BR><BR>I think it's imperative to have your name and address on both the outside and inside for that reason -- any tag can get lost on the outside. I just put a Xerox copy of my itinerary in an inside pocket (with complete flight and hotel info), which has my name and address on it, also. My name, address and phone number go on a tag on the outside which has a cover to it.<BR><BR>I don't do anything special to recognize it, it's not that hard for me as I know the brand (which isn't that common) and my luggage tag is a little unusual color -- I have a new suitcase I bought this year that is not black, for a change, and that's easy to recognize because it's unusual (khaki).

elena

On the outbound, we put our name and the address and phone number of our hotel - in a flourescent orange tag. On the return, we use our home address. We put an iinerary on top of clothes before closing the bag.

Mara

I dont think it is a good idea to put your name and address outside of your luggage, too many people see it. I just put my office phone number. That should be enough.

C

isn't if fun to obsess over these common sense details. Not an attack just had to chuckle I do the same thing. Follow Rods suggestions you will be fine.<BR><BR>PS the world knows you out of town at the airport no worries. If you want to hide address closed book ID.

Ron

We usually have two different colorful tags on the handle along with some various colored ribbons. The tags just say Ron on the outside and you would have to disassemble them to see the full address inside the tag.<BR>We also put more information such as itinerary on the inside. The bags are locked, but most luggage locks can be broken in just a few seconds. We also use tie-wraps because they have to be broken or cut and would let us know right away if the bags are broken into.<BR>We tried colored tape but it would often come off.

ja

I put my initials and last name, my hotmail address, and a family member's phone # (so someone will answer the phone if they call about my lost luggage) on the tag, and my name, address, phone # and the relative's # on a card inside my bag. To identify my black Buxton suitcase, I used puffy fabric paints to stencil planets, satar, suns and moons all over in bright colors. Works great and is a terrific conversation-starter!

mark

I have a tag on the outside of my luggage which holds my business card. I also put my home address on the inside. Like Christina - I also put my flight info and hotel info in one of the small zippered pockets on the outside of the luggage. <BR><BR>I just got back from Dubrovnik. When checking in at Newark I ask the agent if there would be any problems being that I was changing airlines and going to Dubrovnik. She assured there would be no problems. Sure enough - my luggage did not arrive in Dubrovnik. Luckily I had a carry on with some clothes, some essential tolietries. The upside to this predicament was I learned i really could live out of one bag - of course this in September and coastal setting so things were a bit casual. My luggage arrived 3 days later. I'm glad I put my flight and hotel info in the outside pocket.<BR><BR>Susan - I understand you not wanting the world to know your out of town. My next door neighbor is a bit unbalanced - a chernobyl waiting to happen. I'm always careful when leaving my apartment building. Nothing would feel me with more dread than bumping into him while leaving the building on the way to the airport. I have an accordion gate on the appropriate window and apartment insurance - it's all I can do. <BR><BR>And no - no cute ribbons for me ( or my luggage)

Andrea

I've posted this story (from Readers Digest, one of those that's a "real life" story)on a similar question before, but it still makes me smirk:<BR><BR>This businessman had been waiting quite a while at the carousel for his bag, finally spots it, and heads for the taxi line. Just then, he's grabbed by the arm by another passenger, saying: "Hey, excuse me, that's my bag!"<BR><BR>"Is it? Sorry, it looks just like mine."<BR><BR>"Just like yours? Didn't you notice the colored duct tape and stickers and ribbons?" <BR><BR>"Oh, that explains it" said the businessman, "I WONDERED why someone had done that to my bag!"

Ronda

On our last trip I used my daughters 22' suitcase which has curly pink ribbons attached which she did not allow me to take off. I added my vintage Hawaiian fabric luggage tag. My husband reluctantly let me put a Hawaiian luggage tag on his black 22' suitcase.<BR><BR>In SJC our American flight to LA (catch a Swiss flight to Zurich) was cancelled. We had to quickly retrieve our bags which we had checked (not wanting to bother with them until we reached Zurich). Our bags were spotted in two minutes by the baggage handlers (how can you miss hot pink ribbons and Hawaiian fabric) who sent them up on the baggage carosual. We made a SW flight to LA and were able to make our Swiss flight.

Dick Yeager

I think the funniest thing I saw was on my last flight (I think). The two most hideous paisly bags were coming down the cariousel. Yes, they had a little ribbon on them as well. <BR><BR>Believe me, there couldn't be two more bags like that anywhere.<BR><BR>Dick

X

This thread seems to cover how to identify your bags at the airport.<BR><BR>What is the current thinking on locks?