If you have lost your luggage while traveling, you know what an inconvenience it can be. And at times, valuables are sometimes never recovered. There are many reasons luggage doesn't show up when and where it should like, sometimes you arrive to late and there wasn't enough room on the airplane for your luggage; your tags get ripped off while passing through a conveyor belt, luggage gets jammed on a conveyor belt, distracted employers misread your luggage tags or people at times accidentally pick up the wrong luggage.



While airlines will let you take a carry-on, these typically can be no longer than 45" and no heavier than 40 pounds. Taking your baggage on board can often be annoying as you are trying to stuff your belongings into one bag and then try to find room for it by your seat.

Many airlines are now charging anywhere from $15 to $50 just to check in one piece of luggage. Any additional luggage can easily cost you a couple hundred extra dollars.

So what can you do to just check your luggage and know it will be safe throughout its journey? Here are eight solutions:

1. Use a durable identification tag with a durable strap on each and every bag. Use your business address and phone number whenever possible on your tag. Durable tags usually are made of hard plastic, leather, or even metal. Paper tags can easily be snipped or ripped off.

2. Include your identification information inside your bag and luggage just in case the outer tag is lost. Place a travel itinerary in an outside pocket or inside your bag on the top so airlines can easily track you down no matter where you are.

3. Put a colorful marking on your bag to easily identify it belongs to you. You can even mark your initials in big letters so no one else will take it from the luggage carousel. Take a digital photo of the bag to show to the baggage agent should it be misplaced.

4. Remove your old baggage tags to avoid confusion among baggage-handlers.

5. Check your bags early. Airlines suggest 90 minutes in advance (two hours for international travel) but at daily high-traffic times, you should add 30 minutes. Last-minute checked bags may not even make it onto your plane and certainly not back in your possession. Misspelled - independently

6. Always try to make sure your bags are ticketed and marked correctly before you leave the luggage check-in center. Most people just brush this step off, but this is a major error that leads to lost or misplaced luggage.

7. Be sure to complete the lost-luggage reports at the airport you arrived at. Never leave without your claim number and up to date contact information so you can check the status of your missing bags whenever.

8. Create a written list that includes every item in each bag and leave a copy at home in case you need to claim compensation.

Once your baggage is safely delivered to you upon arrival to your destination, there are further precautions to take in order to make sure your luggage remains safe. This is especially important in countries where theft is a problem. Having your list of the contents within your bag is a good start. Be sure to put one copy in the bag and keep one copy on you. Place a strong padlock on all of your luggage zippers, this will serve as a deterrent to keep thieves out. In some countries, the USA for example, the use of a regular padlock on a plane is not allowed - remember to remove it or your bag may get cut open!

Next, don't leave your bags unattended in public places like airports and hotels. It only takes a few seconds to steal a bag in crowded areas so be vigilant at all times. Last, hotel rooms are sometimes not as safe as we would like to think. You should place any valuables such as passport, money and jewelry in the room's safe or hotel's safe.

Practice these few suggestions and the odds of your luggage remaining safe and secure during your travels will grow tremendously.