Lost Luggage Worst During Holiday Season

The festive season is, for many, a time for seeing friends and family, but for some it means getting away from the pressures of family life and spending a couple of weeks in the sun or somewhere just not at home!

However, the best laid plans of those who choose to leave home during the holidays can go awry with the Christmas season having the highest number of reported incidents of lost luggage per passenger.

A well known luggage delivery firm has come up with some helpful tips to prevent losing your luggage:

Check in with plenty of time to spare - almost three quarters of all lost luggage is mislabelled or delayed because of people checking in at the last minute. Arrive at least two hours before departure time for short haul flights and four hours for long haul flights. You can always do some last minute shopping in the duty free area to spend the time.

Clearly identify your bags – mark each bag with a sealed water proof tag with the owners name and address. If you have more than one bag make sure all are tagged or alternatively cut down on what you are taking. In addition, it can be helpful to tie some brightly coloured ribbon to each bag as well, this will make it easier to identify quickly.

Changing flights – sometimes overbooked airlines will offer seats on a later flight for volunteers. This is not recommended as changing planes at the last minute will require passengers to travel on a different flight from their luggage and makes identifying the passenger's actual flight even more difficult.

Travel Insurance – if the worst happens and you do lose your luggage, make sure your travel insurance has a clause to cover the cost of reimbursing you otherwise you could loose out.

The chief executive officer of the company, said: "By heeding these travel precautions during peak holiday travel periods, passengers will ensure luggage will arrive safely at their final destination and enjoy a happy holiday season."