Identifying your luggage?

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Orchidflower

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Over and over we've heard to mark our luggage so you can find it easily at the airport--and to prevent theft. Well, a couple was arrested lately caught with over 2,000 pieces of luggage.:mad: It was on tv and lo! and behold! all the luggage was either black or dark navy. No wonder they say to make your luggage distinguishable!

Has anyone on this board found a way to mark their luggage without either destroying the piece or making yourself look like a doofus carrying it?

From my web homework it seems there are only 2 ways to mark luggage:
1. Bright duck-type tape on it or 2. actually paint something (dots, stripes, pictures) on the luggage itself.
The luggage piece I have that would go thru the carousel and not be allowed with me on the plane is a really pricey Hartman piece, and boy! I'd hate to tape it or paint it.:nonono:

Is there another way I am missing insofar as marking your luggage for ez identification that I'm missing?
 
I took an old bright orange exercise band and cut it strips then tied the strips onto the handles/grips on our luggage. Does no damage and it stands out very well.
 
I have a hot pink luggage tag, but if the luggage is turned away you couldn't see it. Seems we need a tad more than that.
One article did mention tying just a small plastic bag to the handle, which is kinda what Alan did--only he did alot better.
Also mentioned that some people tie small toy animals to the handle, but the airline employees pull them off...so bad idea there.
 
I normally have a 3" circle of brightly colored plastic attached to the handles of our luggage using nylon wire-ties. We also have some red or yellow yarn 'people' my Mom made, attached to the handles too. And last but not least, I take a damp red bandanna, roll it up like a do-rag, wrap it around the handle one full time, and then tie it tightly onto the handle...once it dries completely, it's nearly impossible to get off, so it can't possibly 'accidentally' fall off.

One time when I flew, I saw a suitcase that was very identifiable at the baggage claim area. Someone had taken a big hardshell suitcase, and painted it fluorescent orange, and had their initials in 3" or 4" bold black letters painted on all sides of it.....ya couldn't miss that one if ya tried!!! :LOL:
 
Try a bright bungee cord around it, through the handles so it doesn't slide off.

I have a purple roll-bag, and the screaming-green dufflebag-thing. It is impossible to miss that second bag. :D It leaves a trail of retinal burns behind it!!

ta,
mew
 
I went to the local craft store and bought the brightest ribbon I could find and tied a bow on each piece. Our luggage is red and the bows are made with wide ribbon in red, black, and green stripes. No one else has that combination. It has worked out very well. If anyone things the ribbon is odd, let them laugh, we find our luggage very easily.
 
At a trade show I got a free luggage tag that is made of a flourescent red gel. You could see it a mile away. That goes on the side handle.

For the top handle I dug down in my sewing kit and found over a yard of decades old yellow bias tape. I folded it back on itself several times and then tied it onto the handle in a bow, then tying the bow parts again in a double knot like you might do to keep children's tied shoes on.

Lots of people use yellow ribbon but not too many seem to use yellow bias tape. :angel:
 
I see nobody is putting tape ON their nice luggage, which is sticky; which is what I've read to do. Seems tying something bright on works best if I go by responses here.
 
Goonie said:
We also have some red or yellow yarn ...... attached to the handles too.
Click to expand...

For years, red seemed to work very well. In recent years, so many people started doing that that using a different color (not yellow, since that seemed to be fairly common also) became necessary.......I added a yellow to the red....you don't see too many w/ dual colors.
 
kaneohe said:
For years, red seemed to work very well. In recent years, so many people started doing that that using a different color (not yellow, since that seemed to be fairly common also) became necessary.......I added a yellow to the red....you don't see too many w/ dual colors.
Click to expand...

We also have ones made with red, white, and green all combined for travel during the Christmas season.
 
The luggage piece I have that would go thru the carousel and not be allowed with me on the plane is a really pricey Hartman piece, and boy! I'd hate to tape it or paint it.:nonono:
Click to expand...
Consider that the baggage handlers may find this attractive. They steal luggage, too.

I have used duct tape. DW has a sense of style that I lack and has luggage with fabric patterns on it.
 
It's interesting that no proof of ownership is required when you leave baggage claim with a bunch of luggage. There was a time at some airports when someone at the main exits from the baggage carousels used to check that the passenger's claim tags matched the ones on the bags, but I haven't seen that done anywhere in the US or overseas for many years.
 
I have a hard shell roller Samsonite like this one:
Amazon.com: Samsonite® Dura-lite Hardside 29" Hardside Wheeled Luggage: Clothing

There is a recessed strip all around that contains the locks, and the suitcase is supplied with a set of stick-on letters that fits within the recess - about 2" width. So my last name is readable from several meters away.

I also use a professional association luggage tag with my business card (I never, ever put my home address on the outside of a suitcase). And if I am travelling with a generic suitcase (e.g. black) I tie a red ribbon on the handle.
 
I try not to fly whenever possible, but when I do I just go with the brightly colored luggage tag. But my best method of getting my luggage is just to work my way through to where the luggage first comes out of the chute. I grab mine before anybody else (except airline employees) can steal it.
 
This is an easy one. Last time I bought a suitcase I bought in a nice green colour and usually it is the only one of it's kind so is easy to identify.

Victorinox Swiss Army - TravelGear - WT-24

When I was in Vietnam a couple of months ago, all luggage was checked against your claim tags before you were able to leave the baggage claim area. This was the first time I had seen that for years.
 
Meadbh said:
But your avatar is a bird!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, but he's walking! :D

I don't have anything against flying, just airports and the TSA. I'm retired and if it takes me longer to get where I'm going, so what? :)
 
We use one of those luggage 'belts' that wrap and tighten around your bag. The combination of color of bag and the belt lets you id your bag the minute it comes down the luggage carrosal (sp is not my strong point :whistle:). We got some real bright red ones with velcro on the ends during one of our tours ... we saved and use them, even though they have tour company markings. Waste not, want not...
 
Mine is a red duffel from Lands' End and has my initials monogrammed on it. Course, I usually carry it on with me anyways if I can.

2Cor521
 
I don't fly very often so I've never really thought about the possibility of my suitcase being stolen. It's black and could easily be mistaken for a similar bag. I have a rainbow-striped luggage strap I could buckle around the outside. That would serve the same purpose as putting brightly colored tape on, but without defacing the bag itself.
 
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