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Baggage Handler Issues Warning To Anyone Who Ties A Ribbon To Their Suitcase
If you’re the type of person who ties a ribbon to your suitcase so it’s recognizable at the airport, you might want to think twice about it after this warning from a baggage handler.
You can just picture the scene. You’ve just landed in your vacation destination and you’re waiting for your case to appear on the never-ending conveyor belt.
More often than not, it’s a sea of gray, black and sometimes dark blue cases. Every now and then you get the odd pink or animal print case.
You look up and you see people pulling off black cases and inspecting them, before realizing they don’t belong to them and shoving them back on the belt.
Travelers warned against flying with plain black baggage
CEO of Frankfurt Airport, Stefan Schulte, previously warned travelers to be wary of what color suitcases they fly with for that very reason, due to the likelihood of baggage getting mixed up or list.
According to Schulte, the airport frequently encounters bags that are difficult to differentiate from one another.
He says: “Many people travel with black suitcases on wheels which makes identifying them very time-intensive.”
Additional research appears to support these concerns. A report from The Economic Times found that black bags are the most commonly lost luggage color at airports.
Jamie Fraxier, a travel expert with US summer camp Wild Packs, explained to the publication: “Hard-sided black suitcases are the most common luggage type globally, making them both the hardest to identify and the most likely to go missing.
“This style of suitcase, which also includes wheels, is the default choice for travelers. But if your bag is misplaced, you don’t want it to be hard to distinguish from other luggage.”
Airline’s advice to help speed up baggage reclaim
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that some airlines have issued advice on how to make it easier to spot your own luggage after landing.
Budget Irish carrier Ryanair has recommended making your baggage stand out so you can instantly recognize your own case and avoid falling foul of accidentally picking up someone elses.
It advises: “Make it easier to spot your checked-in luggage on the carousel, especially if your luggage is black, navy or gray.
“Add a colourful luggage tag or ribbon to the handle so that there’s no confusion on arrival.”
Adding distinctive accessories can help travelers quickly identify their bags and reduce the likelihood of accidental mix-ups.
Sounds simple, right? Well, that’s what we thought, until we heard this conflicting advice from a baggage handler working out of Dublin Airport in Ireland.
Baggage handler’s warning
The Dublin Airport employee, named John, has revealed that using a ribbon or such to personalize your baggage could actually make life far more difficult than intended.
According to him, it could even mean that your baggage doesn’t even make it onto the plane.
He told RSVP Live: “Ribbons people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall.
“If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight,” he added.
“Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process.”
So, while it might be a pain, your best bet would be to invest in some brightly colored luggage next time you need an upgrade, or to invest in a cover to wrap around the case instead of relying on ties or ribbons.
John also followed up with some pretty specific advice, which was ‘don’t ever pack marzipan in your luggage.’
Yes, we’re talking about the cake marzipan, which is also commonly referred to as almond candy dough, but there is a very real reason for this.
“It has the same density as some explosives, so your bag will be removed and you’ll be called from the plane for a bag search,” John explained.
His final piece of advice? Put your suitcase wheels upwards when dropping off your baggage to prevent the wheels from being damaged.
Related Article: Major Warning Issued Over Color Of Suitcase You Should Never Bring To Airport
Related Article: Man Who’s Traveled To 195 Countries Reveals Most ‘Annoying’ Destination He’s Visited
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