Baggage handlers have had their say (Image: Svitlana Hulko via Getty Images)
Want to keep your luggage safe and secure while travelling by air? Reddit has revealed some expert advice straight from the professionals who handle our bags every day.
One traveller asked: “Any tips for avoiding baggage being lost or destroyed? And best/worst types of suitcases/bags?”.
Reddit contributor Adam, a self-described baggage handler, champions identification tags, noting: “We see a lot of bags that look exactly identical to one another going on the same flight.”
Adam shared his insider recommendation: “One good way I’ve seen is to put your own tag on the bag with your name and address so that you can read this and make sure it’s yours.
“Other ways include using unique straps that wrap around the bags.”, reports the Mirror US.
People asked about the type of suitcase they should buy (Image: Getty Images)
To minimise potential luggage damage, he recommends a case featuring “four good wheels, with soft lining on the inside and a hard outer shell,” which this aviation professional regards as the ideal travel accessory.
Adam explains why wheel durability is important, noting, “We tend to throw those bags less when inside the hold of an aircraft, and the other features help keep your stuff cushioned”.
But there’s more. Another aviation expert, a seasoned baggage handler, adds to the discussion with a modern solution for today’s travellers – always “air tag your suitcase.”
He highlights the advantages: “You can generally bet that someone nearby has an iPhone, and your bag will update its position.”
This digital tracking proves beneficial for verifying whether your possessions survived the journey, as he explains: “Handy to see if your bag made it to the destination and it’s on its way to the carousel, got left behind, went to the wrong city, or in my case recently – left in the hold and got sent straight back to the city I came from..”
An inquisitive traveller asked: “Hard case bags or cloth bags? Which is better?” prompting a response from a former airline employee who suggested: “If you don’t mind your stuff being compressed, then soft case will do you fine, these tend to be more space efficient in the hold.”
The ex-worker added: “If you have anything kinda fragile, you want a hard case to keep that stuff protected.”
Curious holidaymakers also questioned temperature conditions in the cargo section while luggage is being loaded.
A former aviation professional revealed that, “it can get 5°C hotter inside than out” and shared a personal account: “Last summer, it hit 40°C outside, making the temperature in some holds exceed 50°C.
“The key for us is finessing technique, as well as drinking a whole lotta water. In that 50°C hold, the guy I was with drank an entire 2l bottle of water to himself.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
