10 April 2008
While most air passengers always recover their luggage without any problems, there are still a few bags which get lost or stranded every year, and it is always worth taking a few precautions in the case of an unfortunate incident.
According to Ian Bradley, from the Association of Independent Tour Operators, people going on a short holiday should, whenever possible, take with them only small suitcases that they can bring with them inside the aircraft.
For people who are going for a longer holiday, it is essential to label their suitcases as precisely as possible, indicating details about the destination, the flight and the number of days to be spent in the country.
In addition to that, Mr Bradley has recommended that people spread out clothing in their friends' suitcases whenever possible.
Mr Bradley also urged people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy as "airlines are not particularly generous when it comes to compensating people when their bag gets lost".
"Travel insurance can be better in terms of looking after you financially if something happens," he added.
Finally, it is worth noticing that valuables such as cameras and laptops are not always covered in policies and should be kept in hand-luggage.
