Lost Luggage - You Can Reduce The Risk On A Vacation Flight

Whether you have flown on flights for business, or holidays and vacations, you may have lost luggage or know of people that have. Here are some travel tips that can help you reduce this risk.

It is estimated that more than a million bags are lost by commercial airlines each year in the United States alone. How much luggage that get lost in the whole world is anybody’s guess. Here are some tips that may help you recover your bags if they are ever lost.

Attach two or three tags with your name, home address, and phone number to the handle and the zipper-pulls of each bag that you are checking. There is less of a chance that all of the tags could get torn off during transit. You should make sure that you have removed any old airline tags that are still attached to the luggage you’re checking as they could confuse the baggage handlers.

Be sure to place the same contact information, including a copy of your itinerary and your destination address inside each piece luggage. That way, if they do get lost and are found in time, they could be forwarded to your hotel.

If you can, pick luggage with preferably a bright or odd color that will stand out from all of the black and brown bags. Know the brand name of the luggage that you own and attach a colorful scarf or ribbon to the handle to make identification easier. Stick a few decals or a contrasting colored tape to all of the sides of the bags so they can be easier to see as it goes around the carousel. Remember these details, or even better, take a digital picture of your luggage just before you leave and bring it with you. This will also help the lost luggage airport staff in finding your bags if they become lost in transit and turn up at their office. It will also help if you have to make a claim.

It will help if you make a list of what you are carrying in your luggage and put that list in you carry-on bag. The chance of your luggage going astray in transit increases when you are on connecting, or delayed flights. You should pack all of your valuables, including your laptop, Blackberry, travel documents, prescriptions, etc., in your carry-on bag. It is best to pack only the things you can afford to lose in your checked baggage. Many analysts believe that the airline industry’s problem of lost luggage is not going to be resolved anytime soon.

What can you do your luggage gets lost?

Go right away to the baggage claim office and file a claim. Many airlines have a twenty-four hour window of time that starts from when your flight arrives to file and be eligible for compensation. You will get a claim receipt to check the tracking of your luggage with your airline by phone, or on the airline’s website. Make sure you keep your flight documents until the lost luggage mix up has been resolved.

How can you guarantee that the airlines will not lose your luggage?

There are a number of companies that will send your luggage in the U.S., such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL, directly to your hotel or destination address for a reasonable cost. If you are staying in a hotel, your luggage will be brought to your room. When you consider that in the U.S. alone, well over a million bags are lost by the airlines every year, this service may be well worth considering. If you are traveling by air through Europe, FirstLuggage.com, has a similar service.

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Reduce Jet Lag When You Fly On Vacations

Numerous medical experts have found that passengers on commercial flights usually experience a worse bout of jet lag when flying to their holiday destinations from east to west. Usually, the more time zones their air flights cross when they travel from east to west, the more severe the symptoms of jet lag will be. But, airline passengers will only experience a milder bout of jet lag when their air flight is going from west to east.

Commercial airline passengers can fly north and south, or south to north, for thousands and thousands of miles without experiencing any jet lag. However, as soon as the pilot of the airplane starts flying in an east to west direction and crosses more than one time zone, they can experience jet lag.

Passengers will not generally experience the symptoms of jet lag until they exit the plane at their holiday destination. That is the time when their biological clocks will start to make internal adjustments inside their bodies to coincide more closely with the local time at their destination. If they travel across one, or even two time zones, their bodies can usually adjust very quickly. However, if an airline passenger is in poor health or not feeling well before the flight, jet lag can compound the problem. Generally, you should allow one day to recover for every time zone your airline flight crosses.

The following information may lessen the effects of jet lag when you fly.

Try to catch a flight that arrives at your vacation destination in daylight hours. Immediately fit in with the new time zone and do not go to bed. If you feel tired and want to take a short snooze, do it in a well lighted place.

In the evening, sleep in a darkened room as the darkness will help prepare your brain for sleep.

If you can, avoid looking at television or computer screens as they are bright and have high frequencies that can easily over-stimulate your brain.

Do not consume alcohol or any drinks such as coffee and soda that contain caffeine until your symptoms of jet lag wear off, as it can disrupt your sleep.

It maybe helpful to take a melatonin tablet or capsule (as many air travelers do) in the early evening (your time) to help you adjust to the time zone at your destination. You still may have to take a melatonin pill for the next three or four evenings in a row before going to bed in this new location to help you readjust your biological clock. If you have never taken melatonin before, you should consult with your doctor or local pharmacist for more information in regards to the suggested dosage.

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