The handling or mishandling of luggage when traveling has been quite a conversation piece here on Gadling. I’ll probably be doomed forever on for saying this, but I’ve been quite fortunate in this area during my domestic and international travels. Sure TSA may have ruffled through looking for dangerous, hyper-active, liquid toothpaste, left a note and zipped it back up, but they never found any of my items worth, well, mishandling. Now before I go knock on every single piece wood in sight allow me to provide some solutions to your luggage woes. Better yet, I’ll point you to this Nat Geo piece which goes over common luggage concerns like surcharges on weight and size, whether to lock it up or not, where your valuables should go and when all else fails how to get your darn baggage back! Is their plan full-proof? I doubt it and most of it sounds like common knowledge. You know — don’t put your expensive digital camera or diamond rings in your check-in luggage. I guess some people don’t get that one, but just because it’s there doesn’t mean it’s there to take.
And while there is never any excuse for the numbers we’ve heard in Neil’s piece which stated 437,000 pieces of baggage lost, damaged, or mishandled in one month or the figures Iva reported (as she waited on lost luggage of her own) that of the 3,7 million bags that were lost last year 420,000 were permanently lost I guess this should help save some poor Louis Vitton bag or High Sierra backpack. Take a look at their rec’s and give us your two cents.