The Black Luggage Problem

[GTO-Girl]

Oh no! And I thought my tackiness was so original. Duct tape happened to be what I had at hand and I did just that - big ugly duct tape X's all over my bags. Now I'll have to worry about my bags winding up in Australia.

 

I am happy to see two posters using the same method as I do.

 

I call it my "redneck luggage ID system"......big strips of red ductape on all sides and I even write my last name on it.....:D

 

Works every time.....

[panoramaofthepast]

We had done car trip before and plane trips but not a cruise before and so pulled out the suitcases for a trip to Fort Lauderdale 2 years back. One of the cases was all black and we packed thinking nothing of it. Once in FFL at the luggage carousel, we realized how many bags are all black and how hard it was to spot since you had to look for small things in the handle details and then do a final check with the name on the tag.

 

During our overnight, we went to a grocery store and found a small florist selling ribbon and bought some red. (Actually we were given half a dozen scraps, but you may have to pay a bit.) We were thinking this would help bring the bag back home but found out how the luggage carousel at the airport is NOTHING compared to the port. Each handle had a small bit of red ribbon tied to it and still does as I look upstairs now.

 

The advice:

If you are buying luggage, black is nice but makes it hard to find fast on arrivals so pick some other colour or some pattern. If you buy black, mark it with something bright so you can tell your bag from the moment it shows at the gate. (Still check the name as somebody might tag very similar to you.)

And if you tag with ribbon as we did, try for three side as no matter how it is on the carousel, at least one handle will be visible.

 

Hope this help at least one person shorten your stay in the airport. :-)

Thirty years ago, my mother used to adorn her luggage with red yarn pompoms. Being young and foolish, I was mortified when I had to retrieve her luggage. Older and wiser now, red yarn pompoms adorn all my luggage and only once have I ever seen anyone else's luggage with pompoms! Whatever works in the madness of the baggage claim!

[dna1990]

One has to remember to be different without being different just like everyone else.

 

The trick is not really to be able to locate your bag quickly, it is to prevent someone else from mistaking your bag as theirs.

 

Ribbons and pompoms worked for a while, red or non-black bags worked for a while, hardsided luggage worked for a while. You gotta stay creative.

 

If anything I think someone at the baggage claim who zeros in on a red ribbon attached to the handle is MORE likely to ignore other details and assumed they got their bag, when you just happen to have a similar red ribbon, even when other tags or even bag shape were clearly different.

[bonsai3s]

My husband is a frequent flyer for work. Wasting time trying to locate your bags are not the only issue. On several occasions, he's had to stop someone else from walking off with his bag because it was identical to theirs and they hadn't bothered to look at the tag closely. On one occasion someone else actually took his bag home, leaving an identical bag on the carousel. The airline had to track the other guy down to switch the bags. My husband got his bag back 2 days later, and we live 45 min from the airport. They sent someone out to deliver it. Thankfully, this happened on his way home and not at the beginning of his trip.

 

He ntying ribbons and other identifiable things to his bags, but often found they got torn off with the baggage handlers. So now, he has put several distinct large stickers on his suitcases (a scuba diver flag, a nitrox diver, and a couple of brand name stickers, a Yosemite National park sticker) so he can quickly spot them, but also so no one else will accidentally walk off with them. Not pretty, even a little tacky, but he hasn't had any mix ups since and he can spot them in an instant.

 

Wow! I had the same problem...and used the same solution. The only difference...I used duct tape...and no one has mistaken our luggages for theirs since....:):):)

[virginialucy]

I've had trouble identifying my luggage on the airport carousel also ...

 

 

They sell something very similar to this set at Macy's. I thought about getting it just to have something that would really stand out (it's not really my style though.) But it would be my luck that I'd probably run into someone that has the exact same set :rolleyes:

[SadieN]

One has to remember to be different without being different just like everyone else.

 

The trick is not really to be able to locate your bag quickly, it is to prevent someone else from mistaking your bag as theirs.

 

Ribbons and pompoms worked for a while, red or non-black bags worked for a while, hardsided luggage worked for a while. You gotta stay creative.

 

If anything I think someone at the baggage claim who zeros in on a red ribbon attached to the handle is MORE likely to ignore other details and assumed they got their bag, when you just happen to have a similar red ribbon, even when other tags or even bag shape were clearly different.

 

 

Be careful putting large identifiers on the luggage.

 

We had the opportunity to enjoy the luggage belt break down on the Alaska Airlines line in Anchorage. Somebody's identifier got stuck and shut down the whole luggage system.

 

After this we almost always pack carryon.

[avez007]

I found a beautiful RED Diane VonFostenburg set a few years ago at Marshalls! I instantly fell in love with it and thought it would be the PERFECT set! Obviously more than a few other people thought the same. The every time (yes EVERY time) I have traveled with it, I have seen the same exact peices on the carrier belt at the airport!

 

And I won't even begin to speak of how BADLY :mad: it was handled by the airline!

[EdmPair]

"One has to remember to be different without being different just like everyone else."

Well said.

 

Seems to me this applies more to peircings and tattoos than luggage. I hear many solutions but it is clear you may still face a luggage carousel with bags much like yours.

 

Personally, I would not use the duct tape solutions. It would work well this year but it does shrink and work off leaving a sticky mess in the future. Simple small ribbons and pop-poms seem better.

 

Keep tossing our ideas as there may be a perfect solution which we have not found. :-)

[CocaCola19]

Duct tape comes in so many colors and patterns now. I put stripes on my luggage. I've also tied the luggage zippers together with colored ribbon. Never had an issue.

[Happy ks]

I can spot our black luggage pretty easily since I can identify brands (I sell luggage part time), but to make it quicker I use these: http://www.coloradobaggage.com/cbc/product.asp?s_id=0&prod_name=Belle+Hop+Padded+Luggage+Handle+Wrap+%2D+2+Pack&pf_id=PAOHIDAPBMOFJEGK&dept_id=12082&mscssid=1UXG8QWGRQ2M8JPEE0PJS23838500439

 

No straggling pom-poms or ribbons to get caught up in conveyor belts. They also contain an ID tag on the inside, in case your regular tag gets ripped off.

 

My old red case gets a lime green strap, since there is so much red luggage out there now.

 

I've seen some clever identifiers on luggage that comes in for repair. Some people use paint, some use tape, the majority use red ribbons.

 

They Heys piece that Cuizer2 linked, we've been selling that for several years now. We also have Heys pices with art work of New York and Venice, Italy on them. These types of pieces sell quite well.

[sjcruiser]

I have several black bags, but they have bright colored trim/pipping (orange, red, green, etc.). For the all black bags I place bright colored luggage tags, or some type of luggage straps on them so they stand out. I just came back from an International trip a few weeks ago and noticed at the airport that a lot of people have started using strips of colored duct tape around the handles, etc. to distinguish their bags.

[RoofingPrincess]

Thanks everyone. Now I know that the next time I get a luggage, that it will be some sort of weird color; easy to identify, harder to mix up accidently, harder to steal.

As a high school graduation gift (back in the Dark Ages), my parents bought me two pieces of American Tourister (hardsided was all they made back then) in an interesting shade of purple. Mom said, I thought that was your favorite color! My reply, yeah, back when I was 12... :o

She gave me the option of returning it and exchanging it for blue. I decided to keep it, thinking it would be easy to spot on a baggage carousel.

Well, before I was ever able to take it on a flight, Mom & Dad borrowed it for a trip.

Three other people on their flight had the same purple American Tourister luggage! :eek::p:rolleyes:

 

The purple luggage is long gone, but I've made it a point not to buy black luggage since then, or even navy blue. Right now, my biggest suitcase is red, as are the matching wheeled carry-on and the small tote (which fits under the seat in front of me and often serves as my "personal item" instead of a purse or briefcase). My other piece, which I use most often since it's easier to pack in the trunk of the car, is more duffle-bag like but has wheels; the same company and line, but they weren't making red that year, so I picked royal blue. Both do tend to stand out at the airport and at the cruise terminal.

 

I've also taken odds and ends of that "fun fur" yarn that was so popular for decorative scarves a while back, and knitted strips about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide, and knotted them on one handle of the suitcase. Ended up transferring one of those to my mom's black suitcase when we were traveling together...

[ferfoodle]

"One has to remember to be different without being different just like everyone else."

Well said.

 

Seems to me this applies more to peircings and tattoos than luggage. I hear many solutions but it is clear you may still face a luggage carousel with bags much like yours.

 

Personally, I would not use the duct tape solutions. It would work well this year but it does shrink and work off leaving a sticky mess in the future. Simple small ribbons and pop-poms seem better.

 

Keep tossing our ideas as there may be a perfect solution which we have not found. :-)

 

I was worried at first. But it worked extremely well. I removed it once we got home - and no mess/residue what so ever. Will put fresh on right before the next trip - and then remove when we get home. The small ribbons and pom poms are really hard to see unless you are right by the luggage. Duct tape sticks out like a sore thumb.

[lady_cruiser]

Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of same colored luggage waiting for us in the terminal is the main reason why we decide to carry off our luggage.

 

And learning how to pack light makes it easier to carry the few pieces of luggage (three pieces of less) off the ship.

[puerto penasco lady]

inexpensive solution for less than a dollar a suitcase. I buy the big nylon poof balls that are used as sponges in the shower. Always buy the weirdest color i can find. Loop them around the handle. I can literally spot my bags across the room in a crowded cruise terminal. works perfectly,

[jawas]

Nice of you to post this :). Yes, I've had the same issues at airports and coming off the ships. I also resolved by tying a very distinctive, well, ugly(!) polka-dot ribbon on my handle. DH and my luggage tags are also currently in obscene shades of neon :D

[buddybean11]

Before our first cruise last year I needed a hanging garment bag for my dress. I was in our local goodwill store and saw an ugly green tapestry large suit case. I just curiously picked it up to see how much it was. It said 3 pc. set (lg bag, sm bag, and hanging garment bag) $5.95. It was in perfect shape just really out of style. I couldn't pass it up. When we went on the cruise and got off the boat to look for our luggage we were the only one in the whole terminal that I saw with tapestry luggage. A gentlemen even made the comment that he had not seen those in YEARS! I tied some tie dye ribbon on the handles before hand but I didn't even need to look for it because the luggage itself stuck out like a sore thumb. Needless to say that is the set I will use from now on. I may be UGLY but it works.

[EdmPair]

"Really OUT of style"

 

Use the word 'retro' and the tapestry set will be cool again. :-)

 

I but stuff at charity stores too. I see as win-win if something I want or need.

 

(Let's me edit the body, but not my title. Sheesh.)

[buddybean11]

My niece bought us a set of red Jeep luggage for Christmas this past year. She said "I thought you could use it for your next cruise" I'm thinking "YEA AND HALF THE SHIP WILL HAVE THE SAME COLOR AND WE WILL NEVER FIND IT" but I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Think I will stick to my "RETRO" set.:D

[darsam2]

Acrylic paint (generally $1 at Michaels, AC Moore, etc) works well on luggage. My husband travels for a living and paints something on his black luggage each time he gets a new set. The current set has yellow bulleyes!

[Blondilu]

My way of being different, differently than everyone else:

 

I thought my polka-dot luggage was so special, til I saw someone else with the same set. I wrapped red duct tape around the handles, but now I have what I think is a more unique identifier. It's a yellow luggage strap with someone else's name on it. It was given to me by my elderly neighbor. It had been her husband's before he died, so his name is all over it. Don't think anyone out there will ever have that exact same combo or that I'll ever run into someone with that name who also has a brown suitcase with blue polka dots, and a yellow luggage strap.

[eratog2]

I bought a new set of luggage - the extra light ones, billed as the lightest luggage in the world Sub-O-G. Having had identification problems in the past with silver luggage, I decided to go for something a little "different" so I got bright pink and white 2" dog tooth check - can spot them as soon as they come onto the carousel. I was recently on the QM2 and spotted them immediately in my label number area. They are the best thing I ever bought. Before them I had a luggage strap with my surname on it - as it's quite unusual there was no problem there either. :)

[grjbyfleet]

My wife and I have luggage labels with our names on them. It consists of first initial and last name. It has a small plastic section near the lock where I put my deck/room number on it. If the label is lost they can get the information from the strap. Here is a sample site in the U.K. that sells them.

http://www.easy2name.com/product.htm?product=woven-luggage-straps.

 

Gary

[mustang lover]

:) We have all-black luggage and, for us, the problem of finding our suitcases, whether it be airport carousels or cruise ship teminals was easily solved. We wrapped all of the luggage handles with red and white tape ( Canadian flag colours) and attached Canadian flag decals, front and back, to each suitcase. We have always located the bags quickly with no difficulty. :)

[tomroach]

I bought some fish stencils and fabric paint and "painted" colored fish all over my luggage. It is on for life and so easy to spot!