What You Should — and Should Not — Put on Your Luggage Tag in 2024

On a two-week backpacking trip with a group of college classmates, I landed in Germany, made my way to baggage claim, and waited — and waited — for my suitcase to arrive. It didn’t show up for another three days, well into our trip, and with my one pair of jeans feeling particularly disgusting. 

Today, more and more travelers opt for carry-on luggage due to increasingly frequent baggage delays and loss. Many people would rather pack lightly than risk having their vacation spoiled by the headache that comes with relocating lost items. However, checking a bag can sometimes still be a smart, if not inevitable, move, especially for long or international trips. 

In 2022, the global mishandling rate of luggage was up 74.7 percent, according to a 2023 study by aviation technology company SITA, while the proportion of bags delayed at transfer increased to 42 percent. But flyers can help get their lost or delayed suitcases back quickly by attaching a luggage tag with their name, email address, and phone number (in addition to the airline’s luggage sticker). 

International travelers (who will likely go through at least one transfer) should also consider writing the address of their hotel or residence, so they can be quickly contacted and lost luggage can be redirected without delay. For those using a written luggage tag, you can add a temporary address by simply slipping your hotel’s information into the tag on a separate card atop your permanent one. It’s also a good idea to take a photo of your secure luggage and luggage tags before checking in. That way you have proof of what your bags look like to help you get compensation if the items don’t arrive, or arrive damaged.

For safety reasons, you should not include your home address on your luggage tag. For the most part, this information is unnecessary since the airline will contact you via phone or email to reunite you with any lost bags. Also, adding your address to luggage tags could open you up to robbery while you’re away as many people could view this information once you’ve headed out on your travels. 

The best luggage tags feature a security flap, so your personal information can’t be easily seen, or are smart tags where your data is stored electronically and only accessible by authorized users. You can even help out airport staff, and calm your own fears, by tracking your bags yourself using smart tags or luggage trackers. Not only do many smart tags let you monitor your own items, but they allow airport workers to scan your bags for private information in case your bags are lost. As an added bonus, you can also easily edit your data and even include hotel and flight information to help reunite you with lost items as quickly as possible so we’re never again stuck on vacation wearing the same outfit for days on end.