Why marking your luggage could be a travel risk
Many travellers worry about their luggage during the flight. That's why some decide to mark their suitcase to make it easier to find at the airport later. However, a baggage handler explains that attaching tags to luggage is not a good idea.
A popular way to mark a suitcase is to attach a colourful ribbon to it. While the idea seems reasonable, according to the airport worker, it could actually cause issues and prevent the luggage from reaching its intended destination.
Marking luggage can have the opposite effect
“The ribbons people attach to their suitcases to help identify them can cause problems with scanning in the baggage hall. If the luggage cannot be scanned automatically, it may be sent for manual handling. This, in turn, could mean that your suitcase does not make it onto the plane in time. Additionally, it’s worth removing old stickers from the bag, as this can confuse the scanning process,” said an airport baggage handler in an interview with the RSVP Live portal.
He also added that travellers should never pack marzipan in their suitcases, as it can have the same density as explosives. As a result, both the bag and its owner could be pulled off the plane.
It's also not worth locking suitcases with padlocks
It’s also worth noting that trying to protect the contents of your luggage from theft can also have the opposite effect. Travelers often lock their suitcases with padlocks, giving potential thieves an incentive to rob them.
The principle is simple. If someone adds extra security to their luggage, it means they are carrying something valuable. For a thief, this is information that the suitcase is worth looking into.
