Luggage Tags

gift from sister-in-law

At the end of a long plane trip, we sometimes struggle reuniting with our checked-in luggage at the carousel. It's here where many bags make several laps around the conveyor belt before we realize that in a sea of identical-looking Samsonite's, Tumi's, Delsey's or American Tourister's, plucking out our own and not someone else's is a bit of a challenge. 

One way to let the world know you 're the rightful owner is a luggage tag. Forget about those airline bag tags, they're difficult to read when you're jet-lagged or bleary-eyed.

In the old days of summer when my father used to me bring me to his home province in Bohol, he improvised by writing on a piece of cardboard, taped it with clear plastic and attached it to the handle of the maleta using a string. It worked as he never lost a thing but I doubt if they'll survive today's crop of baggage handlers. These days, most luggage already come equipped with an ID tag holder for writing personal information or a slot for a standard-sized business card - which helps airlines locate the owner should the bag get wayward enroute.

It is however, the personalized luggage tag that helps make it stand out from the rest and thus easily recognizable. In the years that I've traveled, I've used several luggage tags that have been abused enough down the road - either by me or by baggage handlers - to survive until today. A few days ago, I received a set of luggage tags from Gecko's, an adventure outfitter that I will soon be traveling with and KLM, personalized with my photo in it:

Of course, it's the one my sister-in-law gave me some years ago that really surprised me - I never knew that time luggage tags can already be personalized with your own photo/design - this at some mall in Davao. I'm so happy with it I have decided to use it on my backpack everyday.

How about you, do you use luggage tags?