Why you should never tie a ribbon to your suitcase - according to a baggage handler
The thought of losing your luggage while travelling can strike fear into even the most seasoned of travellers.
So it's no surprise plenty of us have little things we do to reduce the chance of someone else making off with your bag. But an airline worker has warned that one popular suitcase trick may actually be doing more harm than good.
A baggage handler from Dublin Airport has revealed that tying a ribbon onto your suitcase, to help identify it as yours, could mean your bag misses your flight.
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Doing this to your suitcase may cause some problems. Getty Images/iStockphoto
"Ribbons that people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall," he told RSVP Live.
"If the bag can't be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn't make it to the flight."
He also recommended people take care to remove any old stickers on the bags otherwise it can "cause confusion with the scanning process".
It comes after a flight attendant also warned travellers against using a popular style of luggage.
"Passengers tend to think that hard-shell suitcases are more resistant than fabric ones, but it's actually the opposite," a flight attendant who has worked in the job for 16 years, told retailer House of Fraser.
Instead she recommends opting for soft luggage if you're planning to check your bags.
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Soft suitcases are the choice for this flight attendant. Getty
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"Hardcovers can get easily broken by the pressure of the other bags once they're all packed together in the hold."
"To avoid damage to your bag, I always recommend choosing a fabric suitcase as these are actually more durable," she advised.
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