Purchase luggage insurance in advance of your travel to protect your luggage from loss, theft or damage.
Stay with your luggage at all times. Airport security may take your bag and destroy it or thieves may steal it.
Keep all your valuable personal belongings, such as passports, driver's licenses, jewelry and money in your hand luggage. Never check any of these items into the hold compartment. If you go on short trips, travel only with hand luggage.
Write your name, address and telephone number on each piece of luggage you carry with you. In case any of your bags get lost, the person who finds it can give you a call or return your bag to you.
Attach a large colorful ribbon to your bag to easily identify it at the luggage reclaim belt and to avoid losing your bag by mixing it up with someone else's bag.
Use a lock. Preferably lock your bag with a number-coded lock which has thick metal parts so it cannot be snapped easily. If you do not have a lock, use a zip-tie to lock the bag temporarily.
Wrap your bag in a special foil at the airport with a packaging service. At most airports you can find packing companies that will wrap your bag in front of you for a small charge. The company will also offer to insure your bag for loss or damage.
Check that the airline tag on your bag is for the correct destination. Let the agent know if the airline tag states a different location.
