Five Easy Steps to Help You and Your Checked Bag Arrive Together

YVR Blog, www.yvr.ca

Follow these key actions to help us, help you, increase the chances of your checked bag arriving at the same time you do!

1. REMOVE ALL OLD BAG TAGS AND STICKERS

Our baggage experts couldn't stress this enough. When your bag is put into the baggage system there are scanners that read the barcode on the stickers and tags provided by your airline. If the first thing scanned is an outdated barcode, the chance of your bag ending up on the wrong side of the airport increases dramatically. So, before arriving at the airport, remove from your go-to piece of luggage any old stickers or bag tags. Simple, right?

2. REMOVE LOOSE STRAPS AND RIBBONS

That brightly coloured belt or distinct ribbon that adorns your luggage sure looks pretty. But it also increases the chance of your bag getting jammed in the system. Straps, belts and ribbons (or loose plastic as seen in the image above) don’t mix with conveyor belts. To safely identify your bag, consider a flat sticker, tag or even a business card tucked into the front pocket (remember not to put personal information on the outside of your bag!).

3. WHEELS UP!

It’s not just a fun aviation term to indicate a flight has taken off, but also great advice for how to place your bag on the belt at the airport. By placing wheels up, you decrease the risk of your bag hitting a partition or rolling and sliding its way to somewhere it doesn’t belong.

4. SECURE THAT BC WINE…

…and any other liquid or potentially leaky item that is packed in your checked luggage. If anything inside your bag breaks and leaks onto the bag belt, it can cause serious problems to the system, not to mention your packed belongings. Surround your liquids or breakables with soft barriers of protective cushions, make sure all lids are closed tightly and packed inside a plastic bag within your suitcase.

5. THINK BEFORE YOU PACK

As per federal security regulations, all bags are screened when they leave the airport. Some bags are flagged for a higher level of screening depending on what’s seen inside them. If you are packing electronics with wiring a plenty, clearly separate them from containers that may be inside your bag as well. The combination may look like an explosive device when scanned.