How to avoid lost luggage

One of the biggest gripes of airline passengers around the world is that they are forced to run the gauntlet every time they check baggage, risking precious items being lost or broken along the way.
If the worst happens, an entire holiday can be disrupted or even ruined by a delayed bag containing that all-important suit or dress, so how would you feel if you knew that airlines in the U.S. alone lost around 10,000 items of luggage during 2005?

To try to prevent the stress that comes with this, Tim Jacobsen, Vice President of Luggage Online, and Brooke Dowd, the editor of travel blog Wellpacked.com, have come up with some handy hints and tips.
One of the simpler solutions is to take your bags as carry-on, although with restrictions on size and weight getting tighter all the time this is not always possible. You could always just pack your valuables in your carry-on, so you at least know the expensive stuff is safe, Dowd says.

Jacobsen notes that another easy way to avoid taking a risk on baggage handlers is shipping your luggage. "UPS and FedEx are more reliable than the airlines," he says, "and they have much better tracking technology in place".
For those who want a simpler (and cheaper) solution, there are several things you can do to reduce the chances of your bag being the unlucky one that goes astray.

By booking direct flights there is less confusion and less opportunity for your luggage to get misplaced. The same is true if you check-in earlier and remove all old destination tags from your bags.
Finally, putting your name with your luggage, as well as making it stand out from the crowd by attaching a colorful ribbon or tag, will also reduce the chances of it getting misplaced. If you include an itinerary of your travel as well then it will make tracking you down a lot easier if the worst happens.