A recent report on Airline Performance by the the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Government included this information:

Mishandled Baggage

“The U.S. carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of 6.96 reports per 1,000 passengers in December, an improvement over December 2007’s rate of 9.05 but higher than November 2008’s 3.75 rate.  For all of last year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 5.26 per 1,000 passengers, an improvement over 2007’s rate of 7.05.”

Whew. That is a relief.  Only 5.26 people per thousand have their luggage lost by the airlines.

We are glad to see that the service is improving, but wonder why everyone we know has been among the reported miniscule portion that have suffered from lost luggage.  Perhaps it is because we frequently travel to foreign destinations?  Perhaps, luggage lost at foreign destination is not accounted for in the reports of the U.S.based agency?  What really matters is that this could happen to you on your next vacation.  When it does, it is a major inconvenience.

Here is simple remedy to this problem. if you are going to be flying either domestically or internationally, and you will be traveling with a companion, you should try “cross-packing”!  That’s right, pack an outfit or two for each of you in the same suitcase.  Simple idea, but not used very often.  We guess it is the “Not in my suitcase” mentality, but doing could save you some discomfort when traveling far away from home. 

For more tips like this and other useful Things Travelers Need To Know see our travel planning guide on Luggage and Packing at ThereArePlaces.com.