Nothing can be more annoying or inconvenient than having your bags lost, misplaced, or sent to a different city (or even country) by the airline. I once traveled to Russia and my bag was sent to France and I had to live off 2 outfits and 3 pairs of underwear for a week and a half. Not a very enjoyable experience, believe me. Regardless of whether you booked your trip through a travel agency Washington DC, online, or otherwise, everyone is at risk of having their bags lost or stolen. So what can you do to make sure that your luggage gets to the same place that you’re going and shows up on the luggage carousel? Here are a few helpful hints and tips that will make your trip a lot less hectic.

Only bring a carry on – This is by far the best way to make sure that your luggage makes it to the desired location (this isn’t always possible so read on for checking bags in). Try to find a bag that is about 21”x14”x7” for your carry on as it will pass almost all airline size limits. Check with your airline to find out what you are allowed to carry on a plane, because the laws have become especially strict in the past few years, especially concerning liquids and gels. Due to these higher standards and restrictions, chances are you’ll have to at least check one bag.

Tear off old tags – If you have traveled with the same luggage before, be sure to tear off any old tags that the previous airline put on there. This will prevent the baggage handlers from having to deal with them (increasing the chances for possible damage) and it will prevent any confusion. You may also want to replace the elastic name tag to your current airline to avoid any confusion.

Label your baggage on the outside – This may not be very helpful to baggage handlers looking for your lost luggage, but it will be very helpful to you when claiming it. Be sure to use both the tag that came with your new luggage and the elastic tag that your airline gives you. Be sure to keep the stub that you get when you check the bag and make sure you keep them with your carry on bag along with your passport, ticket, and money.

Label your luggage on the inside – Tape a label with your name, address, and phone number to the inside lid of your bag. You may want to write “phone number” in multiple applicable languages on the label. You might want to consider leaving a copy of your itinerary and tickets in plain sight as well. That way, if it is found, the person will know where you should be.

Color tag your luggage – This might look tacky, but you should use a bright colored roll of tape or some other bright colored tag and attach it to the handle of your luggage. This is extremely helpful for helping you spot your bag among a bunch of similar looking bags or if someone tries to take your bag. Moreover, it can be a very good thing to list as an identifying mark on your luggage in case it is lost.

Use a TSA approved lock – As you probably know by now, if you use your own luggage lock, it will be clipped if your bag needs to be searched. Fortunately, you can now buy TSA approved luggage locks which have a nifty red torch logo on them. This shows baggage screeners that they don’t have to clip the lock and can simply use a special TSA key to unlock the bag. You can buy locks that require either a key or a 4 digit combination, both of which can be unlocked and put back on your luggage by a TSA baggage screener. These locks will also deter any would-be thief to look for an easier target. Moreover, the locks come in many bright colors which you can also use to identify your bag.

Take a picture of your bags – Although most people never think to do this, taking a picture of your bags (after the color tag has been attached) will greatly help luggage handlers find your bag if it is ever lost. Save a copy of the photo in your camera or on your phone and print out a copy to leave with the airline in case you have to leave the airport without your bag. Obviously, you’ll want to keep the camera and photo in your carry on bag.

Wait for your bags at baggage claim – Don’t waste time to get to the baggage claim once you have landed. Get there as soon as possible find your flight on the display above the correct carousel and be watchful for your luggage. If you have a color tag, it should be very easy to spot your bags. If the luggage is being unloaded onto the tarmac, watch your bag until it is in your hand.

There are no guarantees that your bags will never get lost or stolen, but you can take these simple steps to help safeguard yourself. If they ever are lost, these tips will greatly increase your chances of getting the luggage as soon as possible. The key is to make your luggage unique, well labeled, and be sure to watch it closely.