Baggage tag: what to write and where to put it

What to write on the external tag

The visible tag, attached to the main handle, should display at least full name and reachable phone number during your trip, including the international dialing code. An email is a useful additional channel, while a complete home address divides experts: it facilitates direct return but exposes it to anyone handling the suitcase along the way. An increasingly common middle ground is to indicate only city and country of residence, leaving phone or email as the primary contact.

The second tag that almost no one puts on

A second identical tag inside the suitcase, slipped under the first layer of clothes, is a safety net if the external one comes off during transport — it happens more often with plastic rings that wear out over time. On this internal tag it's worth adding the travel itinerary with dates and cities planned, useful if the baggage is found after you've already left a hotel for another. Water-resistant materials, or indelible ink, prevent the text from becoming illegible after hours on conveyor belts or under rain on the tarmac.

Digital tags and an error to check before departure

Some airlines offer digital tags with QR code or electronic chip, reprogrammable at every flight from the airline's app, eliminating the problem of paper that tears. Before each trip, check that no old tags from previous flights remain attached: bar codes from past trips can confuse sorting scanners and, in documented cases, route the suitcase to the wrong destination.

Slip a second tag, with the same data as the external one, into an inside pocket of the suitcase before zipping it: it's the trick that works even when the main one comes off during transport.