Colored belts on luggage

[mii]

I recently bought those colorful luggage belts that fit around each piece of luggage to make your suitcases stand out either at the airport or at the cruise terminal. My question is when you check the luggage at the airport and they go off into the bowels of the airport do these belts get caught on the airlines belts and may come off. Has anybody experience any problems with this.

 

Marilyn

[jnc411]

Hi Marilyn: I have those belts also.First I put our name on them in marker pen. I always put them on my luggage for embarkation and debarkation on the ships to make sure my luggage stays closed, but remove them for the airport. We have neighbor who works at the airport and he says they are always forgetting to replace the belts after luggage is inspected and they end up with a pile of luggage straps, so it is a toss up wheather to leave them on or not. Us we take them off. For identification purposes I tied (about three knots) colorful plastic hawaiian leis to the handles of our luggage, they stay on , they don't seem to get stuck in the conveyer belts and they are cheap :). I get them at the local party store.

Hope this helps

[mii]

Hi Cori: Boy that was a fast answer.:D On our last 3 cruises we have sailed from S.F. so did not need an airport but next year we are doing two cruises which result in flying and thanks for the idea of the hawaiin leis. Good idea. We have used the colored belts while disembarking at the cruise terminal in S.F. and they sure do stand out. My DH has had no problem finding out luggage. I think we will leave them off while at airport but put them on at embarkation and disembarkation and buys some of those hawaiian leis. Again thanks Cori.

 

Marilyn

[hajekfam]

I haven't seen the luggage straps get caught and we haven't lost one yet. However, on our last flight which arrived after midnight at the international terminal at OHare, someone left their shoulder strap on their duffle bag which got caught and stopped the luggage conveyer system. At that extremely late time, there was no one around to tell that the luggage stopped and most bags were caught up on the upper floor luggage track. Luckily, a couple of construction workers who were working on the remodelling of the terminal were kind enough to climb up the luggage chute and toss the bags down to the baggage claim area.

So if your luggage had loose straps like shoulder straps, please detach them before checking your luggage and put them in the outside pocket or in your carryon.

[tinkerme1]

We have personalized luggage straps that are really wonderful. We use them every time we travel and haven't had a problem with them yet. They are the kind that cinch very tightly around the luggage and do not have a "lock" built in. Easy for the airport guys to put back on! I don't think these kind of straps will get caught, but the ones that are floppy and loose possibly would have a problem.

[cruisetarp]

Tinkerme1 - Where did you get the personalized luggage staps? Sounds like a good gift for our friends.

[silentbob007]

It may be tacky, but since I have the "standard" black suitcase, I just marked mine with some atomic yello duct tape. A few strips on each side, and believe me, I know which bag is mine.

[tinkerme1]

Mary Lou: Here is the place where I ordered my luggage straps.

 

http://www.wdrake.com (Walter Drake Catalog) Just put in "luggage strap" in the search box and you'll get there!

 

I didn't order the "locking" variety, just the plain strap. I've taken 20 trips so far with the strap and haven't lost it yet! I personalized them with my husband's full name and bought the bright yellow colored ones.

[tinkerme1]

Mary Lou: Here is the place where I ordered my luggage straps.

 

http://www.wdrake.com (Walter Drake Catalog) Just put in "luggage strap" in the search box and you'll get there!

 

I didn't order the "locking" variety, just the plain strap. I've taken 20 trips so far with the strap and haven't lost it yet! I personalized them with my husband's full name and bought the bright yellow colored ones.

[mr green]

My belt was replaced after my bag was inspected. So far I have had two feet broken off one bag on seperate occasions. john

[mr green]

My belt was replaced after my bag was inspected. So far I have had two feet broken off one bag on seperate occasions. john

[Jimsgirl]

I also use coloured straps, mine are bright yekllow with my name written in LARGE PRINT (Laundry Marker ink) ALL the way around the strap, I also bought bright yellow Flag Nylon , sut pieces off, wrapped this around every handle so that no matter haow the bag is placed I can see that bright yellow handle, then just to be sure I have bright yellow plastic tags tied on with my name inside.

 

I suppose I am a "belt and braces" kind of person, but it does help at dis embarkation terminal.

[Jimsgirl]

I also use coloured straps, mine are bright yekllow with my name written in LARGE PRINT (Laundry Marker ink) ALL the way around the strap, I also bought bright yellow Flag Nylon , sut pieces off, wrapped this around every handle so that no matter haow the bag is placed I can see that bright yellow handle, then just to be sure I have bright yellow plastic tags tied on with my name inside.

 

I suppose I am a "belt and braces" kind of person, but it does help at dis embarkation terminal.

[mii]

Thanks all for the ideas. I do have colored belts so I will just have to decide whether they will stay on or not.

 

Marilyn

[Happy ks]

We have used them numerous times and only one has gone missing. That bag must have gone through the wringer, because both of the exterior luggage tags were gone, too. I watched the bag go around the carousel 3 times before I thought it was ours (black bag), I actually had to open the bag on the floor to see the contents to know for sure it belonged to us. I'm so glad I also put identification on the inside of our bag as well.

[cruisetarp]

Tinkerme1 - Thanks for the link. That is just what I was looking for.

[tinkerme1]

Make sure that the "belt" is really a "strap" - kind of looks like the webbed material they use to make handles on luggage, etc. The strap is much more secure and closes better than a belt! Of course, some folks think a belt is a strap! LOL! The one I referred you folks to is definitely a "strap" and works great.

 

HappyKS: You are so right! Putting info in your bags, laying on top, is an absolute necessity! Thanks for reminding everyone about that tip!

[FunCruiser56]

All of our luggage is black- just like all the others- we bought hot pink and lime green bag straps. WE have used them so many times, probably 5 cruises and 4-5 trips to disney world. They go on our luggage when we leave home and we don't remove them at the airport, they have always been re snaped on. WE bought them at Target. We also taped bright yellow tape on all the handles on each bag. When all those bags come rolling off the airplane we can always spot ours. Same finding them after a cruise.

As our luggage is starting to wear out we are going to replace it with bright red luggage, no more black..;)

 

Funcruiser

[bbnbama]

For identification purposes I tied (about three knots) colorful plastic hawaiian leis to the handles of our luggage, they stay on , they don't seem to get stuck in the conveyer belts and they are cheap :). I get them at the local party store.

Hope this helps

 

I loved this idea...I have red luggage (because I wanted to be different) but I love the idea of adding the leis....how festive!!!:p

[Sheffie]

It may be tacky, but since I have the "standard" black suitcase, I just marked mine with some atomic yello duct tape. A few strips on each side, and believe me, I know which bag is mine.

 

Tacky, do you mean that my fluorescent green tape is tacky!!!:eek: OH, NO!