Do you put luggage tags on before flight??

[smileytrips]

The directions say to do so but I don't want a bunch of tags confusing baggage handlers and I'm also wondering that maybe Celebrity transfers might grab my luggage at baggage claim. What do you do?

[wrk2cruise]

I have never put them on until I was heading to the port.

[bEwAbG]

I let the porters put them on at the port (the ones they have; not the ones you can print or have mailed to you). It takes no time at all and you can always double-check that they wrote the correct room number.

 

I would not put them on at my home airport. Too many opportunities for them to come off. Either do it before leaving for the port from your hotel or wait until you get dropped off at the port.

Edited December 9, 2016 by bEwAbG

[CYNSport]

I actually don't think the instructions mean to put them on before a flight, but before you drop them off at the port :)

 

We have never put them on before our flight.

[Happy2cruise]

Definitely never put them on until at the cruiseport.

[smileytrips]

Thank you. That is what I thought. Just wanted to make sure since the last two cruises we drove to port.

[GUT2407]

A little confused are you saying you have celebrity transfers?

[OCruisers]

We always put them on prior to our flight.

If the luggage gets lost or delayed, at least the information is there showing where we are.

[Northern Aurora]

I also am curious if the OP has purchased a Celebrity transfer. But we have never put our cruise luggage tags on our luggage prior to flying.

 

If your luggage is somehow misdirected by your airline the form you complete at the arrival airport will tell your airline where to send your luggage once it arrives.

[cruise47]

I have never put them on until I was heading to the port.

 

Ditto why take the change that they are lost or damage in flight.

 

Enjoy your cruise.:D

Edited December 9, 2016 by cruise47

[hcat]

We use general ID tags on all bags, and let the airline tag the bags for flights. .At destination, we remove airline tags and put on the cruise line tags

 

For tranfer cases I would follow instructions from the cruise line/airline

[cb at sea]

NO! You don't put ANYTHING on your bags except the airline tags...they have a hard enough time with their own tags!

 

After your flight, put your ship tags on. Jeez..

[bigbenboys]

We always put them on prior to our flight.

If the luggage gets lost or delayed, at least the information is there showing where we are.

 

For many years we have always put our cruise tags on before our flights. As we now fly in 5 to 2 days before our cruise we have stopped put them on before flight. There are ways now to track luggage with our mobile phones.

[riclop]

The directions say to do so but I don't want a bunch of tags confusing baggage handlers and I'm also wondering that maybe Celebrity transfers might grab my luggage at baggage claim. What do you do?

No that is not a good idea.

[ClaudiaB]

We put a piece of paper with our itinerary and contact information zipped inside our luggage right in front on top so that if our luggage is lost they know where and when we can be reached. I know there are pros and cons to this.

 

Only thing on our bags is my highly-identifiable fabric ribbon on the handles and my leather-encased name tags.

 

We have never put on our cruise tags until we're ready to leave the hotel for the taxi to the ship. I take off all airport/airline tags before I put the cruise tags on.

I put one tag on each handle, just in case one gets torn off.

[varoo]

Yes, the luggage tags for the flight.

 

(Never luggage tags for the cruise. Those go on right before the cruise.)

 

Some agents checking in bags at airports will routinely cut off and discard any luggage tags found on bags other than the tags for the current flight, especially other tags that have bar codes.

They don't have time to stop to examine them or try to figure out what kind of tag each one is.

 

Some passengers simply forget to remove their old luggage tags.

 

 

[Happy2cruise]

We always put them on prior to our flight.

If the luggage gets lost or delayed, at least the information is there showing where we are.

My concern putting them on prior to the flight is they could rip or get pulled off by the airport handlers.....just me:D

[paulh84]

My in-laws had put them on prior to their flight on our last cruise and the airline had cut them off when they picked up their bags. Of course the MIL had a slight fit over it but it was no big deal :o they got them new ones at the port and all was well.

Edited December 10, 2016 by paulh84

[OCruisers]

My concern putting them on prior to the flight is they could rip or get pulled off by the airport handlers.....just me:D

 

I always take extras in cast that happens. Happily, it never has.

[lovescarborough]

We flew from London Heathrow a couple of years ago and a rep at the airport advised us to put cruise tags on our cases before flying. She said it was less likely they would get left behind as it was more expensive to get them delivered to a cruise ship than a land based destination. We always split our luggage so we both have clothes in each suitcase. Had a bad experience in Chicago once when the suitcase with my stuff in it didn't arrive on the carousel. Not much fun waiting till the next day for a change of clothes when my case finally arrived at the hotel !

[DrivesLikeMario]

Absolutely not! I don't want to inform every baggage handler out there that I'll be gone for at least a week! That's a security risk. Nor do I want to risk the chance that the tags get ripped off on their journey. Once I claim them at baggage claim, then the tags go on.

[DrivesLikeMario]

We flew from London Heathrow a couple of years ago and a rep at the airport advised us to put cruise tags on our cases before flying. She said it was less likely they would get left behind as it was more expensive to get them delivered to a cruise ship than a land based destination. We always split our luggage so we both have clothes in each suitcase. Had a bad experience in Chicago once when the suitcase with my stuff in it didn't arrive on the carousel. Not much fun waiting till the next day for a change of clothes when my case finally arrived at the hotel !

 

Do you really believe the baggage handlers care about how much money it costs the airline to get your bags to you? :confused: Believe me, they don't.

[Oceangoer2]

DH doesn't like cruise tags on our bags prior to flight, but for some unknown reason, last sailing we put them on before leaving home. Maybe it was a case of ESP as the airline 'misplaced' our luggage and the bags didn't make our connecting flight. 3 days later, one bag arrived at the port in Puerto Rico. We were told the tags quickly identified the bags and made it easier to locate and ship them to next port. Wonder why the 2nd one didn't arrive until 2 days after we came home? Anyway, we will always put them on before our cruise flights in future.

Edited December 11, 2016 by oceangoer2

[Oceangoer2]

We flew from London Heathrow a couple of years ago and a rep at the airport advised us to put cruise tags on our cases before flying. She said it was less likely they would get left behind as it was more expensive to get them delivered to a cruise ship than a land based destination. We always split our luggage so we both have clothes in each suitcase. Had a bad experience in Chicago once when the suitcase with my stuff in it didn't arrive on the carousel. Not much fun waiting till the next day for a change of clothes when my case finally arrived at the hotel !

That rep knows what she's talking about. Last cruise bags were missing for the first 3 days of our cruise, with one bag arriving at the first port, the other with day clothes didn't make it. Apparently the tags helped to locate the bags for forwarding to the first port. However only one bag arrived, so the tags didn't work 100%...LOL.

 

I know what you mean re no day essentials. I had packed the garment bag with evening clothes, the other bag with day clothes. Will NEVER pack that way again...first and last time trying to pack lighter and way too organized.

[iancal]

This is exactly one of the two reasons why we only travel with carry on. The bag arrives when we do and we do not have to depend on others to physically handle the bag.

Edited December 11, 2016 by iancal