I’ve downsized my Tumi carry-on just so I could fit it vertically in a 737 overhead luggage compartment. I will do whatever it takes to avoid checking in my luggage. If you fly as often as I do, you will go that extra mile to minimize the amount of time you spend waiting….for your luggage, the airplane, taxi, in line at the airport. Not having to check-in luggage is a HUGE time saver.
But the best reason NOT to check-in luggage is you never have to worry about the airline misplacing it. Hopefully you’ve never had to experience having your luggage lost and the airline representative telling you, “We’re not sure what where it is.”
I’m not certain, but I would guess the majority of flyers are reunited with their lost luggage (even if it’s after the vacation), but there are people that never find their luggage. Do you ever wonder what happens to the luggage that isn’t taken home?
Well, wonder no more because your long lost luggage could be on sale in a warehouse located in the sleepy town of Scottsboro, Alabama. That’s right - BBC News ran an interesting article on a company, Unclaimed Baggage Center (they didn’t win any awards for originality) that buys luggage from the airlines after 90 days and puts it up for sale.
Some interesting quotes:
“We had a 19th Century full suit of armour, an underwater camera from Nasa, Egyptian artefacts and props from movies,” says Brenda as she proudly stands next to a display case that holds a puppet from the Jim Henson film, Labyrinth.
One woman discovered $1,000 (£500) hidden in the lining of a case she bought for pocket change, while another found out that the glass vase she had bought as a trinket was actually worth a small fortune.
It’s enough to attract a million visitors a year.
If you lose your luggage or forget your book in the backseat of an airline, it’ll probably end up here. I guess you can always take a trip to Scottsboro if you never get your luggage back. Who knows - you may find something better.
I passed through Heathrow a few weeks ago and the lost luggage was piled everywhere, thousands of bags just lying around.
Having seen this I felt I should really put together some tips to ensure your bag stays with you on holiday, and if the bag does not how to be prepared. If anyone is interested in keeping your bag out of the Unclaimed Baggage Center then I recommend reading these tips.