Planning your long-awaited holiday should be filled with excitement, not the dread of lost luggage. A simple yet crucial step to minimise the chances of your belongings going astray: reconsider your suitcase colour. It turns out that the seemingly innocuous choice of black, grey or navy luggage could be inadvertently increasing your risk of a travel mishap. Budget airline Ryanair has explicitly advised passengers to steer clear of these common shades if they want to avoid the carousel confusion and potential heartbreak of a missing bag.
The reasoning behind this advice is straightforward. With a sea of similar-looking dark suitcases circulating in airport baggage handling systems, the likelihood of accidental swaps or misidentification skyrockets. The head of a major European airport, for instance, echoed this sentiment, noting that the sheer volume of indistinguishable black bags makes the task of identification incredibly time-consuming for airport staff. Opting for a more vibrant hue or adding distinctive touches like colourful luggage straps tags or ribbons can make all the difference in ensuring your bag stands out from the crowd and swiftly finds its way back to you, safeguarding your holiday from unnecessary stress and reliance on travel insurance claims.