Why You Should Never Throw Away Your Baggage Tag at the Airport (Only at Home)

Photo: ANP/Sabine Joosten

It's tempting to rip off your baggage tag as soon as you arrive at the airport, but it's best not to. Criminals are apparently sneakily exploiting discarded baggage claim tags at the airport. You can read more about this here.

At the airport, your suitcase or bag is given a baggage tag, and for good reason: if your luggage gets lost or mixed up with another traveler's, a tag with your contact information can help you find it . The tag also helps airport staff and baggage handlers quickly identify and sort your luggage. It's therefore important to leave this tag on your luggage while traveling.

As soon as your trip is over, it's tempting to rip off the baggage tag and throw it away at the airport, but this isn't wise. According to an airport employee, discarded baggage tags are increasingly being used at airports to file "fraudulent" claims using personal information. The woman, who works for Delta Airlines, says the number of reports of fraudulent claims has increased significantly.

We're receiving a surprising number of claims from people who are declaring their luggage as missing. However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that these people aren't actually declaring their own luggage, but rather that of a tag they found at the airport. These people monitor who removes their luggage tag at the airport and then use the information on it to file claims for compensation.

Of course, it's not nice if your data is misused for such a fraudulent claim, but you certainly don't lose any money yourself. However, the airport employee emphasizes that it does work against you. "It makes it difficult to compensate real people if they file a legitimate claim." The employee therefore advises removing the baggage tag only after you've left the airport, preferably at home. That way, you can be sure no one is stealing your data.