Many factors, including weather and delays of connecting flights, can cause airlines to inadvertently separate tourists from their checked luggage. And because external baggage tags can sometimes be damaged or detached, adding the extra level of identity described below costs nothing but a few minutes of time.

Create a simple, regular letter size piece of paper Baggage ID complete with:

•    Your name. This should be the same with which airline tickets are booked

•    Your home address

•    Your telephone number including country code

•    Your email address

•    All flights from country of origin through arrival in India including:

◦    Airline name(s), flight times and flight numbers (found on airline itinerary)

•    Contact information in India. This should be the name of a friend, colleague, travel agency or hotel where you can be reached within the first few days of arrival. A return itinerary should be made with the same outline remembering to change the flight information. Also update the baggage return address from an India contact to a location in your home country (most likely your home address).

Simply place the completed outbound Baggage ID inside all pieces of baggage to be checked through. As you prepare to depart India, repeat the process using the return Baggage ID. Print both outbound and inbound Baggage ID’s at the same time, keeping the inbound ID(s) with your other travel documents until needed.

Sample Baggage ID for download and print: Baggage ID PDF