To help frequent travelers avoid the worst when their luggage gets misplaced, here is a list of tips for travelers aiming to hang on to their bags. Taking a few steps to help protect your baggage will help ease travel plans and ensure that you have a good travel experience.

Before you consider leaving home with just the clothes on your back and your laptop on your shoulder, know that there are several easy ways to prevent your bags from being among the many that go missing every year.

Make sure that your suitcase is tagged with your name, phone number and home address on the inside, as well as the outside. Because paper luggage tags tear off easily in transit, many bags are orphaned this way. With a quick yellow sticky note and a pen, you can prevent your bag from joining them.

In addition, put a copy of your itinerary, complete with contact information, inside each piece of checked luggage. This way, if any of your bags become separated from the others during travel airport officials will be able to track you down. (Note: Use your judgment here. If you're traveling somewhere Westerners are regarded with disfavor, you shouldn't publicize contact information.)

Taking a Polaroid of your packed suitcase with you in your carry-on is another easy way to help airline employees help you in the event of misplaced bags. Before leaving the airport, give the photo--and your local phone number--to luggage officials. Any identifying characteristics on your bag, like a scratch on the front or a missing handle, will tip off baggage handlers that the lonely case by the luggage carousel is yours.

Quickest Fix Of All
Of course, you can entirely avoid the risk of dragging bags through the airport by shipping luggage straight to your hotel. Sports equipment, baby carriages and plain old suitcases can be mailed in advance of your journey, saving you time spent waiting in line.

Even the best-packed bags are subject to airport mishandling, and if your bag doesn't make it with you to your final destination, pack a carry-on with a day's worth of clothes, toiletries and medications with you when you land, the loss of your bag, although annoying, will be much less dire.

And finally, since bags sometimes do go "missing" , every business traveler should consider travel insurance to help cover their luggage. Whether your bag is lost or merely delayed, you can be reimbursed for the purchase of clothing and personal articles so you can concentrate on your trip. Click here to learn more.