Baggage Handler Reveals Why You Should Never Tie a Ribbon On Your Luggage

If you’ve ever spent any time at an airport, anxiously scanning the baggage carousel for your suitcase, you know the stress of watching hundreds of near-identical bags pass by on the conveyor belt. While many savvy travelers have found that attaching a bright ribbon to their luggage makes it stand out, an airport worker is now warning passengers that using personal markers like ribbons can actually create problems you might not expect.

Keep reading to learn why you should think twice before decorating your suitcase with a ribbon!

The thought of losing luggage can strike fear into even the most seasoned travelers. To avoid the risk of someone else mistakenly taking their bag, or having to watch their suitcase slowly circle the conveyor belt endlessly, many passengers tie colorful ribbons or add other distinctive markers to their luggage.

However, according to airport worker John, this seemingly harmless practice can lead to unexpected delays — and even prevent your bag from making the flight. He explained that ribbons or other personal identifiers on bags can interfere with the scanning process in the baggage hall.

“Ribbons tied to suitcases may cause issues during automatic scanning,” John said. “If the scanner can’t properly read the bag, it may require manual processing, which could cause delays — and potentially cause your bag to miss the flight.”

To increase the chances that your luggage makes it to its destination smoothly, John suggests keeping your suitcase free of extra identifiers, such as ribbons or old travel stickers, which could complicate the scanning process. “Remove old stickers from your bag,” he advises. “They can cause confusion with the scanning system, slowing things down and risking your bag being misplaced.”