Should I or Shouldn't I…

All well and good. As for my bags there is a wide stripe of masking tape diagonally across both sides of each bag for far distance visual detection. One time only some one grabbed mine and left their bag of same color but no stripes. Air line retrieved and delivered it twp days later.

"Always be prepared to abandon your baggage" - Robert Heinlein

"Always be prepared to abandon your baggage" - Robert Heinlein

Lost Baggage Hell

You can buy your lost baggage back here at discount store prices!

If you're planning to check in just one suitcase, bring a second beat-up empty suitcase with you and check it in as well. An empty cardboard box will do if you don't have a junk suitcase. By checking in both pieces you will reduce the chance of their losing your valuables to 50%.

E, something seems amiss with the mathematics there...I guess statistically your odds are correct, but if the airline loses the bag with your jammies in it, it's still 100% gone!

"E, something seems amiss with the mathematics there..."

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Most definitely.

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"...but if the airline loses the bag with your jammies in it, it's still 100% gone! "

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Absolutely! But look at the alternative: if I check in just one bag, the chances of it being 100% gone when I arrive are 100%! That's even worse! It means they'll lose my jammies every time I fly. Really, wouldn't you rather play Russian Roulette with three empty chambers than six loaded ones? I must confess that I don't own a gun and therefore have never played Russian Roulette. (I make up for it by flying on commercial airlines instead. The ones with aging fleets, understaffed maintenance crews and disgruntled employees are the most fun. Especially if they're facing imminent bankruptcy. I don't even bother with luggage anymore.)

Ja, sure, I used to travel nearly 100% of the time, and I kept three suitcases packed so I could rotate quicker between trips. Now, I travel almost 0%, and I've decided in future I will pack only 1 _small carry-on bag with favored toiletries and a single change of clothes. Upon arrival, I'll purchase what I need, and a cheap suitcase. I'll always have a new wardrobe to wear, and I won't miss the suitcase or my favorite jammies if that suitcase is lost on the return leg. I've only had one suitcase ever lost, though, and that not permanent - it took the scenic route while I had the express flight, and was delivered to me the next day. And I had elite (gold, platinum, bejewelled, whatever) frequent flier status on FOUR airlines at one time...