A woman has shared a safety warning that applies to anyone travelling with a name tag on their luggage. Whether you prefer a suitcase or a backpack, the traveller urged everyone to take care when attaching a luggage tag to their belongings.
Sharing the advice on social media, TikTok user Sammy (@skzzolno) said she wanted to highlight a ‘travel safety hack no one talks about.’ She explained: “This is something that I never have seen anyone talk about, and I had to figure out on my own because I got really freaked out one day.”
“Most luggage tags are like this, it has a back, then it has your name on it. This is not safe for you,” she claimed. “This is not safe for you for a plethora of reasons. You have your full name on there, you have your phone number, you have all of your contact information.
“These flip, these will flip over, anyone who sees that can not only take a photo of it, but then anyone who sees your content online showing your luggage if it’s flipped over can then take a photo of it and get all of your information, which is so dangerous to you and so not worth it.”
Instead, she suggested investing in a luggage tag with a cover that can be opened but won’t flip open when you’re walking through the airport.
“If someone finds your luggage, if it’s lost, they’re gonna be able to do that for you,” Sammy suggested. “You don’t need that out in the open. It’s unsafe and something that I did not think about until I thought about it, and I was like oh f*** that’s really bad, like I need to change this immediately. Now it’s just something that I’m very aware of, especially with making videos online, if you’re making travel videos, you need to do that immediately.”
In her caption, Sammy added: “The cheap or cute luggage tag is NOT worth the risk of someone having all your personal information when you’re travelling.” The video received thousands of views.
One commenter said: “Girl thank you for sharing this I’ve never thought of that.” Another shared a recommendation for people who have already purchased a luggage tag, writing: “You can also flip the paper over once you fill out your info and write “see reverse” on the back!” Someone else suggested: “Or just leave your phone number, that’s all someone should need!!”
The video below contains strong language.
Mike Harvey, managing director of 1st Move International, told LadBible: “When creating luggage tags for your suitcases, it’s crucial to balance providing essential contact information with protecting your personal security.”
He recommends adding your full name, phone number, and travel-specific email address. “Use your full name as it appears on your passport,” he says. “This helps assist airline staff in locating and safely returning your belongings if they go missing.”
However, he says not to include travel plans. destination, or sensitive information such as national insurance, travel insurance policy numbers, or passport numbers.