✈️ A family saga of a lost bag

Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: Friday Edition where I give actionable tips to make your travel dreams a reality.

Here’s what’s we have today—

✈︎ First Class Travel Tip:

Don’t fall victim to lost luggage like this guy ⤵️

We were a family of 11, all having arrived to the gate miraculously by 6AM on a Sunday for a 645AM flight; all of us getting on the same flight, bound for the same destination. What could go wrong? That’s when we heard the overhead announcement from the woman behind the counter at gate 22D:

“Good morning, folks. We are experiencing a completely full flight today. For those with a carry-on, we kindly ask that you gate check your bag here at the counter, free of charge.”

With a fully booked flight, there wasn’t enough over head space to accommodate. The results, you guessed it: LOST LUGGAGE 😠

Please note, the lost bag did NOT belong to me, as I’m a savvy traveler and triple checked tip #1 below. None the less, here a 3 things to always remember when checking a bag:

1) Make sure the bag tag printed and attached to your bag has your correct name and final destination. This was later determined the culprit→ wrong name, wrong destination, womp womp.

2) Have a unique marking / ribbon / coloration on your bag so it’s easily identifiable in a luggage warehouse → this bag was like a million other bags: black canvas on wheels.

3) Use an AirTag so you can locate it if it doesn’t make it. Then you can track it even if the baggage service cannot→ On one computer search, this bag was sitting pretty at another hotel in another state, but another customer service rep stated it was in fact at another airport in another state, wth.

Botton line→ A lost bag is THE WORST! Do everything in your power to make sure your bag arrives safe and sound, just like you 😉 .

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✈︎ The Informed Traveler

Airport lounges→ The only way to travel

“What’s an airport lounge?” my 12 year old niece replied after our daughter loudly proclaimed to the group “We’re going to eat dinner in the lounge at the airport tonight.”

Now, this was a completely appropriate response for many 12 year olds. I for one didn’t start visiting lounges until I was almost 40 years old. So you can imagine my need to temper my 9 year old daughter’s complete shock and awe face after hearing her cousins question.

Whether you’re 9 or 90, an airport lounge can provide an ease to your travel itinerary by allowing you to spend your airport time in an (oftentimes) quieter environment with free drinks, food and sometimes showers/sleep areas to enjoy. As you may infer by our daughter’s assumption that she would be visiting a lounge- we use them often.

Priority Pass Lounges→ Currently there are over 1,600 Priority Pass lounges worldwide and several credit cards that give you and 2 guests free entry. Also, Priority Pass Lounge access also grants you entry into 60 of the 250 Plaza Premium lounges worldwide.

Logistics→ The cards that offer entry often have an annual fee associated with it. For us, it’s worth this value, as lounge entry is usually $30-$50/person and we visit a lounge 3-5x/year plus we factor in not having to buy any airport food.

While I’m prevented from listing certain cards by name, here are some of the cards I love that give the major travel perk of airport lounge access:

Capital One Venture X (my favorite travel card!)
This Beauty (also gives Centurion lounge access 😍)
Those loyal to Marriott card
The “blue bank” big hitter
Those loyal to Hilton card

Bottom line→ If you haven’t already, break into the world of airport lounges. It will entirely change how you feel about your otherwise stressful and tiring travel day experience.

Enjoy this week’s content and think a buddy of yours would do the same? Please, forward them this newsletter or simply share this link: https://bookeditonpoints.beehiiv.com/

Thanks for your time and hope to see a picture of you, feet up in a lounge soon!

As always, I appreciate you for being here today,

Allie