If you’ve ever spent time at an airport scanning the baggage carousel for your valuables, you understand the stress of seeing hundreds of nearly identical suitcases sailing down the conveyor belt.

While savvy travelers have found that attaching a ribbon to their luggage helps it stand out from the crowd.

An airport employee warns passengers that using personal tags will result in the creation of a type of baggage that you will not be able to get rid of.

Read on to learn why you should never use ribbon or travel with marzipan!

The thought of losing luggage while traveling can be daunting even for the most seasoned traveler.

To reduce the risk of your luggage being taken by another passenger or of watching it spin around on the conveyor belt over and over again, travelers attach brightly colored ribbons to their suitcases to make them stand out from the crowd.

But according to a baggage handling officer at Dublin Airport known as John, these popular tricks do more harm than good.

In fact, it could lead to your worst travel nightmare coming true.

Leave the Ribbon at Home Speaking to RSVP Live, John revealed that tying identification ribbons on your luggage can cause delays, meaning your items may not make it to your flight.

“The ribbons people tie on their suitcases to help identify them can cause problems when scanning luggage in the processing hall,” John told the publication.

“If a suitcase cannot be scanned automatically, it may be subject to manual processing, which means your suitcase may not make it onto your flight.”

Checking your suitcase without identifying items such as ribbons and old travel stickers increases the chances that it will arrive easily.

John suggests, “Remove any old stickers from your suitcase, they may cause confusion during the scanning process.”

Another thing that can cause problems with your luggage is marzipan, a delicious sweet almond treat, and John warns that you may be checked by security if you take it on holiday.

“Never pack marzipan in your luggage. It has the same density as some explosives, so your suitcase will be confiscated and you will be called off the plane for inspection,” warned a Dublin-based luggage expert.

Finally, before you send your luggage down the small conveyor belt to workers like John, make sure it is facing up to avoid damage.

No More Basic Luggage Luggage has evolved significantly over the past few decades, and you no longer have to carry around plain black, brown, or navy blue suitcases.

According to Travel & Leisure, black luggage “is one of the most—if not the most—versatile colors, which is why it’s so popular.”

The publication writes: “For this reason, it’s worth choosing a different shade if you want your luggage to stand out on the baggage carousel.

Instead, consider getting a suitcase with a print or perhaps a bright color, like hot pink.”

And if pink isn’t your thing, you can find luggage in many bright, bold colors that will make your items stand out from the rest.

Or if you’re not ready to part with the containers you currently have, consider using fabric paint or stickers to add identifying features that won’t interfere with scanning.

Dublin Airport employee’s tips should reduce stress for travellers around the world!

What tips can you offer travelers to help them avoid airport hassles? Share your thoughts with us, and then share this story so we can hear from others!