Airport Warning: Why You Must Stop Attaching Ribbons to Your Suitcases

We’ve all been there—standing at the baggage carousel, watching an endless parade of identical black suitcases go by, wondering if yours will ever appear. To make your bag easier to spot, you might have tied a bright ribbon to its handle. It’s a common travel hack, recommended by countless blogs and travel influencers.

But according to airport baggage handlers, this simple trick could be the reason your luggage goes missing. Here’s why you should think twice before tying that ribbon.

The Real Problem: It Interferes with Automated Scanners

The primary issue with ribbons is not that they look bad or that security thinks they’re suspicious. The real problem is entirely mechanical.

Modern airports rely on automated baggage handling systems. When you check your bag, it travels along a conveyor belt and passes through a scanner that reads the barcode tag attached by the airline. This barcode tells the system exactly where the bag needs to go—which flight, which destination, which loading cart.

A ribbon tied to your suitcase handle can obscure that barcode. “Ribbons people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall,” explained a Dublin Airport baggage handler named John. “If the bag can’t be scanned automatically, it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight”.

In other words, a ribbon that’s meant to help you find your bag faster could actually be the reason it never arrives at all.

The Risk of Jams and Delays

Beyond blocking the barcode, ribbons pose a second, more physical risk. Loose items like ribbons, strings, and dangling luggage tags can become entangled in the machinery of the conveyor belt itself. According to airport workers, this “could potentially cause a jam in the system,” bringing the entire carousel to a halt and delaying everyone’s luggage.

A single ribbon can turn a smooth baggage flow into a chaotic backlog, affecting hundreds of passengers.

What Happens When Your Bag Can’t Be Scanned

When an automated scanner fails to read a bag’s barcode, the bag is diverted for manual processing. This means a human employee must physically handle the bag, scan it by hand, and route it to the correct flight. This extra step takes time.

If the manual processing isn’t completed before the flight departs, your bag stays behind. It might be placed on a later flight, or it might sit in a storage area until someone can figure out where it belongs. In the worst-case scenario, a bag that can’t be scanned properly could even be sent to the wrong destination entirely.

Don’t Blame the Ribbon Alone: Old Stickers Are a Problem Too

Baggage handlers point out that ribbons aren’t the only culprit. Old airline stickers and barcodes from previous flights can cause the same problems. “Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process,” John advised.

If your suitcase still bears the tag from your trip to Florida last summer, the scanner might try to read that old barcode instead of the new one. The result? Your bag could be routed to the wrong plane.

What the Experts Recommend Instead

So how do you make your bag stand out without risking a delay? Baggage handlers suggest several alternatives:

• Use a luggage strap: A brightly coloured strap that wraps around the entire suitcase is securely attached and unlikely to dangle loose or obscure the barcode. It’s a safer way to personalise your bag.
• Apply distinctive stickers: Permanent stickers or decals on the side of your suitcase can make it easy to identify without interfering with the handle area where the barcode tag is attached.
• Choose a distinctive suitcase colour: If you’re in the market for new luggage, consider a colour other than black. Around 40% of flyers choose black bags, making them the most likely to be involved in mix-ups.
• Use a luggage cover: A coloured or patterned cover slips over your entire suitcase, making it instantly recognisable while also protecting it from scratches and rain.

The Bottom Line

The ribbon trick is one of those travel hacks that seems harmless but can have serious consequences. A moment of convenience at the carousel isn’t worth the risk of your bag being delayed, lost, or sent to the wrong city.

Before your next flight, take a moment to remove any ribbons, strings, or old stickers from your suitcase. Choose a safer identification method, and your bag—and your fellow passengers waiting at the carousel—will thank you.

Have you ever had a bag delayed or lost? Share your story in the comments below.