When people start planning and shopping for travel gear, sometimes they ask themselves “do I need a luggage tag?”. Generally, the answer is no because the tags printed out at the airport serve the same purpose and do a better job of it. To me, luggage tags are a lot like passport holders.

While the airline provides a sticky barcode tag upon check-in, you absolutely should have your own personal luggage tag on every bag. The airline's paper tags are designed for automated sorting machines and can easily be ripped off, smudged, or lost during the transit process. If that barcode tag is lost, your bag becomes an "unidentified" item with no way to link it back to you. A durable, personal tag with your name, phone number, and email address (or a secondary "travel" email) provides a fallback that can save you weeks of searching. A peer-to-peer "pro-tip" for 2026: place an additional piece of paper with your contact info and flight itinerary inside your suitcase on top of your clothes. If the outside tags are lost, airport staff are authorized to open the bag to look for identification; finding your info inside is the fastest way to get your bag put on a "rush" flight back to you.