You want to make it as simple as possible for an airline to reach out to you about your luggage if you happen to lose it. That means including your cell phone number on your luggage tag, but it also means writing your email address down as well.

Including your email address on a luggage tag is widely considered a smart and secure alternative to listing your home address. In 2026, travel security experts advise against displaying your full home address publicly, as it informs potential thieves that your residence is currently unoccupied. By providing an email address, you offer a direct and immediate way for an airline or a good Samaritan to contact you without compromising your physical security. Many travelers now use a dedicated travel-only email address for this purpose. If your bag is lost, the airline will use the barcode system first, but a physical tag acts as a vital backup. In addition to an email address, it is helpful to include your phone number with an international country code (e.g., +1 for the US) to ensure you can be reached across borders. For maximum privacy, use a luggage tag with a protective cover or "privacy flap" that hides your details from casual passersby while keeping them accessible to authorized personnel. Listing an email address ensures that the lines of communication remain open regardless of where you are in the world, significantly increasing the chances of a swift baggage recovery.