Whenever you head out on a vacation, the last thing you’d make room for in your mind is a lost or stolen luggage. The sun, sand, and beaches are enough to blur out any thoughts of crimes lurking around. Still, time and time again, you read horrific stories from tourists getting robbed or losing their luggage. 

Before heading out on a trip, it pays to be completely ready just in case an emergency situation happens. You have a sure way of tracking your luggage whenever you are traveling, and that’s through the use of GPS tracking devices like Tracki. GPS trackers are the perfect device for tourists on the go. The list of benefits that GPS trackers have for tourists is longer than you think, and here are just some of them.

The Horror of Losing Luggage

Losing luggage is something that can happen to anyone. Nobody is ever really safe from stressful airline disasters; in fact, there are seasons when you are most likely to lose your luggage! Here are two recent published stories about lost luggage, and both happened just this year.

Lost luggage and cold baths

Even light heavyweight boxer Anthony Yarde experienced the dilemma of having to travel 3,000 miles from his home country, only to find out his luggage was missing. On August 21, the Londoner flew overseas for a boxing match against world champion Sergey Kovalev.

"Before I came here I was told to be careful and that it was dangerous," he told BT Sport. "Losing my bags was very suspicious. I flew business class so why were only me and Tunde's bags lost, the flight was full! When it happened I giggled and thought, ‘Has this really happened?'

"That night I wanted a bath to relax myself but there was hot water. They said I could go to another room so I went up to the 11th floor but the water was cold there too. I went back to my room and stayed dirty for the night."

Honeymoon ruined

A newlywed couple was devastated after British Airways lost the bride’s suitcase, which contained wedding gifts from family and friends, as well as clothing. Dave Cook shared their ordeal in a Facebook post:

Last Friday, Jo & I got married on what was the most happy and emotional day of our lives. As many will know, the next day we flew to our honeymoon to the Seychelles with British Airways . What has followed has been hugely frustrating and disappointing, and has gone a long way to wrecking the great honeymoon we had planned.

We landed safely on Sunday morning, but most upsettingly without Jo’s case. The bag never appeared on the luggage belt - a sickening feeling knowing that not only all of Jo’s clothes and toiletries were missing, but also many wedding gifts and her birthday cards/gifts (her birthday was on Wednesday)."

The couple later discovered that it had been flown to destinations including Doha and the Maldives by mistake. It only turned up on the final day of their honeymoon, the day before their return home. The bride, Jo Cook, told Sun Online Travel: "Our post doesn't explain the amount of time, upset and energy we lost on our honeymoon to this. We have received a response from BA where they have offered an e-voucher for £500 but the email unfortunately once again refers to inaccurate detail around the delivery date and handling of my bag. Only in desperation and out of upset for me did Dave resort to social media.

"We asked our family and friends at our wedding to contribute to our honeymoon as a wedding gift - but actually announced on the day that this would be donated to my charity (a cause dear to both of us). The honeymoon therefore was an extra special expense to us from our savings, feeling all the more upset for it being impacted by the experience with BA. In the context of money, £500 does not nearly compensate enough for what we spent through BA for the honeymoon, nor for the five days without any of my belongings and also forces us to use the airline again.”

Benefits of Using GPS Trackers to Prevent Lost Luggage

The worst can happen anytime when you’re traveling. Nothing spoils a trip more than waiting and watching other people’s bags around, knowing deep down inside that your clothes are in another airport. What if you could tell the airlines exactly where your bag was?

To prevent losing your luggage for days at a time or for good, you need to invest in a GPS tracker. These devices are a good investment, especially if you travel a lot and carry valuable items inside your luggage. Tracki offers you reliable technology in a powerful device without the need for expensive hardware costs or pricey contract fees. With a device worth $38.88, a free first-year service, and a $9.95 monthly service plan afterward, Tracki has beaten the competition worldwide with its affordability. There are absolutely no contractual obligations. No hidden costs or fees. And no more wrecked nerves. No more waiting for lost luggage case updates.

Here are the benefits Tracki can offer you.

Real-time location

Although Bluetooth trackers also work, these tracking devices only work within a range of 15 meters. A GPS tracker, on the other hand, works for unlimited distance. Tracki uses four different tracking technologies (GPS, GSM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) to accurately locate your luggage worldwide, indoor or outdoor. You can check the tracked luggage’s location through your personal computer or smartphone. As long as there is GPS and/or cellular reception, with these trackers, you have on your hands a way of knowing where your belongings are.

Geofence alerts

GPS trackers are perfect for tracking your suitcase in the airport, locating your purse or wallet, and preventing your luggage from crossing a predefined safe area. Get immediate alerts if your luggage is suspiciously moved to a different location through geofencing features. Geofence alerts notify you when the tracker is somewhere outside your allowed area so you can track your belongings the moment they’re lost.

Accelerometer

GPS tracking devices also have a built-in accelerometer that will allow you to set up speed thresholds for your luggage. Through this feature, you will also receive an alert if it goes faster than the speed you have set up. This feature will prevent luggage theft, helping you make decisions as soon as you receive the alert.

Battery life

Battery life is of paramount importance. You may go for a GPS tracker that boasts a variety of cool features, but if the battery doesn’t last, you will find all those specs useless. You don’t want to get the low battery notification when you’re in the middle of a lost luggage crisis; therefore, choose a GPS tracker that won’t lose its power too soon. 

Forget the hassle of daily charging as Tracki's travel tracker can also last from five days up to a whole month in battery save mode on a single charge. That means you can trace your luggage or equipment through multiple flights!

Travel history

GPS devices work like personal computers. They record your travel history in the device and send it to anyone at a different location. This can be particularly useful for travelers and hikers. It gives them the opportunity to take notes of their trail or list down details of the locations they’ve been to. Think of it as a personal travel organizer, except you can upload and save your data on a cloud so you won’t have to worry about losing it for good.

Your Tracki GPS tracking device is capable of generating a detailed travel history that you can view at the click of a button in case your luggage has gone astray. All you need to do is to log in your Tracki app and set the date range you want to be displayed. Tracki’s digital map displays history marker icons in gray. It then connects the markers to indicate the device’s tracking path to form a timeline. Device history is shown from the last hour, past 24 hours, the last week, or the date and time range you specified.

A Final Word

Most airlines will reimburse you for the bare essentials you need to buy when your bag is delayed. If you are away from home, this may only cover essential toiletries, underwear, and laundry costs. There isn’t a rule on a fixed amount of compensation you can receive as it depends on the airline and the value of what you have lost. The maximum will be around $1,000, but it is unlikely you will receive that much. In fact, AirAsia X only offered to compensate $300 for a lost luggage worth $2,700.

Outdoor activities and exploring the world can be fun, but it can also be upsetting if you did not plan carefully beforehand. To ensure that your trip is memorable in a good way, bring a GPS tracker with you.