Jen Thomas
There's nothing worse than landing at your destination and realizing your suitcase hasn't made the trip with you.
Losing your baggage can put a real dampener on a trip, especially if you're heading home to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family with gifts in your luggage.
Travelers have been sharing their top tip for stress-free trips, which could make for much less stressful holiday season.
Their top tip?
Frequent flyers swear by putting Apple AirTags in your case, so you can track the whereabouts of your belongings.
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The tiny tracking devices use Bluetooth to show your item’s location in the 'Find My' app, meaning if your bag goes missing you can quickly and easily track it down.
You will also receive a notification if you have strayed too far from the AirTag (e.g have left it behind.)
It could make an ideal Christmas gift for a loved one who adores traveling, with a set of four AirTags currently on offer for 25% off on Amazon.
Psychologist Dr Daniel Glazer recently explained why lost luggage can be a big trigger for those who suffer with anxiety around trips: "A frequent trigger is the thought of a suitcase vanishing into the labyrinth behind the check-in belt and never reappearing at the other end," he told LADbible
"Watching your bag progress on the Find My map gives the prefrontal cortex real-time data, that calms the amygdala (the part of the brain that process emotions), because uncertainty is replaced by concrete information.
"Knowing that your phone will alert you if the luggage drifts off course, reinforces an internal locus of control, and reduces the cognitive load of mentally rehearsing what might go wrong."
He praised the gadgets as a 'psychological buffer' to the stresses and strains of flying around the world: "This extra layer of perceived safety is no panacea for flight anxiety, yet it illustrates how technology can serve as a psychological buffer."
"By tending to one concrete stressor - the location of your belongings - you lighten the overall anxiety burden and create mental space to engage with the journey itself rather than the worries swirling around it."
Customers can't stop singing their praises, with one reviewer writing: "Can’t go wrong with these! I’ve had and have been using these for over a year now, they go in our luggage cases when traveling abroad and I’ve also used them in the children’s rucksacks when they’re on trips or out of sight!
"They such a brilliant idea, easy to use, easy to set up and I can track them from my [cellphone]! I wouldn’t be without these, and would definitely recommend to anyone thinking of getting them."
Another raved: "I absolutely love these AirTags - I’ve since bought more because they work flawlessly with Find My on iPhone. Setup is instant with a single tap, and tracking is incredibly accurate."
"We now use them in our suitcases for [vacations], and each of the kids has one in their bag - it’s reassuring to know we can locate everything quickly if needed. The precision finding feature is brilliant, and the audible ping helps when something’s buried or misplaced," they added.
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