Let's face it, lost luggage happens to a lot of people when they travel and with today's security guidelines, it's extremely hard to pack everything you want in a carryon bag. The best way of course is to bring a carry on but a lot of families can't do this because of size restraints and once again, security guidelines.

When most people think of their luggage and the airport, they immediately fear that their luggage is going to get lost. While the numbers are pretty high, airlines are almost perfect when it comes to finding your bag. While it may cause stress in your travel, there's not a lot to fear because most companies will compensate you if they can't find your bag.

A few tips can be applied when travelling if you want to ensure that you see your luggage pop out on the luggage carousel.

Label your bag

This is the most important issue. Believe it or not, some other people may have the same luggage as you and because of these issues; they may take your bag on accident and not realize it till they get to their hotel room. It's important that not only do you label the outside of the bag; apply a tag inside of your bag as well. A good idea is to take duct tape and apply it to the inner cover, so that when you open your bag, the name tag is right there. If you want to notice your bag quicker and know it's yours when it comes out, try getting obscure colors as a name tag. This will help speed up the process at the carousel.

Take a picture of your bag

Just in case your bag does get lost, make sure you have evidence of what was inside of it. It's always safe to keep all of your valuables at home. Your luggage should only contain your clothing, toiletries, and that's about it. Don't place jewelry or any expensive items in the bag, you will just cause yourself more harm. If you simply take a picture of the bag shut and closed, this will be more than enough for the airlines as evidence.

Rip up old airline tags

If you travelled before, make sure that the tag from the previous flight is torn off. A lot of times people will get home from their trip, throw the luggage in the closet and not even think twice about it. Make sure your bag looks like new from the outside with only your nametag on it and that's it.

Lock your bag

Make sure your bag is locked at all times. If you have something suspicious in your bag, security will be able to break your lock off. If this does happen, they will place a little note in your bag. A lock not only prevents theft, it ensures you that your bag won't spill out on the runway when the luggage handlers load up the bags.

These are just a few simple steps you can follow to avoid getting your luggage lost. If you do by chance find that your luggage has been stolen, make sure that you contact the airline office immediately. From there, the airlines will be able to assist you.

Tom Tessin is an author for www.FINDairlinecards.com that is geared toward people looking to save on airline tickets with Airline Credit Cards