It's the ultimate travel nightmare; you book the holiday, get the correct currency, even remember your passport and get to the airport on time, only to land at your destination to find that your luggage wasn't so lucky. As you wait by an empty carousel that has long since been cleared by your fellow passengers, the sinking feeling that your bag isn't going to turn up, finally hits home.

Lost luggage is on the increase with travel insurers claiming a rise of 22% in lost luggage claims from 2006 to 2007. Unfortunately, the chances are, if you're a regular traveller, you're likely to become a victim of lost luggage at some point in your life.

Though baggage systems are supposedly getting better at delivering our precious cargo to the right place, the sheer volume of bags, suitcases and rucksacks that flow through airports, means that although only a small percentage go astray, that translates as quite a high number.

Unfortunately, once you've handed over your check-in luggage, there's not a whole lot you can do to prevent your bag from getting misplaced in the matrix of airport conveyor belts and baggage handlers. The best advice is to label baggage clearly with your name and contact details, and make sure that the printed luggage tag given by the airline is well adhered. Also make sure you remove any other old baggage tags before checking in your luggage.

Ironically, it's often the biggest and most advanced airports which are the worst offenders for losing luggage. With so many bags to track, and so many flights coming in and out, there's a higher change of a mix up. Smaller, local airports have much less to worry about and there's normally less distance to transport your bags from the runway to carousel.

Often, when a bag doesn't turn up, it may just have been placed on another carousel by accident. Make sure you scout around the rest of the airport and check nearby carousels. There's also a chance that it will turn up on a later flight, but if you do find yourself in the unenviable position of being the owner of a non-existent bag, contact the airline's lost luggage service and report the details. If the bag does turn up, they'll normally be able to deliver them to your hotel at your destination.

The most effective way of dealing with baggage loss or delay is to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance. This is especially important if you are carrying expensive clothes or equipment such as ski gear. Also remember to keep all of your receipts for your luggage and contents, as without them, you may find yourself unable to claim for your goods. Remember to always keep your most precious items, such as passport, cash, camera, phone etc, in your hand luggage and never let it out of your sight.

In an age where travel is becoming more and more of a necessity, we can only hope that the airlines and airports improve their baggage handling systems, so that fewer people will become victims of the lost luggage blues.

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