In my book, there are only two kinds of airline bags, carry-on and lost. And while the airlines claim they are doing a better job of making sure that your bags were on the same flight that you are on, problems continue, especially with connecting flights.

Want to have a better chance that your bags will arrive with you?

First, never schedule connecting flights with less than 90 minutes between flights on domestic routes and three hours on international routes.

Second, before boarding your flight at the gate, show your bar coded bag tags to the gate agent and ask that agent to see that your bags were boarded.

And finally, get a strong piece of masking tape and affix it to the inside flap of your bag, and with an indelible marker, write your name and cell phone contact if, for any reason, the outside bag tag gets torn off or damaged. The airline can then open the bag and know exactly who to contact.