Airlines warn why you should avoid a black suitcase at all costs as ribbon warning is issued

A warning about avoiding black suitcases in the airport is one you should probably listen to if you're heading overseas soon or this summer.

Yes, it's that time again where we look to heading abroad for a short break in the sun. Or failing that, if it's not your thing, a city break somewhere with a rich history.

And given how cheap flights can be from the likes of Ryanair, it's never been easier to go on a holiday regardless of your taste.

So if you're heading overseas, better dust off that suitcase you might not have used for a year or so. But if it's black, it might be time to invest in another, brighter one.

That's because no matter how many times we might have flown, that anxiety as you wait at the bag carousel for yours to appear exists no matter what.

Obviously, not all bags are always delivered. Some go missing.

And maybe more than you think. Every year, millions are lost across the UK.

BBC data from 2022 revealed that 26 million pieces of luggage were either delayed, lost, or damaged after flights. And one of the major reasons for cases going missing is mistaken identity.

Enter the world of the black bag; an item that is pretty indistinguishable from the one next to it, even if you've owned yours for years.

Which colour is best? Not black, that's for sure (Getty Stock Images)

Ryanair, Europe's largest operator, has highlighted cases you should be avoiding altogether.

But if you can't avoid that, there's also a few hacks you should undertake to make sure you know what your bag looks like and others avoid taking it.

"Make it easier to spot your checked-in luggage on the carousel, especially if your luggage is black, navy or grey," the Dublin-based airline said.

"Add a colourful luggage tag or ribbon to the handle so that there's no confusion on arrival."

Frankfurt Airport boss, Stefan Schulte, echoed the general sentiment, saying it is 'hard to distinguish them from each other' when it came to dark suitcases.

But is the ribbon advice from Ryanair the right answer?

Ryanair says tie ribbons to your bags, but is this the best advice? (Getty Stock Images)

One baggage handler at Dublin Airport has previously revealed that tying a ribbon around your bags could do more harm than good.

Named John, he spoke about why people need to stop tying ribbons around their luggage handles.

John said: "Ribbons people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall.

"If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight. Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process."

Yeah, maybe just get those bright blue and pink suitcases and end the issue for good.