Anyone who has ever anxiously scanned the baggage carousel at an airport knows the stress of trying to spot their suitcase among a sea of nearly identical bags.

While savvy travelers have adopted the habit of tying colorful ribbons to their luggage to help it stand out, an airport employee is now warning that personal markers might come with a downside you didn’t expect.

Read on to find out why you should avoid using ribbons or even packing marzipan!

The thought of losing luggage can send chills down the spine of even the most experienced travelers.

To avoid the nightmare of someone else mistakenly grabbing their suitcase—or watching it go round and round on the conveyor belt—many passengers attach brightly colored ribbons to make their bags easy to spot.

However, according to John, a baggage handler at Dublin Airport, these well-meaning tactics might backfire.

In fact, they could lead to your worst travel fears becoming reality.

Ditch the ribbon Speaking to RSVP Live, John explained that tying ribbons to your suitcase could actually cause delays, increasing the chance of your luggage missing the flight.

«Ribbons that people attach for easy identification can interfere with the scanning process in the baggage hall,» John told the outlet. «If the bag can’t be scanned automatically, it may need to be processed manually, which could result in it not making it onto the plane.»

To ensure a smoother journey for your luggage, it’s best to avoid extra identifiers like ribbons or old travel stickers. Doing so could improve the chances of your suitcase arriving at your destination without a hitch.