Airline customer service lines hear a lot of complaints, but one of the most common is that luggage has been lost. The most common reasons that airlines lose luggage are:

• routing tags are possibly damaged
• attendants have typed in the wrong destination code
• a bag is loaded on the wrong plane
• passengers forget to pick up their luggage all together
• then you add in late arrivals and cancelled flights, and luggage is just bound to get lost.

In all of the confusion and rushing, it’s been averaged that about 70,000 pieces of luggage get lost every single year. So, where does that lost luggage go?

Not Labeled and Unclaimed

Many people get their luggage within the next few days, but not everyone gets their luggage returned. In these instances, airlines reach a financial settlement with the passengers for their belongings. There are many valuable electronics like tablets, cameras, phones, music players, and computers that are left in checked baggage to keep it safer during flight. When they are lost and not labeled though, the airline has no way of returning the property to the rightful owner. Other valuable items that are lost include jewelry, expensive souvenirs, and even wedding dresses. Passengers who do not have a way to claim or mark their belongings have a hard time getting it back.

Luggage that is Gone for Good

Once the customer has been reimbursed by the airline for the property, they own the baggage. These bags, along with any other unlabeled or unclaimed baggage are fairly useless to the airline. In order to clear them out and get some of their settlement money back, the airlines then sell off the bags to a store that sells trinkets, electronics, and used clothing wholesale to the public. One store in a small Alabama town gets as many as 7,000 new items a day where they then turn around and sell these items to consumers for a decent profit.

These are the stores that dedicated shoppers dream about. Not only are you experiencing wholesale prices but with the variety and quality of the used clothing not to mention the various value ranges found here, people find themselves checking off Christmas lists, birthday’s and any other desired personal gifts right along with it all. Shop here and you will find yourself surrounded by designer clothing, gadgets, and jewelry as well as any other range, all for heavily discounted prices.

Why so much higher end stuff you say? Well it’s been found that many travelers pack their very best things for vacation, and a lot of the time it really is their brand new or barely used higher end valuables that end up getting sold to stores like these. Clothing of all different sizes, colors, and styles are placed on racks for people to buy at over 80% off. There are display cases full of valuable watches, engagement rings, and many other priceless pieces of jewelry.

How Thrift and Wholesale Businesses Lend a Helpful Hand

Thrift and wholesale stores selling used clothing everywhere are an important tool in recycling clothes and other items because they don’t end up in the landfill. Instead, clothing gets to those who need it for a heavily discounted price. Those who buy from these stores see the positive lining in lost luggage, but what about the people who don’t get to look through the racks?

The unclaimed baggage centers participate in charity organizations that help to spread the love of lost items. More than half of the items that are not put on the retail floor are donated to help individuals nationally and around the world. Suitcases are given to children in the foster care system, eyeglasses are donated to places like The Lions Club Sight First program, medical supplies are given to developing countries, and wheelchairs are rebuilt for those who need them anywhere in the world. On top of all this, millions of dollars of clothing is also found donated to those who struggle to afford this basic necessity.

Many people are discovering the good that these charities can do for the world. Recycling your goods is always a great thing to do because it helps the planet, but helping those who really need those items can improve the world. So if you have ever lost your luggage before, hopefully it can bring you just a little bit of comfort to know that your things just might be used for a greater good. If you want to go a step further, donate any clothing that doesn’t fit, glasses you don’t need, or other useful items to a charity that puts them in the hands of those they can really benefit.