When travelling by flight, the tag on your checked-in luggage can be just as valuable as the contents within — after all, it is there to ensure that your bag is present at your destination. Slate writer Mark Vanhoenacker, who happens to be a pilot himself, has taken an in-depth look at the life and times of the commonly-underappreciated label. Head to the source to learn about its origin in the steamship era, the work put into making modern-day versions as indestructible as possible, and the future of permanent RFID tags.