The best thing is, of course, not to lose your luggage in the first place. And as a traveler, you can actively influence the probability of this happening. At least theoretically. The chance of arriving at your destination without your luggage on a direct flight is almost zero. A trip where you have to change planes three times and maybe even at the world's major hubs will naturally increase the risk. If you can't choose whether you want to fly non-stop or not, you can at least minimize the damage by packing the right things. Ideally, no irreplaceable items will land in your suitcase. Only those that you can replace using the maximum amount of compensation. And if you have space in your hand luggage, it certainly doesn't hurt to carry some clothes, fresh underwear and toiletries with you.