What To Do If An Airline Loses Your Baggage

For a few years, folks felt comparatively safe about checking their baggage for a flight. However the chaos of air journey this summer season has thrown chilly water on that confidence.

The percentages of airways dropping your baggage have reportedly “skyrocketed” this yr, with large will increase within the numbers of “mishandled” ― i.e., misplaced, broken, delayed or pilfered ― luggage.

“Throughout the pandemic, many airports and airways had been compelled to cut back their workforce in response to the restrictions the world was dealing with,” Alex Miller, founder and CEO of Upgraded Factors, advised HuffPost. “Now, as these restrictions have been lifted, individuals are returning to their travels once more, leaving airports and airways struggling to deal with the surge of passengers. This mix of an elevated demand, with a scarcity of employees, as recruitment hasn’t been in a position to counterbalance the rise, is leaving many vacationers to reach at their vacation spot with out their baggage.”

The result’s numerous airport images exhibiting mounds of misplaced baggage and a whole lot of pissed off vacationers.

In fact, the apparent answer is to pack much less and keep away from checking a bag, however generally that’s simply not an choice. So what must you do if you end up on this state of affairs and find yourself separated out of your bag? Beneath, consultants share their recommendation.

“The very first thing it’s best to do should you discover that your baggage didn’t arrive at your vacation spot is to report it instantly,” Miller suggested. “The airline that you simply flew on is answerable for guaranteeing your baggage is delivered to your vacation spot.”

Go to the airline’s baggage desk and have the customer support consultant see if they’ll find your baggage. It’s attainable it was delayed however will arrive on a later flight. Or maybe it arrived early and was positioned in a separate space.

You may additionally be capable of decide your bag’s location on the airline’s cellular app. If the bag remains to be lacking, nonetheless, it’s time to file a declare.

“When you’ve knowledgeable airline employees about your lacking baggage, it’s important that you simply file a lacking baggage report,” Miller added. “It’s best to present an in depth description of your baggage, together with measurement, colour and materials of the bag. The report also needs to embody your present deal with and get in touch with info so the airline can contact you. You also needs to hold a observe of any reference or monitoring quantity that you simply obtain from the misplaced baggage desk.”

“Instantly submitting a lacking bag report with the airline will each immediate them to start looking for your bag and begin the clock for whenever you’ll be capable of declare compensation,” famous Scott Keyes, creator of “Take Extra Holidays” and founding father of Scott’s Low cost Flights. “If it’s been lacking for between 5 to 14 days, at that time you’re entitled to reimbursement of the lacking bag and its contents, as much as $3,800 for home flights and $1,780 for worldwide flights.”

Along with speaking to the airline, he really useful checking to see in case your bank card gives any compensation for delayed or misplaced baggage as effectively.

“Many routinely embody this, so long as you used it to pay for the flight,” Keyes famous.

When you have journey insurance coverage, learn via all of the phrases relating to baggage.

“Journey insurance coverage insurance policies usually embody protection for any misplaced or lacking baggage,” Miller mentioned. “After you could have filed a declare with the airline, at all times double test for any further claims that may be made in your insurance coverage.”

Misplaced baggage not solely disrupts trip plans by stranding folks with out the belongings they packed, nevertheless it additionally forces vacationers to spend cash on new issues in order that they don’t should repeatedly rewear their flight outfit or forego toothbrushing for days on finish.

The excellent news is it’s possible you’ll be entitled to reimbursement ― as long as your purchases are “affordable.”

“Preserve receipts for any day by day purchases you needed to make because of the lacking bag,” Keyes suggested. “This may increasingly embody garments, toiletries or different day by day gadgets.”

“If the airline is dragging its ft on offering compensation for a lacking bag, don’t be afraid to file a grievance with the federal Division of Transportation,” Keyes mentioned.

The company’s “Air Journey Service Grievance or Remark Kind” permits vacationers to flag dangerous airline service because it pertains to baggage, in addition to different points, like refund practices, discrimination, overbooking, household seating and extra.

You may additionally attempt getting the airline’s consideration via social media. Typically tweeting on the firm or sending a direct message yields actual outcomes.

As irritating as it’s to be separated out of your baggage, there are mechanisms in place to get it again to you.

When staffing shortages at London’s Heathrow Airport led to mass cancellations and a sea of stranded luggage, Delta Air Traces flew a airplane from London to Detroit full of 1,000 items of baggage and nil passengers.

Journey consultants are additionally eager for the way forward for flying with checked baggage.

“This drawback will seemingly persist all through the summer season after which enhance round Labor Day,” Keyes mentioned. “That’s as a result of journey demand is at its peak via mid-August and solely begins to taper off as soon as faculty begins once more in components of the nation. It’s unlikely we’ll be seeing practically as many misplaced luggage come autumn.”

“There are just a few proactive steps you’ll be able to take to keep away from misplaced baggage within the first place ― setting apart the obvious recommendation of avoiding checking a bag should you can,” Keyes mentioned.

Take into account the recommendation under to reduce your danger of winding up on trip or again residence from a visit with out your issues:

Prioritize nonstop flights.

“In the event you haven’t booked a flight but, prioritize nonstop flights or at the least flights that don’t have tight connections,” Keyes mentioned. “That switch between airplanes is the place within the system the place luggage are almost definitely to get misplaced.”

Keep away from flying with a number of airways if attainable as effectively. Typically it’s cheaper to map out a number of stops and transfers, however weigh the prices in comparison with the chance of dropping your baggage.

Get to the airport further early.

“On the airport, attempt to arrive early ― 90 minutes or extra earlier than your flight time, extra for worldwide flights ― to make sure your bag has loads of time to make it onboard,” Keyes mentioned.

Even should you aren’t checking a bag, attending to the airport early is necessary nowadays, as there have been numerous experiences of safety traces that stretch out the door. Having that further buffer of time will minimize down on stress as you wait in lengthy, sluggish traces.

“When you have a GPS tracker, like Apple’s AirTags, throw one in so you’ll be able to hold simple tabs on the place your bag is, particularly if it will get misplaced,” Keyes suggested.

Certainly, Airtags have turn out to be one in all this summer season’s hottest journey equipment. However make sure to use this product just for its supposed function ― monitoring gadgets, not folks.

Take a photograph of your bag.

“Earlier than handing over your bag, open it up and take a fast image together with your digicam telephone,” Keyes mentioned. “That approach, if the bag does find yourself getting misplaced, you’ll have photographic proof of any necessary contents that you simply’ll need to later declare compensation for.”

Take a photograph of the surface of the bag as effectively. Be sure the tag the airline prints has the proper airport code, identify and frequent flyer quantity, and take an image of that. And don’t overlook to carry on to any receipts.

Pack any valuables in your carry-on.

“Valuables and requirements must be packed in your carry-on,” Miller mentioned. “Gadgets resembling bodily money, medicine, electronics, jewellery and something necessary to you need to be carried with you always. Most airways don’t take duty for such gadgets and won’t difficulty reimbursements for them, so simply keep away from packing them into your checked baggage completely to be on the protected facet.”

Be sure to pack toiletries and at the least one outfit and pair of underwear in your carry-on as effectively. It’s higher to be ready than find yourself sporting the identical garments once more in case your suitcase will get misplaced.