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Going on holiday should be a stress-free, enjoyable event. However, a lot can go wrong between setting off and arriving at your chosen destination! One of the most frustrating and worrying things which can go wrong is lost luggage. You arrive at your destination, but your bags aren’t so lucky. This isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a nightmare! So, what can you do if you’re one of the unlucky passengers whose bags go mysteriously missing? Here, you will discover on of the most common travel mistakes and how to recover.
What To Do When Airlines Lose Luggage
1. Report it as soon as possible
The first thing you absolutely need to do is report your lost luggage as soon as possible. In fact, you’ll need to do this before you leave the baggage area. If you don’t, there’s a chance the airline could deny responsibility.
They will initially aim to locate the bags and return them to you within 72 hours. However, if they are unable to locate it, they’ll classify the luggage as delayed for a period of 21 days. If they still can’t locate it after that, your luggage will officially be declared lost.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the airline will do everything they can to locate your luggage. The last thing they want is to have to reimburse you for lost or stolen luggage.
2. Check with the airline that you’ll be reimbursed for essentials
So, while you’re waiting for the airline to find your belongings, what can you do about the essentials which your luggage contained? Each airline should reimburse its customers for any essentials they need to buy. However, the amount that you’re offered as compensation can vary greatly between airlines.
Essentials are things such as a toothbrush, toiletries and clothing, basically anything you’ll need to be comfortable and hygienic until your bag is found. You’ll need to keep all receipts, so you can claim the money back after purchasing these essentials yourself. Just try not to go over the top with your spending as you may be surprised just how little compensation you’re offered while the bag is missing!
3. Submit a claim if it turns out to be permanently lost
If it turns out your luggage is permanently lost, you can file a claim against the airline for the total of the missing items. This is of course, if the lost luggage is the airlines fault. If you simply left your bag unattended and it got stolen, you may have less chance of winning a claim.
It’s worth remembering that if you do need to place a claim, it’s highly unlikely you’ll receive the full value of the items that were lost. Airlines only pay depreciated values, so you could end up short of the amount you need to replace your lost items.
Should You Travel with a Backpack or a Suitcase?
Preventing Lost Luggage
It’s not possible to completely prevent the loss of your luggage but there are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of your luggage being permanently lost by an airline.
- Fill in the luggage tags provided by the airline – adding your contact details means the airline can easily contact you when they find your bags.
- Remove old luggage tags – no need to confuse things, remove all out of date tags.
- Add your contact details inside your bag – there is a chance the luggage tags could fall off your bags, so including your contact details inside the luggage is a good back-up plan.
- Check-in in good time – checking in late is one of the most common reasons for luggage going missing. This goes for tight connections too. Try to avoid them if possible.
How to avoid lost luggage from ruining your holiday
It’s always good to know how to handle a lost luggage situation. However, it’s far better to prevent the problem in the first place. While it may not be possible to always prevent lost luggage, it is possible to ensure it doesn’t ruin your holiday.
Make sure you have your essentials with you in your carry-on luggage. Carrying a daypack like an Eastpak backpack with all of your essentials such as your passport, some clothing and your toiletries, will ensure you have everything you need should your suitcase go missing.
It’s always better to be prepared in case anything does go wrong, so you can ensure it doesn’t spoil your holiday too much. The above are the main things you’ll need to do if you do lose your luggage on holiday. If you remember just one thing, it’s to keep all your essentials in a carry-on bag just in case.
Author: Albert Cooper is a known content writer from California, USA. He writes content in different niches such as social media marketing, finance, business etc. He’s a daytime blogger and night time reader currently working as a chief content advisor for some business and finance groups. He enjoys pie, as should all right-thinking people.
