According to the Department of Transportation, the vast majority of bags are reunited with their owners within hours. If your luggage isn’t on the carousel when you arrive, here are some steps to get you started.
Before you leave the airport, report your missing luggage to your airline’s customer service. If you took a connecting flight with multiple carriers, file a report with the airline that brought you to your final destination.
According to the Department of Transportation, you should insist on creating a report no matter what, even if the airline says your bag will be on the next flight. Before you leave the airport, ask for a copy of the report with a file reference number, and a follow-up phone number. Ask about delivery options.
Some carriers allow their employees to give you a cash advance at the airport for purchasing necessities, such as toiletries and a change of clothes. Others will reimburse you for these purchases later. When you report your lost luggage at the airport, ask the agent how your airline handles reimbursement for necessities. You are entitled to this compensation even if your bags are later returned.
International note: For bags that don’t show up after international flights, make a report with your airline as described above. After you receive a delayed bag, international regulations give you 21 days in which to submit a claim for reimbursement for necessities purchased in the interim.
After you’ve made a report, the airline will start tracing your bag. Most airlines will be able to deliver your bag within a day or two. If you receive no notice within a reasonable time after making your initial report at the airport, follow up with the airline by calling the phone number you received. Most carriers will also allow you to track the progress of your report online.
At a certain point, if an airline can’t locate your bag, its status will change from delayed to lost. For domestic flights, the amount of time varies by airline, though it shouldn’t be more than a few weeks. For international flights, luggage must be declared missing if it doesn’t show up within 21 days.
Once the bag is officially declared lost, you may begin the claims process for a lost bag. The exact claims process varies by airline. Regulations cap reimbursement at $3,500 per traveler for domestic flights and around $1,600 for most international flights.
Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, for example, allow customers to initiate a claim if their luggage isn’t located within five days. United Airlines allows customers to do so after three days.
As part of the claims process, you’ll fill out paperwork detailing the contents of the lost bags and their value. The airline will likely ask for sales receipts or other documentation to back up your estimates. The Department of Transportation cautions that if you don’t have these records, you can expect to negotiate with your airline.
Once your claim has been submitted, it can take an airline anywhere from four weeks to three months to reimburse you.
If you’re traveling with valuables, declare them before you fly. There are caps on reimbursement, and travelers with high-value luggage may want to declare and purchase excess valuation when checking their bags.
I know people who have never recovered their lost luggage…but it is rare. Bottom line…if you know what to do ahead of time, it may make your life easier when the baggage carousel stops, and you have no luggage. Maybe…