1. Importance of Documenting Your Luggage
2. Airline Compensation Policies
3. Tips for Handling Lost Luggage
It could save you a massive headache — and money.
Preparing for a trip always comes with a long to-do list, and although you may have thought of everything, from calling your bank to purchasing traveler insurance, taking a photo of your luggage — contents and all — is equally crucial.
As airlines recover from a summer of delays, cancellations, and lost bags, having proof of what your belongings look like may aid in receiving compensation in case your checked luggage doesn’t arrive at your destination or arrives damaged.
“Airlines are required to compensate passengers if their bags are damaged, delayed, or lost,” the Department of Transportation’s website states. “Airlines must compensate passengers for reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses incurred while their bags are delayed — subject to the maximum liability limits.”
Moreover, those “liability limits” are set at $3,800 for domestic delays and $1,780 for international situations.
“This is the most that airlines must pay a passenger for a lost, damaged, or delayed bag,” the DOT added. “Airlines are free to pay more than the limit but are not obligated to do so.”
This compensation can be utilized to cover the cost of essential items needed during your trip, such as new clothing, toiletries, or other necessary goods. If you need to purchase items while your bag is delayed and before you obtain compensation from the airline, be sure to keep the receipts to support your claim later.
If your luggage seems to be unfortunately lost for good, check in with your airline, as the rules can vary greatly between carriers. However, the DOT notes that most airlines declare a bag lost between five and fourteen days after the flight. Significantly, for lost luggage claims, “airlines may require receipts or other proof for valuable items that were in the lost bags,” as explained by the DOT.
Therefore, consider having a little photoshoot with your luggage — just in case.
Passenger advocate group AirHelp advises not only to take a picture of your luggage and packed items — including valuables — but also to snap a photo of your bag tag before it heads off onto the carousel at check-in. This should assist airline staff in tracking down your bags, whether they are on the wrong plane, left at the departure airport, or somewhere in between.
