Delayed or Lost Airport Luggage: What You Should Do

17 Nov 2014 by Olga Brighton

Travel Information

Once you have your luggage checked in, the airline bears responsibility for its safety and well-timed delivery. In fact, approximately 5% of the airplane ticket cost is the insurance fare. The airline is obliged to do everything in order to find your bag, compensate any inconveniences caused by delaying it and pay you off if your luggage appears lost. But before you leave it is essential to take steps towards preventing lost airport luggage.

Top 10 Tips to Prevent Lost Baggage from Globelink International

Still, in case it is lost despite all your preparations here are 8 rules you need to remember when it comes to delayed or lost luggage.

1) Report the problem right away. As soon as you see your bags are missing, don’t wait for a miracle and don’t think you have plenty of time to do it. The sooner you fill out a special Property Irregularity Report (PIR) the better. It is easily available on the luggage hall desks but if you cannot find it ask the airport staff to help you.

2) Give as detailed description of your bag as possible. Remember the packing list items if you had any, think weather you have a photo of it in your phone and specify all distinctive features about it. Since this moment the airline has 21 days to find and return your possessions.

Read also: Top 10 Useful Tips for Airport Parking

3) Get your PIR number to be in the know as for the searching procedure. With its help you’ll have access to the luggage-tracing webpage with your own details and with no need to call the airline customer service and remind your problem.

4) If you’re abroad without the bag you need the airline is obliged to compensate the spending you have to make due to their failure. Be ready to spend time and nerves at this point since they would do everything to prove that not everything you claim to be paid off is essential indeed. You’ll have to read their rules as for the luggage items they compensate before you make a list of what you want them pay for. Once the airline agrees to pay you may ask either for an immediate pay-off, daily set amount payments or compensate your spending after the trip when you provide all the receipts.

Airline compensation

5) Be ready for the airline trying to redirect you to get compensated by your travel insurance provider. If you have bought one find out the compensation amount each company is to pay. Often it is travel insurance one that will pay easier, more and faster. Remember that the airline compensation limit is £ 1000.

6) If in 21 days you luggage is still missing it is considered to be lost. Note that this is a different event and you have a right to get compensated irrespective of what the airline paid you for the luggage delay. You should make another claim specifying the original prices of your lost belongings. Be ready for the airline to lessen the compensation amount emphasizing that the things weren’t brand new.

7) If your luggage was delayed or lost during a connecting flight it is the last airline you should make claim to.

8) Remember that every airline may have somewhat different regulations as for delayed and lost luggage. In the worst case scenario you’ll have to take it to the court to be compensated.

It’s not often that airlines lose their customers luggage but when they do you have the law on your side. Getting paid-off may be long and difficult but if it is worth it and you have enough persistence you’ll be compensated for your inconveniences.

Read also: 9 Ways to Feel Like a Superhero at the Airport

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