What to do when airlines misplace your luggage?

Losing luggage on a flight is certainly one of the most annoying experiences, which hundreds of passengers experience every other day. If it hasn’t happened to you as of now, you have really been lucky. However, preparing yourself for times when airlines lose passenger luggage is a good gesture. You should know what you should do in case your luggage doesn’t arrive with you at the airport. Here are some tips that would empower you to deal with this awful situation appropriately.

Report the lost luggage ASAP
Waiting to report lost luggage can make your situation worse. Therefore, make sure you do this at the earliest. Airlines usually have set period within which passengers have to report their lost luggage. The earlier you initiate the report, the sooner you get the lost luggage back. You should always note down the identification numbers on your baggage.

Make a list
On an average, airlines take less than two days to relocate lost luggage. Therefore, there are high chances that you would get your luggage back soon, but you should be prepared for times when it won’t. For such times, you are supposed to make a list of all the things that were there in your bag. The list that you make would come handy while filing a reimbursement claim.

Try to identify the airlines to contact
For passengers who fly non-stop and experienced a luggage problem, identifying which airline misplaced their luggage is simple, but for such passengers, who changed airlines, it is downright perplexing to decide which airline they should check with. However, if you know the airline that took you to your ultimate destination is responsible for lost luggage beforehand, no confusion can overpower your capacity to deal with the situation right.

Get your immediate purchases reimbursed
With a lost luggage, you will certainly have to spend on necessities, including inexpensive clothing, undergarments, and toiletries, to feel clean and fresh while waiting for your luggage. You can check with the concerned airlines whether they provide for all these necessities or not, as most of the airlines do. You simply need to keep all the receipts carefully with you, so that you could avail the reimbursement on presenting those receipts to the concerned authorities.

File a claim
If the airline fails to locate your luggage and declares it lost, you are supposed to file a claim. Airlines at fault are responsible for reimbursing the passengers for their lost luggage and its contents. However, they do not reimburse the full value, but the depreciated value of the items. This policy stands fair for the goods that have been used by the owner. To understand the specific policies appropriately, you should openly communicate with the airline representatives.

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