You have probably been in a situation where you are standing at the baggage claim carousel. Everyone else gets his or her Luggage but yours has still not arrived. Airlines have a long history of mishandling customer luggage. In some cases, they will send the luggage to the wrong destination. In other cases, your luggage will disappear, never to be heard of again.
Follow the Steps when your Luggage is Lost
- Ask the Airlines to Pay You
If you do not want to lose your luggage, you should probably send it through a shipping company such as Golf Overnight. However, circumstances may force you to ship through an airline. If they do lose your luggage, you have a right to ask for compensation. However, you will have to prove that your luggage contained the contents that you claim it did. That is why it is a good idea to take pictures of everything before departing on your flight.
- Make a Report ASAP When You Luggage Is Delayed
The airlines of today have a sophisticated system of tracking luggage. Thus, it has helped to reduce the number of lost luggage pieces. If you make a report early on, the airline can begin tracking where your luggage may have been diverted. The more you wait, the further your luggage gets away from you.
Even after the airline assures you they are tracking your luggage, you should ask for a paper trail. Do not simply believe what the person at the luggage claims area tells you. If the personnel tell you that it is on the next file, ask them to file a report and give you a copy. It is also important to get a number, which you can call to track the progress. If the luggage is not found, a paper trail will make it easy for you to get the compensation you need.
- Head Directly to the Carousel After the Plane Lands
One reason why your bag may be stolen is that you took too long to pick it. A thief may see an easy opportunity when it is the last bag on the carousel and there is nobody to claim it. If your bag is scanned as having left the baggage claim area, the airline may not compensate you. If you are traveling in a large group of people with children, ensure that you designate someone to rush to the carousel area immediately you land.
- Call Your Insurer
If your luggage is lost, one of the first moves you make should be to contact your insurer and file a report. After all, it is the reason why you paid for it. The insurer will immediately begin processing your claim as they await any eventuality. If you wait too long to file a claim with the insurer, you claim may no longer be valid. If a phone call is not possible, you can consider writing an email to them informing them of a recent loss that you suffered.
- Be Ready for Tough Negotiations
No matter what the airline states, you are liable to get reasonable compensation for any loss that you incur because of lost luggage. However, there is a big difference between what the airline thinks is reasonable versus what you think is reasonable.
Thus, you have to be ready for some hard negotiations that may take days or weeks. It is especially so when it becomes apparent that the airline has lost your luggage. In the past, passengers had no legal standing when negotiating with airlines. However, that all changed in 2009 when the DOT brought in new regulations. Now airlines must give you reasonable compensation.
Today, airlines can compensate you for losses of up to $3,400 for domestic flights. Some airlines will attempt to convince passengers that they cannot pay them by making them sign a waiver. However, that waiver has no legal standing. If you can verify the expenses incurred because of the loss of your luggage, an airline has to compensate you.
Do Not Expect to Get the Full Amount
Realistically, airlines will still give you quite a small amount. You will be lucky if they give you more than $100 for your luggage. However, if you cite the DOT regulations of 2009, you may force them to give you something extra.
If they prove unwilling to negotiate, you can file a complaint with the DOT. However, you should be aware that it could take weeks or months for your claim to be processed. Unless you were carrying something quite valuable, you should just take what the airlines offers you after negotiations.
What about International Flights
International flights are more complex. It is especially so when it is a round trip from the US to international destinations. In such a case, you can only get a maximum of 1,131 SDRs. That is about $1,600 only. Filing a claim for baggage lost internationally can be especially stressful when the company is not based in the US.
Ask to be compensated the luggage Fee
Although some airlines will not compensate you, it does not hurt to ask them to give you back the checking fee that you paid to have your bag lost. If you do not have travel insurance, you can check whether your home insurance will cover you.
The post The Airline Lost Your Luggage, What Next? appeared first on GolfOvernight.
This post first appeared on Golf Overnight Blog | Tips On Golf Travel And Vacation Shipping, please read the originial post: here
