Destination Reached: Bags Still At The Starting Gate

One of the worst parts about traveling is waiting at the baggage carrousel and seeing everyone’s luggage comes around except yours. Lost or damaged luggage complaints have increased closed to 8 percent over the previous year.  With consumer complaints on the rise airline compensation rates have gone up recently, so you would think they would have a better incentive to get your luggage to you more quickly and carefully. The following are some helpful tips to ensure your luggage gets to its destination and what to do in case you have to file a claim:

Common Reasons for Lost Luggage

There are a number of reasons why your luggage gets lost or damaged. When you first check your bag, your luggage should get tagged properly with a routing label. If the tag gets caught on something and removed, the airline won’t know the proper destination. The check-in agent could also type in the wrong destination for your piece of luggage, sending it to Perth, Australia instead of Perth, Scotland. Late travelers that arrive to the airport close to their departure time have a higher instance of the airline losing their luggage compared to those that arrive well beforehand.

Photo by Claire for Europe Explored

What to Do in Case Your Bags are Lost?

If you’re missing luggage or your bags have been damaged, you need to immediately go to the baggage office and file a written complaint. You will need to have your claim ticket and proof of identification with you. Get a copy of the report and leave your name and address, so they can contact you once they find the bag. You can also get a copy on their policies for lost or damaged luggage, so you know how to proceed. European airlines lose around14.3 bags per 1,000, according to recent data collected by the Association of European Airlines (AEA) comprised of 35 European established companies. However, most of the luggage was properly returned to the owners within 24 hours.

How to Prevent Lost Luggage?

To prevent your luggage from getting lost, ask the baggage claim agent to re-check the routing destination and ensure that the tag is properly attached. Place your identification on the outside and inside of the bag in case the airline needs to reach you. Take pictures and put together an inventory list of the items you are placing inside your luggage in case your bag gets lost or stolen. Make sure to arrive early so that your bag has enough time to make it on the plane.

How to Handle an Unsatisfactory Claim?

If your luggage has been lost or damaged beyond repair, and you haven’t received proper compensation from the airline, you can file your complaint online. There are numerous online complaint sites where consumers can go to air their grievances in hopes of finding a proper settlement. The complaint website works by having the customer relay their story online to prevent this from happening to other customers. Their story can also get shared through social media sites too. The website can invite the airline to give their version of the story and make things right for the customer. Complaint websites give the consumer an outlet to voice their complaint and hopefully find a successful outcome.

Traveling should be a joyous and happy occasion, and you can make it a pleasant experience by doing everything that you can to ensure that your bags makes it to the right destination. However, if you do experience problems with lost luggage, you need to file a written complaint immediately.

Moll Pearce, who flies with more than three pieces of luggage, sends this information to all travelers who find themselves in a situation that calls for action. For those with a grievance about a company in any industry, Gripevine is a place to share your consumer complaints with others and let companies know what they need to do in order to keep your business. Considering the large investment consumers often make on plane tickets, airline travel logistics should be streamlined and property should be carefully monitored at all times throughout the flight experience.

Tags: airlines, flying with baggage, lost luggage, tips on flying

Category: Travel Tips