AirAdvisor experts shared tips this week for how to deal with lost luggage when flying.
Renewed travel following COVID-19 has been a difficult process for the industry with scheduling issues and canceled flights, and a higher number of lost, stolen or delayed bags than before the pandemic started.
In April alone, the US Department of Transportation reported that almost 220,000 bags were lost, stolen, damaged or delayed, but the US is not alone.
Photos from Ben-Gurion Airport in the last few months have shown an immense number of bags waiting to be reclaimed after they were lost.
How can you avoid losing your luggage?
- Try to avoid checking a bag. If you can, pack everything you need into hand luggage, let that suffice. It can also save you time when you land because you don't have to wait for your bag to come out.
- Plant a tracker in your bag when you pack. That will give you real-time information about the location of your bag.
What should you do if your luggage gets lost?
- If you don't see your luggage on the carousel, the first step is to ask baggage claim for help. There will be a desk at the airport where they will try to track your luggage and make sure it gets sent to the proper location.
- Find out what reimbursements you will get from the airline. This will help you assess how much of it will cover the items that need replacing.
- Supply the airline with the correct address where it will need to send the luggage once it locates the bags.
- If you need to replace the items that were in your lost luggage, keep the receipts because the airline may request to see them when it reimburses you.