Heather Meliski, gives you tips on how to pack light and carry on

What To Do When an Airline Loses Your Luggage

By Heather Meliski

icture this – you’re standing at the luggage carousel patiently waiting for your bag. The bags all come out and you realize that everyone else has found their bags and left. Ugh.

This summer lost and mishandled luggage has been a huge issue worldwide. If you ever find yourself in this unfortunate position, here’s what you need to do.

First, determine if your luggage is lost versus mishandled. Sometimes luggage may appear to be lost when in fact it is delayed making the carousel, was placed on the wrong carousel, or placed somewhere else in the baggage area. Stay calm, look around, and ensure that it’s really missing. If your bag is missing, the first thing you want to do is find the baggage desk for your airline. Ensure it’s the baggage desk for the airline of the

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last leg of your flight - this is important if you were on multiple airlines. Let the agent know that your bag is missing and provide them with your bag tag so they can pull up your information and track the bag. You’ll then want to file a missing baggage report – either a physical form or online.

Next, find out what expenses the airline will cover. Some airlines have amenity kits on hand whereas others will reimburse you for travel essentials. Once you have filed your missing luggage report, purchase any necessary items. Make sure to keep all receipts as these will be required for reimbursement.

Once you’re at your hotel, keep tracking your luggage to see if there is an update. If after 24 hours you don’t receive an update, escalate your claim. At this point you can also file a claim with the DOT which will help draw more attention to your missing bag.

If your luggage is found, make sure that you have the airline deliver it to you. Do not offer to come to the airport to pick it up. The airline’s baggage office is responsible for returning your bag to you.

Your luggage will be considered truly lost after 14-21 days, depending on the airline. At this point you will have to file a new claim since the bag is considered truly lost. Airlines offer different levels of compensation, and the rules vary for domestic versus international flights. This is also when you will want to file a claim with your travel insurance to see if you qualify for additional reimbursement.

Here are some things you can do before travel to help you in case your luggage is lost:

Take photos of the items packed in your bags before you leave. This makes it easier to file claims if your luggage is truly lost.

Use AirTags. This is a great secondary way to track your bags and a number of people have been able to find their bags by utilizing these.

Keep your baggage tags when you check your luggage. It’s much more difficult to track your bags without the baggage tag.

If your airline has online baggage tracking, check the app before your flight takes off to ensure that your luggage made it onto the plane.

Try to have something unique on your bag so it’s easier to identify. Most luggage looks similar so a colorful bag tag or ribbon is helpful to identify your bag in a sea of luggage.

The easiest way to avoid all of this? Pack light and carry on!

Heather Meliski is a travel agent specializing in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, Australia, the South Pacific, cruises, theme parks, and more. She lives in Smyrna with her husband two sons. Heather@yellowshoetravel.com FB @heatheryellowshoetravel IG @yellowshoetravelheather