Imagine yourself standing at the baggage reclaim area, waiting for your luggage, but even after one long hour, not even its shadow has graced the baggage carousel. At this point, it’s safe to think your luggage wound up taking a different path. Now you have to look for it, or you won’t have anything to wear in your week-long travel. But the thing is, finding lost luggage can be a big challenge. But it’s not impossible. There are things you can do to get reunited with your missing belongings.
Ways of Finding Lost Luggage
Here’s your ultimate guide to finding lost luggage, from the rules you should follow and the right people to seek help from.
1. Be aware of your rights.
You may have the right to get mad if your luggage gets damaged, delayed, or goes missing on a flight, but don’t yell at the airline staff since they’re not the one who lost it. You’ll only alienate the person that can help you locate your luggage. Instead, be calm and report it immediately to the airline. It is also important that you know your rights as a paying passenger.
2. Keep your bag tag.
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Your luggage gets tagged upon checking in and will be transferred from one airport to the next, depending on the information written on the tag. You will be given a stub from that tag. Oftentimes, they will attach it on your boarding pass, so hold on to it until you have your bag with you.
The American Airlines locates lost luggage through WorldTracer. You just need to encode the reference number and other information to locate your bag. It may not be in the same city as you, but at least you know where it is. It is also helpful to keep a photo of your bag.
3. Don’t leave the airport.
After the tiring long hours of travel and waiting for your bags, you may be tempted to rest in your hotel and deal with your lost luggage problem the next day, but don’t. Make sure that you file a claim report before you leave the airport so the airline can immediately start the process of locating your valuables.
4. Be tenacious in finding lost luggage.
You think you’re done because you have already filed a lost baggage report. You can head to your hotel or go home, but do not forget to give them a call every day until they find your luggage. You need to be persistent if you want to see your bag sooner.
5. List down the contents of your bag.
Here is a good packing habit: list down all the things you need to pack. This is a way of ensuring that you bring all the important things you need in your travel. Check your list again before flying home so you will not leave any important thing in your hotel room. This will also help during the reimbursement process in case your bag is never found.
6. File a complaint.
If after a reasonable amount of time, you have not yet received your luggage, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation. Hopefully, though, it should not come down to this.
7. Invest in travel insurance.
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It means extra expenses, but this will also ensure that your luggage is covered in the event that it goes missing. Some travel insurance companies offer coverage for stolen luggage.
Bottom Line
If possible, always travel light. But there are travels where you have no other option but to check in your luggage. If that’s the case, make sure that you follow our tips to avoid losing your luggage or to quickly locate your bag after it is lost.
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