At the carousel
When the belt stops and your bag has not appeared, check the oversize area and the floor beside the carousel. Then go to the baggage office of the airline that flew your last leg, which is responsible even if another carrier lost the bag. Hand over the bag tag receipt you were given at check-in and describe the bag by color, size, material and anything distinctive. You should leave with a written report and a reference number, and the airline should deliver the bag to you at its own expense when it surfaces.
While you wait
Airlines owe reasonable interim expenses for a delayed bag, which means toiletries, underwear, a change of clothes and the basics the trip requires. Buy modestly and keep every receipt. Under Department of Transportation rules an airline may not cap these expenses at an arbitrary daily amount. It must also refund your checked bag fee when the bag is lost, or delivered more than 12 hours late on a domestic flight and somewhat longer on an international one, provided you filed a report.
What a lost bag is worth
Most airlines declare a bag lost after five to fourteen days. You then file an itemized claim with values and purchase dates. Airlines pay depreciated value, not replacement cost, and ask for receipts on expensive items. Liability is capped. On US domestic flights the cap is a figure the department adjusts periodically, currently several thousand dollars per passenger. On most international trips the Montreal Convention applies, with a limit of roughly two thousand dollars, a seven-day deadline for reporting damage and 21 days for a delay claim after the bag arrives. Most carriers exclude cash, jewelry and electronics altogether, so those never belong in a checked bag. Renters insurance or a credit card benefit may cover the gap.
Before the next flight
- Photograph the bag and its contents before you close it.
- Put your name, phone number and email inside the bag as well as outside, and tear off old tags and barcode stickers.
- Drop a small tracking tag inside, so that you can tell the agent which airport the bag is sitting in.
- Carry medication, keys, chargers, valuables and one change of clothes in the cabin.
- Avoid connections under an hour, which are the leading cause of bags that miss the flight.
Note A damaged bag follows the same path. Show the damage at the baggage office before you leave the airport, because a report made later is easy for the airline to refuse.
