5 Steps On How To Deal With Lost Luggage

Travelling can be quite an experience; Exciting, exhilarating and exhausting. So once the plane touch down, what’s on the mind of most is how to get home as soon as possible and indulge in a hot bath and meal. So imagine how it feels when you arrive at baggage claim and watch others grab their boxes only to realize that alas your luggage is no where to be found. At this point there’s often two kinds of reactions, one either stays calm or become loud and rude, I’ll advise the first because it gives you the time to think of the next possible actions on how to deal with lost luggage.

How do I know my luggage is lost?

The obvious answer is once you don’t see your luggage but not every missing luggage is a lost luggage and here’s why. Luggage can be delayed. So if you don’t see you luggage immediately and you checked in late, it might have been loaded on the next plane. So all you need do is give them a few hours and your luggage will arrive. Delayed luggage are recovered 99% of the time. Lost luggage on the other hand might not be easily recovered but if you encounter such, here are 5 ways on how to deal with lost luggage.

How to deal with lost luggage

1. Make a report: This is the ideal thing to do in any situation. Head over to the baggage claim point and make a report. You will need to know details about your luggage. Details like colour, size etc. Don’t forget to leave your contact details ( phone number and address).
2. Ask for emergency supplies: In a case of lost or missing luggage, you can politely ask the airline to provide you with emergency supplies such as toiletries etc.
3. Request for reference number for monitoring your luggage: Before you leave the airport, ensure you request for a reference number so you can continue liaising with the airline regarding your lost luggage request.
4. Be Patient & Civil: It is important to try and stay civil and exercise patience while the airline try to recover your lost luggage. This can take days, sometimes up to weeks. Try as much as possible to be patient during this period.
5. If all fails, ask for reimbursement: If weeks have gone by since your luggage got missing and all attempts to recover it have proved abortive, then ask for a reimbursement. It will be good to know your reimbursement rights before doing this because some airlines have policies on what can be reimbursed and what can’t be. Some airlines do not reimburse for gadgets, jewelries and money. So if you had such in your luggage, they will hardly be replaced. Also don’t get your hopes high, what most airlines offer as reimbursement ends up being less than the actual cost of missing items.

How to prevent your luggage from getting lost.

1. Check in at the appropriate time.
2. Leave your contact details on your bag.
3. Try to use less flashy boxes when traveling to avoid catching the interest of baggage thieves
4. Use a luggage tracker. Technology has done us so much good. Try using a luggage tracker on your next trip as they can come in very handy especially if you loose your luggage tag.

N.B: Always pack valuables in your hand luggage. It’s safer that way.