Losing luggage is a bad thing while travel, and the worst thing is to find it lost after you arrive at the destination airport. It makes the whole journey inconveniently. Clothes and cosmetics are all gone. Although it unfortunately happens, cope with lost luggage is what we need to do first. Here I am suggesting you 5 steps to deal with the issue.
Step 1: Don’t Leave Airport
Many people would make a mistake. After long-distance and exhausted flight, they would like to go home first to have a sleep and go back to the airport tomorrow to deal with the lost luggage. No matter how tired you are, the right thing you need to do first is not to leave the airport and go to the luggage claim area and tell the ground staff about your issue. The regular procedure is to let you fill out a form.
Step 2: Don’t Lose Your Temper, Keep Calm
Ground staff deeply understand your concern, but they weren’t the ones who lose your luggage, so don’t lose your temper. Keep calm and tell them the details about the luggage -- color, appearance, flight number, luggage barcode, and any airline tags. Any wrong details will cause them a long time to find your missing luggage.
Here we recommend you have a picture with luggage barcode when you check in luggage. Once you lose luggage, provide luggage barcode will be more efficient.
Step 3: Know Exactly What Staff in Your Luggage
The airline would require you to tell them what staff you pack. You could tell them as clear as you know for they are evidence that the lost luggage found was yours. You’d better tell them the colors and sizes of the clothes and shoes you packed. Because there is so much luggage in the same color, size, and style, and they are responsible to find what exactly belongs to you. Write a travel packing list before packing, it is perfect for better packing. And you would know what exactly packed in your luggage if we lost luggage.
Step 4: Don’t Give Up Your Luggage
Don’t give up your luggage. You could find your luggage back if it was not stolen. Your airline is responsible to keep in touch with you, if they don’t, recommend you inquire them politely and positively. Record all documents such as lost luggage claim No. and emails in case of a compensation claim.
Step 5: Inquiry Compensation Procedure
If the lost luggage cannot be found, negotiate with the airline about compensation. Inquiry compensation procedure and amount. If you bought travel insurance, ask the airline company for a written copy of the missing baggage document.
To avoid losing luggage, here are 4 tips:
- Don’t pack valuable items in check-in luggage. Keep valuable objects in your carry-on backpack or briefcase, don’t check in them.
- Customize your luggage for there are too much luggage in the same color and style. To prevent your luggage from being claimed by the others, customize your luggage with stickers, colorful straps or labels.
- Before checking in luggage, tear the old luggage barcode, or luggage staff might deal with your luggage in the wrong flights.
- Nowadays, there are so many suitcases, not only with USB charging port but also following you and built-in GPS. Get a suitcase with built-in GPS, when it lost, you could properly find it out quicker than airline does.
How to Deal with Delayed Luggage?
Sometimes, the checked suitcase is not lost but delayed, in most cases, they will arrive at the airport within 24 hours. Leave your hotel address, your name and phone number with airline staff. If you are going out sightseeing when the suitcase arrives, let the hotel front desk know the coming luggage in advance.
In Conclusion
Before your trip starts, be prepared with your travel documents well. Leave valuable objects home or pack in carry-on bags. No matter what you encounter while traveling, be clam and ask the information desk or police for help according to your situation. Since you are clam, you could describe your issue clearly and exactly, and people will know how to help you deal with your issues.
Delayed and lost luggage might happen while traveling, and fortunately, we have ways and tips to deal with and control damage. Hope this article is helpful for you. If you have any opinions on this topic, please leave us your comments below.