How to Find Your Lost Travel Bag?

And there you go! The plane just touched the ground. Now it’s time to download the best travel app in town. Get done with it. Now book a taxi; the destination awaits you.

Meanwhile, consider reaching the food court before leaving the terminal if you are hungry. Your dream tour is just about to begin! Well, first thing first, you march towards the baggage carousel to collect your backpack. But that’s a big hassle.

Some passengers pick up their bags end route. That slows down the carousel. Sometimes, it even stops.

Many travelers panic there. And it’s obvious also. If your bag is nowhere in sight, you will also worry. It’s one of the traveler’s worst nightmares to lose belongingness in the airport.

The airport may have tight security. It might have efficient authorities to deal with your baggage loss, too. But it’s a heck of tension when you don’t find your baggage. However, you will get back to your things in most instances.

The Big Hassle!

Hundreds of holidaymakers departing from well-known to cheap airports must deal with this situation daily. It happened not once, not twice, but three times when I arrived but my luggage didn’t.

And now, after so many obstacles, I’ve learned how to deal with this over these years. So, to help you navigate, I’ve compiled a detailed list of what to do when your luggage gets lost.

1. Stay Calm:

Even though the situation is awful, panicking will not help you in any way. I advise against making impulsive decisions. Most impulsive choices backfire. Probably, your bag is still there. It’s just misplaced. So. just report the case. I hope you will quickly get it back.

Mostly, baggage is just delayed. A lost case is sporadic. However, those cases need avid investigation.

Whatever the case, modern airport security is quite efficient. They have sophisticated search methods. So, there is a high chance of your luggage that you need to find being found. In most cases, you will quickly get back your lost baggage. However, even though you have to follow the basic processes below,

2. Know Your Rights:

You must know your rights. Every carrier company has specific rules and stipulations, including the flyers’ rights. So, the airline has to abide by those rules. They must help you search for your lost assets. They will pay due compensation if you don’t get your things back.

Sometimes, bags may go through wear and tear on the way. You can claim compensation if there is notable damage to your bags.

International travel laws have sanctions for such damage. You can claim damages if your bag is torn. Or, its wheels may be broken. All these cases are eligible for compensation.

But it’s also true that they can be evasive. Often, they pass the liability on to an insurance company. Or to other airline agencies liable. That might delay your grievance procedure.

Whatever the final decision is, in all senses, you must be aware of your rights regarding the loss.

3. Go To The Baggage Claim Office And File A Claim:

Report your bag to the claim office immediately if it is lost or delayed. Include as many details as possible. Filing a complaint won’t take hours.

However, the important thing is to make sure the paperwork for enlisted complaints is correct. If the luggage gets on the wrong flight and if the security personnel successfully located the bag, still ask them to file a report and confirm that you get the proof of the claim.

Don’t forget to write down the name of the person who helped you with the report and get a follow-up phone number. Ask them when you can get an update about this claim, and if the bag is found, will the airline pay the charge to send your bag to your hotel?

4. Contact Your Airline & Monitor The Search For Your Bag:

The good news is that most airlines allow the customer to monitor the complaint through user-generated login access. In most cases, if the luggage can’t be retrieved within three weeks, it will be declared lost.

But if there is no tracking system you can monitor while you are on vacation, don’t wait for them to call you to update; be proactive and get the update on your own. Since you have paid the baggage fee to ensure it’ll be there when you reach, you deserve the money back.

5. Loss of Luggage:

So now it’s officially confirmed that your luggage has been lost, and it’s time to get a refund for what you lost. The refund process may be different for each airline.

However, each traveler may get the highest reimbursement of $3,500 for domestic flights. They may also get around $1,600 for most international flights.

Usually, you can get a portion of the lost (depreciated amount) unless you have sufficient proof that the lost items were brand-new.

Some other sources might cover your loss. Some credit card companies provide insurance for purchasing expensive items inside the bag. So before you make the purchase, check your provider for details.

Meanwhile, you must check your credit card balance to know whether you received the reimbursement.

The Ounce Of Prevention: Before You Hand Over Your Bag

It’s always better to take advantage to safeguard your precious bags. Put a copy of your itinerary, take a picture of the luggage, and ensure you have all the receipts for the items you have purchased, which might be beneficial while claiming the refund.

Consider checking in early to avoid separation from your bag. As it takes time, reach ahead of schedule; the earlier you can check in, the better.

Photo evidence also helps to identify, so take a photo of your bag to show the carrier security personnel helping you locate your lost bag. You can snap the inside of the bag to help you claim the lost items.

If you are traveling on an international connecting flight, know that you may have to pick up your luggage, check it, and process the boarding pass again.

According to pro travelers, this process takes about 2 hours. So ensure you have adequate and avoid tight layovers to secure your bag. It is better to book a non-stop flight with a good track record for lost luggage.

If your bag still has the barcode tag from the last time you flew, consider removing all barcodes before boarding the pass. Give some identifying sign to separate your bag from others or give some additional security layer as tagging them.

How to Upgrade to a Luggage Tag?

Adding a travel tag is an extra security layer that might lessen the chance of anything being stolen from your luggage. Proper tagging of your travel luggage ensures the identification, written address, and contact info help to get it bad sooner than you think.

Since mistakes can happen while handing over the bag, you should ensure the plastic tag card has the correct name and destination info.

So, consider purchasing the custom luggage tag for your bag, making it easier for airlines to trace it if it goes missing. Let’s know the other benefits of owning a luggage tag.

In a busy airport, it’s easy to mix up your belongingness with others, making it difficult to spot the bag, and it might go out of sight before you pick it up from carousal.
When your luggage has personal identification, it will remove the chances of confusion and prevent someone from accidentally picking up yours.
It makes it easy to send to the destination after being lost or delayed
It also makes your luggage unique and distinguished from others.

And It’s A Wrap!

I hope the suggestions help. Above all, actual cases of loss are rare. However, the retrieval process can be arduous. So, follow the methods mentioned here. A custom baggage tag is the best thing to have.

But I would like to repeat one thing here. Most travelers freak out when their baggage is delayed. However, they must remember to click pictures of their luggage in advance to make searching easier.

The loss claims can take time sometimes. Bear with it. Don’t panic. If possible, have baggage theft insurance.

If you need more tips on how to manage baggage loss, comment below.