How to Cope with Lost Luggage

Nearly every traveler has a recurring fear about lost or delayed luggage. I have lived the nightmare twice in the past two years. 

Once, when my mother’s checked luggage never arrived in New Delhi, India, the hotel gave her men’s pajamas, which she wore for the first day of our trip until her luggage finally turned up. In a separate incident, my teenage daughter’s luggage took more than a month to return home to the US from Greece after making six stops around the world.

No wonder so many travelers want to cram things into overhead bins. It’s not just the high fees for checked luggage. It’s the dread of facing a revolving carousel that doesn’t have your bags on it. Who can take a chance, especially if traveling to important events, like weddings or business meetings?

Recently, I have been shipping boxes of must-haves ahead to my destination, so I have fully trackable, accountable records of where my belongings are. Most hotels accept these packages if you notify them in advance.

UPS ground shipping takes one to five days, or you can elect two- or three-day guaranteed delivery. In many cases, shipping has proven cheaper for me than paying checked baggage fees. If you are traveling with sports equipment like golf clubs, skis and bikes, outfits that will ship your gear to your destination include Luggage Forward, a company that guarantees on-time arrival worldwide or you get back double what you paid to ship.

Of course, shipping ahead doesn’t always make sense. You need to consider where you are going and how long you are staying. If you need to check your bags, the following information should help if your luggage gets separated from you.

Tag your bags

Invest in air tags, quarter-size Bluetooth-enabled trackers, so you can track your bags. These tags came in handy for us when the airline notified us that my daughter’s bag had been diverted to Dallas. In fact, it was actually in their care in London, and we were able to flag its location.

Airline reimbursements

The US Department of Transportation requires airlines to reimburse you for “reasonable” expenses for delayed baggage. Keep receipts to prove you purchased necessities while your bag was missing. The airline must also refund the fee you paid to check the delayed bag and, once the bag is found,

If your luggage never turns up, the airline owes you the depreciated value of its contents. To prove that value, receipts are preferred, but you can submit photos taken of what was packed in your suitcase.

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Travel insurance pays off

While stand-alone luggage insurance does not exist, most comprehensive travel insurance plans build in compensation for delayed, lost and stolen luggage.
AAA members can benefit from TripProtect Deluxe from Allianz Global Assistance, which has recently upped its baggage coverage to $1,000 for lost luggage in most states.

A loss is a loss. But what exactly constitutes a delay? AAA members who purchase TripProtect Deluxe can qualify for coverage of up to $600, which kicks in within six hours of a baggage delay, enabling you to purchase essentials while you wait for your luggage to arrive.

However, to collect, you will need some proof of your loss, even if that loss is temporary, notes Daniel Durazo of Allianz. “It’s always a good idea to snap a picture of your luggage and its contents while you’re packing. If you buy items specifically for your trip, keep the receipts. And, when your bag goes missing, make sure that you file a report with your airline and keep a copy of that report,” he says.