Compensation for lost luggage. Lost luggage at the airport: what to do? Air carrier assistance and baggage search

You are standing at the baggage carousel waiting for your luggage. Time passes, everyone has received their luggage, but you still don’t see yours. What to do in this case? If your luggage was just delayed during a short transfer to another plane, don't panic. Airlines have smart enough technology to find your luggage, and in most cases, your luggage will find you. They will tell you when to come to the airport to pick it up, or they will send it to where you are. Please make sure you fill out necessary paper directly at the airport of the company whose plane you were flying with, so that your luggage is delivered to you or you are notified when your luggage will be returned to the airport of your arrival. Many airlines will even give you a refund for incidental expenses related to baggage delays. Be sure to keep your receipts for expenses so you can provide them to the airline for compensation for losses associated with delayed baggage.

If the airline has lost your luggage, you must fill out a special document right at the airport at the airline counter. You can send this document by mail, but it is always better to do this directly at the airport after you have discovered that your luggage did not arrive with you.

There is a maximum amount of compensation that an airline will refund you for lost luggage. Depending on the airline and country, this amount can reach up to $3,400 per passenger, according to the Warsaw Convention or Montreal Convention adopted by many countries. You can review the rules for compensation for lost baggage on the website of the airline you were traveling with.

Airlines usually have a long list of items for which they are not responsible. As a rule, these are jewelry, money, etc. You must carry such items in your hand luggage.

If your baggage ended up on the carousel (usually airlines scan every baggage when it gets on the carousel), but was accidentally or intentionally stolen by someone or taken by another person, then this already requires contacting the police, not the airline. To minimize the negative effect of such cases, we recommend purchasing travel insurance, which, as a rule, returns money and compensates for the cost of missing luggage. You can find insurance on the website: //biletyplus.ru/ru/strahovka?aid=201502

How to prevent luggage loss:

Be sure to attach a tag with your name, address and contact number to the luggage you check in at check-in
The most common factors for delayed or lost luggage are late check-in or short connections. Try to avoid both. The minimum transfer time that we recommend should be at least one and a half hours.
Pack all your most valuable items in your carry-on luggage
Make a list of what you packed in your luggage. Or keep it in your head, but better write it down.
Make sure the baggage handler at check-in attaches a tag to each bag and gives you a copy.
Pack some necessary items in your carry-on luggage that you can use if necessary if your luggage is delayed.
Travel insurance is the best guarantee that you will not have financial losses in case of delay, loss or theft of luggage.

Recently, they have begun to produce “smart” luggage, which has the ability to send signals to an application that you need to download to your smartphone and you yourself will be able to “monitor” your luggage during the entire trip.

A traveler's holiday can be overshadowed by unpleasant news - luggage that was previously sent by the passenger to the cargo compartment of the plane is lost. A person in such a situation loses self-control and panics, which is not surprising, because luggage often contains necessary things: clothes and shoes, gifts for relatives, souvenirs, etc.

What to do in such a situation? Is it possible to receive compensation from the carrier company for lost luggage and how to achieve justice in resolving this issue? You will find answers to these questions in our article.

What to do if you lose your suitcase during a flight

The first advice is not to panic and try to calm down. In this state, it will be easier for the passenger to have a productive conversation with airline representatives.

If you are not handed a suitcase with personal belongings at the baggage claim counter, immediately go to the counter marked “Lost&Found” and file a claim for missing luggage in in writing. Such a statement should be written immediately or at least within 7 days after landing the flight.

In the act of loss, carefully study all the columns and fill in, focusing on the prompts.

What to include in a lost baggage claim:

personal data (full name, passport number);
date of departure and flight number on which the flight was carried out;
number of pieces of lost luggage;
external description – bag color, weight, dimensions, identification details (drawing, tags);
if the luggage was wrapped in cellophane film, indicate this fact in your application;
also indicate the presence of a tag;
describe the personal items that were inside the suitcase;
Enter the date of completion and signature.

Luggage often goes missing due to a tag being torn off during loading. To eliminate this circumstance, do not be lazy to indicate personal information on your suitcase in advance.

After filing a claim for lost luggage during a flight, you can only hope for the company’s responsibility and wait for a call from representatives of a special search department. You can periodically call the phone number of the baggage search service indicated in the copy of the act and monitor the progress of the search work.

Another option: go to the World Tracer website (an international system where data on lost luggage is recorded), enter the report number from the copy of the document issued to the traveler, and view the updates. Perhaps your things have already been found, but the search service employees have not yet rushed to inform you about this.

On domestic flights

If baggage is lost on domestic flights, you need to follow a similar plan: fill out the form, hand it over to the World Tracer counter and wait for positive results.

Baggage can get lost on any flight, domestic or international, and this happens for a number of reasons.

Cases of lost luggage may be associated with the mistaken receipt of someone else's suitcase. That is, during the issuance of personal belongings, another passenger could mistakenly receive your suitcase and calmly go to the exit.

If you immediately notice that your personal baggage is missing at the claim point, feel free to head to the World Tracer counter and insist that the loss be quickly announced over the public address system. Perhaps another passenger who received your suitcase by mistake will quickly figure out the replacement and return the lost luggage to its rightful owner.

Even if tourists’ suitcases have an identical design and do not differ in appearance, you can figure out who owns the cargo by looking at the attached tag with the owner’s information.

On international flights

Lost luggage can also happen when traveling on an international flight. If a traveler is left without personal belongings only because his luggage was mistakenly collected by another passenger, it will not be as easy to understand the situation as it is on domestic flights.

The problem is that luggage tags are not checked in international terminals, which means that the risks of receiving someone else’s suitcase with the same design are quite high.

Be careful when picking up your luggage at the point of arrival. Check its internal contents at the airport. This way you will be confident that you received your luggage and not someone else's things.

If your suitcase was lost during an international flight, try to find your belongings yourself by carefully examining the luggage received by other passengers. If you notice a similar suitcase format from another tourist, do not hesitate to ask him to check the contents. Don’t be afraid to look ridiculous in such a situation, because your main goal now is to find your personal luggage lost during the flight as soon as possible.

How to get compensation for lost luggage

The company searches for lost luggage within 3 weeks. If things were not found during this period, the passenger has the right to demand compensation for lost property.

You can write an application demanding compensation within two years from the date of registration of the act of lost luggage. But, as practice shows, such demands are put forward by injured passengers already in the first month after the incident.

Compensation for lost luggage is paid according to the established convention:

according to the Warsaw Agreement, the passenger receives 17 USD for each kilogram of luggage weight. If weighing has not been performed, weight compensation is automatically calculated - 35 kg.
The Montreal Convention stipulates the following calculation rules: compensation in the amount of 1000 US dollars is paid for one piece of baggage.

Russian air carriers operate under the Warsaw Convention and calculate the amount of compensation based on the weight of lost luggage.

To receive compensation for lost items, you must present a list of documents and write a written application filled out on a special form.

What documents must be provided to receive compensation:

original passport and boarding pass;
luggage tag;
a copy of the loss certificate;
details where they will be enrolled cash, compensating for the loss of personal belongings.

If you have receipts confirming the cost of essential items en route, you can also request additional compensation from the air carrier.

If expensive items are carried in luggage, it is better for the passenger to register the luggage in advance with a declared value and insurance. This precaution will allow you to receive insurance compensation for lost items.

What to do if things are missing from your suitcase

The air carrier is obliged to pay compensation to the passenger not only for lost luggage, but also for items missing from the suitcase (partial theft). In such situations, the passenger also needs to contact specialists from the airport search service and write a written statement, where he must specifically describe the items stolen from the suitcase.

Damaged travel bag or a suitcase with broken locks. This evidence should also be presented to representatives of the airline company.

An authorized employee will draw up a report of the theft of property, and then an investigation will be carried out to find the culprit. The company will decide on payment of compensation. The amount is calculated individually, depending on the value of the stolen item.

A passenger may demand compensation not only for an item stolen from personal luggage, but also for a damaged suitcase. It is very good if the tourist has a receipt saved when purchasing a travel accessory. It must also be attached to the claim for damages.

The company will conduct an investigation within 7-10 days. Compensation for damaged or stolen items is transferred to the bank account of the injured passenger (the card number is indicated in advance).

How to avoid missing luggage

To avoid getting into such an unpleasant situation during air travel, experts recommend properly preparing personal luggage for sending to the cargo compartment of the aircraft, which will minimize the risk of its loss during the flight.

Tips for air travelers:

pack things in your suitcase correctly;
attach a name tag to the luggage accessory;
put some identification mark on your luggage or purchase a suitcase for air travel in advance bright color, which will make it recognizable even from afar;
make a list of things packed in your luggage;
keep receipts for travel accessories and new items purchased on the eve of the trip, packed in a suitcase;
remove factory tags and stickers from a new suitcase - they interfere with the operation of the scanning device when sorting luggage;
When transporting expensive items, take out insurance and declare the value;
when checking in your luggage, make sure that the specialist securely attaches the tag to your suitcase;
After packing your luggage, wrap your suitcase in cellophane film.

If you follow the above rules, you can significantly reduce the risk of baggage loss during a flight. And if your suitcase does get lost during the trip, you will have a real chance of receiving decent compensation that covers all expenses for the lost items.

Baggage insurance

Flight passengers can in case it is lost or damaged. You will have to pay for such a service. Insurance cannot guarantee the safety of luggage during transportation, but it does provide the privilege of receiving compensation for lost or damaged luggage.

You can insure the cargo being transported at a company that issues medical insurance for aircraft passengers. Each insurance company offers individual conditions for concluding a contract. Carefully read all the points and choose a company that has a reputation and many positive reviews. This will give you confidence that your money on luggage insurance will be well spent, and if your personal belongings are lost, you can quickly receive good compensation for the damage caused.

Useful articles about carrying luggage on an airplane:

Lost baggage by popular airlines

Many travelers are interested in the question: how often does passengers’ luggage go missing, and in which companies such cases occur regularly. We have prepared up-to-date information on this issue, on the basis of which you can make right choice in favor of the most reliable and responsible air carrier for travel on domestic or international flights.

Aeroflot

Aeroflot is one of the top three companies in terms of lost luggage of passengers. The main reason (according to officials) is short connections between flights.

In almost all cases, the passengers' belongings were found within 1-5 days. The remaining travelers were able to receive compensation from the carrier.

Air France

In second place in the frequency of cases of lost luggage of passengers is Air France, where personal belongings of passengers are also regularly lost. The reasons for the loss are trivial; found bags are returned within the first week after receiving a statement from the owner.

But there is one caveat: many passengers complain that found items are returned damaged or not complete. According to reviews from affected travelers, they were also unable to receive compensation for damaged items. You can read about receiving compensation in case of damaged luggage.

UTair

Personal luggage of passengers does not often go missing on UTair planes, but such unpleasant cases do occur. Unlike other airline companies, this carrier does not consider it necessary to provide compensation to injured passengers who lost personal belongings during the flight. That is, if luggage is lost during transportation on a UTair airliner, you won’t really have to count on compensation for damage.

S7

The company S7 has the most positive reviews, where cases of lost luggage of travelers occur extremely rarely. Lost items are found promptly. If the luggage is still not found, the passenger is offered decent compensation that fully satisfies the injured party.

In 50% of cases, luggage is lost among passengers traveling on connecting flights. This is due to the rapid reloading of suitcases to another liner. As a rule, in 90% of cases, lost items are quickly found and returned to the applicant within a few days.

In 15% of cases, passengers' belongings are lost due to a torn tag that is poorly attached to the travel accessory.

To reduce the likelihood of baggage loss when flying on an airliner, pack your suitcase correctly, label it with your personal information, and declare the value of the cargo if you are transporting expensive items in the baggage compartment of the aircraft.

Olga Stepanova

Reading time: 11 minutes

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Your luggage is lost at the airport - an unpleasant end to your trip! You arrive home from vacation, go to the baggage claim area - and, after 5-10 minutes, you realize that your suitcase (and with it all your belongings, a camera with colorful vacation photos, souvenirs and favorite slippers) has disappeared in an unknown direction.

What to do, where to run, where to look for a suitcase and who to ask? Let’s sort out one of the most “popular” aviation problems without panic and depression!

Why do suitcases get lost?

According to statistics, out of 1000 passengers, 13 usually have their suitcases lost.

Moreover, 85% of them are lucky - their things are found literally in the first two days.

As for the rest, not everyone is lucky. Some have to seek compensation for damages.

Why do suitcases get lost?

Among the main reasons:

Airport staff made a mistake.
Passengers are looking in the wrong places. It is quite possible that the suitcase ended up in the large size department.
The tag was lost.
Someone took your suitcase by mistake.
Your suitcase was taken with malicious intent.
Your suitcase cannot keep up with you because the time period for the transfer is too short.
There was a tag left on the suitcase from another trip and there was a scanning error.

Video: Lost luggage at the airport - what should you do?

Where do lost suitcases go?

More than 10,000 unclaimed items are found at domestic airports every year. One suitcase is not taken away because the cargo was prohibited, another because it is even more expensive to return for it, a third because the passenger does not know where to look for it, etc.

Where do forgotten things go?

First, they are sent to the unclaimed baggage area - the one designed for suitcases left behind on international flights, or the one where items from domestic flights are located.
After 30 days, in the absence of a request from the owner, the suitcase “goes” to the storage room for another six months.
If the owner never shows up, the item is disposed of. New items (if they have a label) are sold in a consignment store.

Where do you actually need to pick up your suitcase after landing?

Not everyone knows where to get their luggage after the plane lands.

Come on in passport control.
Next - to the baggage claim line. Keep an eye on the board - it should indicate the flight number (it is on your boarding pass) and the tape number.
If there is no suitcase, make sure you are standing at the correct belt.
Still no suitcase? Check the “final point” where items forgotten on the belt are unloaded.
Check to see if your fragile or large-sized cargo is delivered elsewhere.

Video: Lost luggage at the airport - what to do?

Lost your suitcase at the airport - what to do?

Has your favorite suitcase gotten lost? Follow the instructions!

First, stay calm. You are far from the first person with a similar problem, and the mechanism for solving it has long been debugged and in most cases works well. If you remain within the law, then the law in this case is on your side. Therefore, resist the urge to attack the staff if your luggage is valuable to you. The more calm and confident you are, the more respectable you look in the eyes of the staff, the faster they will help you.
Have you pulled yourself together? Now go to the Lost & Found counter. It is usually located next to the baggage collection area.
If you couldn’t find this service, then there is a direct path for you - to the representative office (right here at the airport!) of the airline that managed to lose your suitcase. The carrier that checked in and loaded your items onto the plane is responsible for your baggage.
Your task is to report the missing suitcase and file a claim. This can be done at the Lost & Found counter or at the airline representative.
We make a claim in writing and in free form (or on the form provided) , describing your luggage and all data as accurately as possible (flight number, number of missing suitcases, their signs, presence of tags or cellophane on bags/suitcases, brief description content). Make a claim in 2 copies (one remains with the airport staff, and they certify and give the second to you) and do not forget to indicate your data in it - full name, passport, contact details, residential address within the city.
Documents for submitting an application: passport, tear-off coupon of your luggage tag, 2 acts of your claim with the date and time of its preparation, as well as with the number for checking your luggage through World Tracer.
Now all that's left to do is wait and periodically call the Lost&Found search department (don’t forget to get their contact number).

How to find lost suitcases at the airport?

Almost all major airports in the world operate with a single international search system. All data from the claim is entered into the database, and the search for a match with the available information about unclaimed items immediately begins.

If a match is found, the search service staff will immediately find out where the suitcase is and notify the “lost” person. If the suitcase is stuck in another country, it will be sent on the next flight and the applicant will be contacted immediately upon arrival of the suitcase at the airport.

Important:

They may not call you. It is better to check the search status in World Tracer and call Lost&Found employees.
If an item is lost by a Russian airline, you can monitor the search on its website.
Some airlines do not deliver lost suitcases without a special letter from the applicant with a corresponding request. Check with the search service in advance whether such a letter is needed.
The search for the suitcase usually takes 21 days. After this period, the item is considered irretrievably lost and compensation can be demanded.

How to get compensation for a lost suitcase?

An application for compensation should be submitted to the airline that caused the loss of luggage.

You can make such a demand within 2 years from the moment you register your loss.

How much will they pay for a lost suitcase?

17 dollars for each kg (approx. - according to the Warsaw Agreement). $35 for a suitcase that was not weighed.
1200-1300 euros for 1 piece of luggage (note - according to the Montreal Convention, according to the airline’s rate).

If the value of the items exceeds the amount of compensation offered to you, you can go to court.

If there is evidence, of course.

For damage to the suitcase, shortage of items or loss, the carrier is obliged to pay the following compensation:

For things that were with the passenger - according to their value. If the price is not determined, then it will be set at no more than 11,000 rubles.
For things with a declared value - according to the specified amount.
For items without a declared value - no more than 600 rubles per 1 kg.

We are not satisfied with the compensation – we go to court!

According to Article 118 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the injured passenger files a claim directly against the airline.

The following documents will be required:

Your statement.
Passport.
Luggage tag.
Your boarding pass (original!).
Act No. of the search for your suitcase.
Details (your bank account) for transferring compensation.

Important!

If you have unexpected expenses due to the loss of your suitcase, then if you have receipts and evidence that the purchase was necessary (for example, you have an important business meeting, and the only suit was in your suitcase), you can request a refund of 50% of these expenses, or give the purchased item to the company and return 100% of the money.
Remember that you can demand compensation not only for the loss of a suitcase, but also for damage to things, for theft, for a broken or damaged suitcase, as well as for inconvenience caused to you due to the incompetence of the carrier. Therefore, be sure to save all receipts so that you have something to present later.
Before filing a claim, you should serve a statement on the carrier immediately after discovering violations in order to try to resolve the dispute out of court.

Don't forget about compensation for moral damage!

You have the right to demand such compensation in accordance with the consumer protection law. You will need to prove not the fact that this harm was caused to you, but the fact that your consumer rights were violated.

There is no point in counting on millions maximum amount – 15,000 rubles , but it will not be superfluous if the case comes to court.

Important: The legal costs in the claim are borne by the defendant.

How to protect your suitcase from loss?

We reduce the risk of loss by following simple rules:

We save all receipts! Both for the things in the suitcase and for the suitcase itself.
We remove all stickers and tags from the suitcase after arrival, so that after scanning the old sticker the baggage does not go to another place.
We attach to the suitcase our own personal (in addition to the traditional luggage) strong tag with exact contact information (in Russian and English) - full name, phone numbers, your residential address, date of travel, etc.
When flying with a transfer, we clarify at which airport the baggage was checked in. Perhaps at the dock you need to get and check your suitcase again.
We provide the suitcase with brightness and visibility. First, choose a memorable, bright suitcase; secondly, we use all possible identification marks (bows, ribbons, badges, etc.).
We insure luggage if there are expensive items in the suitcase. the carrier will cost a pretty penny, so it’s better to choose a tour/insurance that will also cover your luggage.
We pack the suitcase in film.

Any holiday or trip can be overshadowed if suddenly, upon arrival at your destination, you suddenly do not find your suitcase at the baggage claim. As a rule, there are things, gifts, souvenirs, and clothes there. And it’s extremely unpleasant to be left without all this!

I decided to write an article about what to do if the airline loses your luggage. Having studied the legal sphere of this issue, as well as the experience of many travelers, my own experience and advice from airline employees, I was able to create a whole instruction in which I will describe the actions. In addition, the material will be regularly updated and expanded (like all my articles on this blog), and as visual aid You will have access to a “cheat sheet” in the form of infographics, which you just need to download to your tablet or computer and in case of missing items, you can easily get step-by-step nuances of behavior.

So. Let's imagine that we have arrived at our destination or at the airport where the transfer is scheduled. Passed passport control, go to the baggage claim line. A signal sounds, the belt begins to move and carries bag after bag... 5 minutes pass, 10 minutes... But your luggage is still missing. What to do?

1. Stay calm. You are not the first, you are not the last.

Luggage gets lost regularly. This is a particularly common problem on connecting flights, especially if the flight consists of many “shoulders” (for example, Moscow - Ankara - Istanbul - Bangkok). So relax and don't panic. Remember, the law is on your side only as long as you behave within the law. Yes, it's hard to contain your emotions. But you shouldn’t behave the way the “heroes” of many YouTube videos do (screaming, hysterical, screaming, throwing themselves at the staff). Your task is to return the luggage.

Calmness and confidence will add respectability to you and allow you to quickly move on to a constructive dialogue, standing out from the crowd of other unfortunates who are also left without luggage. Very often, luggage is lost for many people on a flight at once.

2. Check out the Lost & Found desk

After making sure that your luggage is really not on the belt, without wasting any time, you need to go to the Lost&Found counter. As a rule, she is within sight, without moving far from the baggage claim area. If for some reason you cannot find the baggage tracing service, ask the airport staff for directions. If this does not help, feel free to go to the representative office of the airline (which lost your luggage) at this airport.

You must report missing or damaged luggage as soon as possible, but no later than 7 days from the date of receipt or arrival of the flight at its final destination.

Lost luggage by airlines is a very common occurrence.

Here you are required to file a claim for missing luggage in writing. This is done in free form, although some companies ask to use a specific format or even provide a blank where it is enough to fill in the fields.

Your task is to describe the lost piece of luggage as accurately as possible so that it can be easily identified. Please indicate:

The flight on which the flight was made
Number of pieces of missing luggage
Appearance (color, model, features) of a bag or suitcase
Be sure to indicate if the luggage was wrapped in cellophane or had an additional tag on it

Yes, before I forget. About tags. Very often luggage is lost due to a loose luggage tag. Therefore, do not be lazy and make your own tag for the suitcase, on which you indicate your full name and contact details (telephone, E-mail). This will allow you to be quickly found if your luggage is found without a tag.

Don't be lazy and make your own luggage contact tag. This can help you get things back much faster!

Also try to briefly describe the things that were inside. For example: there were a lot of clothes inside, incl. big winter jacket and military boots size 46, an old Helios 44 lens and a book.

At the end of the application, please indicate your first name, last name, passport series and number, and contact information. Please note that in addition to the telephone and email You should write the address where your things will be delivered if they are found. The address must be within the city whose airport you are located at.

When applying, you will be asked to present your passport and a tear-off baggage tag slip (usually affixed to your boarding pass or to the cover of your passport). Please note that you must keep the original of this coupon; it will be useful to you if you have to go to court.

The act is drawn up in two copies. One of them remains at the counter and will be sent to the airline, and you receive the second. The act must be marked with the date and time it was issued, and in most cases, a number for checking baggage through World Tracer.

3. Now all you have to do is wait

Ideally, of course. if your luggage is found. but they will have to call you. But this is all on the conscience of the company. so it’s better to monitor it yourself. To do this, you need to call the baggage search department, the number of which will be indicated on the loss report.

Although now, almost any decent airline transmits its data about missing luggage to the international World Tracer system. If this is the case, it will be enough to enter the act number (indicated on your copy) and last name, after which you will be able to find out if your things have been found.

4. If your luggage is not found, we demand compensation

According to the law, luggage search is carried out within 21 days, that is, 3 weeks. Most often, the luggage is found much earlier - it was simply not reloaded during the transfer or sent on the wrong plane. But if, nevertheless, after 21 days the searches have not yielded results, then the luggage is considered lost. And you should be compensated for it.

How much money will you be paid for lost luggage? Depends on the country in which the airline is registered.

That's the point. that such issues are regulated by two acts: the Warsaw Convention of 1929 and a more modern version - the Montreal Convention of 1999. More than 100 countries of the world have already switched to working according to the Montreal version (including Ukraine), but Belarus, Russia and a number of other states have not become parties to this agreement. That's why there is a difference in payments.

If your airline is registered in a country that is a member of the Montreal Convention (including Ukraine, Turkey, all EU countries, Australia, USA, Canada, Georgia, UAE, Britain and hundreds of others), then compensation will be 1000 SDR per person, regardless of weight and pieces of luggage. As of November 5, 2014, that's $1,470.

If you took a flight with an airline from one of the countries such as Russia, Belarus, Thailand, etc., then compensation will be no more than $20 for each kilogram of luggage.

A little cheat sheet. To download a large image, left-click on it.

What to do if you lost your luggage? Step by step instructions- cheat sheet

Answers to frequently asked questions:

Is there compensation for lost hand luggage?

Yes, it is about 400 dollars.

How can you reduce the risk of lost luggage?

I adhere to some rules that, in theory, reduce the risk factor. I can recommend them to you too:

In total I make an additional tag with contact information on the luggage
Since I personally wrap luggage in film, it has a characteristic appearance, plus this reduces the risk that one of the movers will want to steal things from the bag
I always check my luggage to my final destination and make sure that the luggage tag says exactly the airport I need.
I avoid flights with transfers of about 1 - 2 hours, so that I have time to reload all my things

I don’t know if it was this or not, but something helped me and so far, thank God, my luggage has not been lost even once.

Can I insure my luggage?

Yes, it's possible. But keep in mind that most of the insurance that airlines offer is a simple scam, as they cost 10 - 30 dollars per flight. When purchasing travel insurance, I simply choose the one that will cover luggage. Thus, for the same 20 dollars they give me full insurance for a year, and not a “stump” that was simply created to profit from you.

I was told that the airline's rules do not oblige them to pay compensation

Their rules have nothing to do with reality. They must follow international law and the laws of the country where the airline is registered.

If a company refuses to compensate for lost luggage or offers too low a price, what should you do?

You have the right to go to court.

You write about damaged luggage. That is, you can demand compensation for a broken suitcase?

Yes. Both for a broken suitcase and for an item stolen from it. The main thing is evidence.

For example, if I buy a suitcase for flights, I don’t throw away the receipt and then indicate its cost. I wrap things in plastic so I can immediately tell if the package has been opened.

If you found my article helpful or liked, please share it on social networks. This is very important to me. Thank you!

These agonizing minutes of waiting. Everyone has already left, and you stand and peer into the blackness. Into the blackness of rubber bands from which your luggage should appear. The thought flashes through my head: “Lost luggage at the airport. How to live with this? But half an hour has passed and it seems that even if you’ve been here for an eternity, nothing will change. What to do if your luggage is lost and where to go if you are the owner of that same lost luggage?

How to check in luggage correctly

You've arrived at the airport and the first thing you need to do is find out where your check-in counter is. This can be seen on the large electronic board at the airport. When you get to the counter, you can check your luggage. On all flights, baggage weight is regulated general rules. There are exceptions, so it is best to check your baggage allowance with the airline.

Overload is paid separately. If you are bringing fragile items, you can ask the front desk for a “Fragile” tag. Regarding sports equipment and musical instruments, baby strollers: you can take them into the cabin or check them in as excess baggage.

Also, initially try to buy a suitcase of an unusual color so that you can immediately recognize it at the delivery line and so that your luggage does not get lost at the airport. Or you can attach a ribbon or some recognizable detail to the suitcase. You can provide your suitcase with a card with your personal information. If your luggage is lost at the airport, it will be easier to find it. After registering at the counter, the suitcase will float off into the distance, and you will only meet it upon receipt.

Flights with transfers

Proper baggage check-in is very important when flying with transfers. If connecting flights is not an independent matter, but you just bought tickets for a route with transfers, then there is nothing to worry about. At the check-in counter, simply remind the airport employee that your flight has several connections and you are worried about the airline losing your luggage. In this case, your luggage will be transferred automatically.

There may be exceptions. The likelihood of losing luggage at the airport increases if:

The airport does not provide direct transfers between flights of the same airline. Baggage will have to be collected and checked in at the transfer baggage site.
There is no agreement between partner airlines. You will be warned about this at the check-in desk and at the connecting point you will have to check in and collect your luggage again.
If there is an agreement between the countries of travel on the declaration of prohibited items. Baggage is collected at the transit point and checked in at the transfer baggage counter. If this is not done, then the loss of luggage at the airport will be your fault.

Losing your luggage at the airport can happen if you have two different tickets for different flights. You will collect your luggage at your arrival airport and check it in again and check it in for your next flight. Please remember to do this, otherwise you yourself will cause the airline to lose your luggage.

Receiving baggage at the airport

You will collect your luggage from the baggage collection area. The tape number lights up on a special display, just like your flight number before the flight. Go to her and calmly wait for him to come to meet you with open arms.

The worst thing: the airline lost luggage - what to do

What to do? And how to find lost luggage? First of all, don't panic. Losing your luggage by an airline is not the end of the world. Calmly go to the counter with the inscription “Lost&Found” and fill out a report of lost luggage. In the application you will need to indicate your passport information, which airline lost your luggage, information from the luggage tag (it is attached to your air ticket) and a description of the suitcase. How to find lost luggage if you don’t see such a rack around? Contact an airport representative or air carrier employees and file a claim that the airline has lost your luggage. Based on your application, a luggage search will be organized.

Data from the international World Tracer system will tell you how to find lost luggage. They will search for your items by tag numbers and among baggage that was not collected at other airports.

If they can’t find him this way, they will look for him using your description. They will search for 21 days. Once found, it will be sent to your nearest airport. Some air carriers are willing to deliver luggage to your address, but to do this you need to write a letter with a request. Until this moment, the luggage will be with the carrier.

Compensation for lost luggage

All the tears were shed, and yet the airline lost the luggage. And 21 days passed, and the letter with the request to the airline was sent. It's time to claim compensation for lost luggage.

Typically, airline baggage loss occurs due to the fault of sorters at the airport. Each kilogram of luggage is paid in the amount of 600 rubles on the territory of the Russian Federation. In the West, in case of loss of luggage, the airline pays about $20 per kilogram of lost cargo. The amount of compensation for lost luggage can be fixed. If you are carrying valuable equipment, jewelry, or simply expensive things, then it is better to declare them and pay a fee. In this case, if your luggage is lost, then at least with the help of compensation for lost luggage you will get all your money back.

By the way, some airlines offer compensation for lost luggage and compensation for waiting for cargo. What to do if your luggage is lost and there are no things at all? Check with the airline to see if they provide small bags for baggage-free passengers: socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor, soap.

Sometimes, if the airline has lost your luggage, it will pay for the purchase of essential items. But not more than 250 US dollars. You can file a complaint against the airline for lost luggage within 18 months from the date of loss. If the airline does not respond and does not want to pay compensation for the lost luggage, then you have the right to go to court. A claim for lost luggage at the airport can be submitted to the airline within two years. The claim must be accompanied by all original documents that confirm that the baggage was lost at the airport and you have rights to compensation, an itinerary receipt, a baggage payment receipt, a tag and other documents that can expedite the consideration of your claim.

To prevent your luggage from being lost, do not leave tags on it from previous flights.
The likelihood of your luggage being lost increases if you take multiple flights in one day.
If you are a transfer passenger, please remind us of this when checking in for your second flight and show the baggage tags issued to you.

Finally: 90% of passengers who lose their luggage find it in just two days.