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Get it in writing. If your bag doesn't show up, find a representative of the airline
who can write up an official claim form, with a description of the bag and its contents,
and issue a tracking number. Getting this documentation can be difficult at small
airports overseas, but it is essentual.
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Ask for compensation. Airlines vary in their policy on paying for clothing and toiletries
while bags are missing. In the case of my friend's lost luggage earlier while in Barbados,
American Airlines told her it would pay up to US$50 a day for expenses, but only if the
bags were lost for more than 24 hours.
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Get receipts. Filing a claim for compensation requires showing receipts for the amount
actually spent.
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Take a number. Calling the airline will keep up the pressure to find your luggage. Get
a toll-free number if possible. To avoid being put on hold, talk into the recorded message
and say you don't have a touch tone phone and need to speak to an agent immediately.
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What's it worth? If your bags are irretrievably lost, you are entitled to a payment,
according to a complex formula under the International Montreal Convention of rules for
airline operations. It can take months of negotiation to arrange a settlement as the airline
tries to find your bags. Also check your home insurance or credit card policy.
-
Avoid a rush check-in. Extra security pre-boarding checks, arguments about charges
for bags that exceed newly reduced weight limits and the sheer volume of passengers
mean check-ins are taking longer. Add at least (another) 30 minutes to your requied
arrival time when you head to the airport.
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Clearly identify your bags. Make sure your name and address are on a secure tag
outside and on a tag or sticker inside.
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Check the label. Make sure the airport destination labels attached to each checked-in
bag by the airport attendant are correct.
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Never check valuables. Most international carriers, including Air Canada, set a limit
on liability for lost luggage to $20 a kilogram. There is no extra compensation for such
valuables as jewelery, cameras and computers.
In the end, it all comes down to making sure you never chack-in anything that you can't
afford to lose.
