Travel experts show you how to reduce your chances of losing your luggage and what to do if your checked baggage doesn’t arrive.
Lost or delayed your baggage during your trip? Here’s what to do next.
Here’s everything you need to know if your luggage gets lost or delayed while traveling.
I arrived in Chicago on my way back from a Mediterranean cruise and breezed through customs, only to wait for my checked baggage on the baggage carousel.
As I watched the conveyor belt carrying unfamiliar suitcases, I started to feel nervous. After 20 minutes, I checked with the attendant who confirmed that my luggage had been left behind during my stay in Germany and that I would not be accompanying her on the final leg of my trip to Nashville.
I received my luggage at home a few days later, but the 2024 incident was enough to make me give up on checking it on most of my connecting flights. According to Going founder Scott Keyes, lost or delayed packages happen “randomly.” However, there are some steps travelers can take to minimize the chance of long waits at baggage claim.
Here’s what to do if your bag is lost.
What should I do if my package is lost or delayed?
If a passenger’s bag is not found at baggage claim, they must go to the airline’s lost baggage desk and claim it. “Not only can you give the airline your home address and have it delivered to your home, but many airlines will also compensate you with flight credits or frequent flyer miles,” Keyes said in an email.
Travelers who purchase their tickets with a credit card may have baggage coverage built-in, but it’s worth checking the terms as “procedures and coverage vary widely.”
What are my obligations if my baggage is delayed or lost?
Airlines are required to compensate guests for incidental costs incurred while baggage is delayed, and Keys urged passengers to keep their receipts for any “replacement essentials” they purchase. According to the Ministry of Transport, if a bag is declared lost, the airline must also compensate for the contents of the bag, but the bag is subject to depreciation.
Airlines can limit liability to $4,700 per flyer for domestic flights and approximately $2,175 for most international flights. “Airlines are free to pay more than the limit, but they are not required to do so,” the DOT said on its website.
Passengers are also entitled to refunds for baggage fees if their baggage is lost or “substantially delayed,” officials said. DOT defines a major delay as a delay of more than 12 hours after arrival on a domestic flight. For international flights, this window extends to 15 hours or more after arrival for flights of 12 hours or less, and 30 hours for flights of more than 12 hours.
“If you arrive at your destination and your package doesn’t arrive, you won’t always know right away if your package is delayed or lost,” Keyes added. “So even if you file a lawsuit at the airport, once your baggage is confirmed to be lost (usually 7 to 14 days later), you may need to file a separate claim with the airline online to receive a refund for your lost items.”
How passengers can prepare
Travelers cannot eliminate the risk of losing their bag, but they can prepare for the possibility.
First, Keyes recommended booking direct flights. “The most common moment to lose your bag is during a layover,” he said. “Despite their shortcomings, this is why low-cost airlines that specialize in direct flights often have the lowest baggage loss rates.”
Packing an Apple AirTag or other tracking device will help flyers find their bags. According to the DOT’s website, travelers should keep their airline-provided baggage identification tags at all times until they pick up their baggage at their destination.
Keyes encouraged passengers to open their bags and take photos before checking their bags, especially if they contain valuables. “If you can see what’s inside, it will be easier to file a claim and get a refund,” he says.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.
