How to find lost luggage. Lost luggage - what to do if your luggage is lost: legal educational program for tourists

One of the most common problems for passengers is the loss of luggage at the airport. According to statistics, up to 25 million suitcases are lost every year. Luckily for travelers, non-return rates are low, at just 3.4%. Most of the lost suitcases and bags find their owners.

However, you need to know the sequence of actions in similar situation. Search activities are the same in all cases. And as an example, you can take the search for luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport.

This procedure is regulated by the General Rules air transportation. Most of the requirements are universal for all carriers operating on domestic and international lines.

Suitcases issued after passport control in a dedicated room. Things must be received immediately upon their receipt for issue, and at the exit from the terminal you will have to present a tear-off ticket of the luggage tag.

The internal rules of airport terminals detail the issuance procedure. In Sheremetyevo, cargo can be received in the issuing hall, which is served on a conveyor belt, indicated by an indication on the information board.

If there is no load on the conveyor belt

Everyone should know what to do when a suitcase or bag is not found on the conveyor. The main thing here is not to panic. The loss of baggage by an airline is a serious problem, but it can be completely solved. First you need to make sure that things are gone:

  • Wait for the end of the issuance. They may have been the last to be uploaded.
  • Look at the transporters dispensing cargo from other planes. Rarely, but mistakes do happen.
  • Check the oversized cargo tape.

If there are no doubts, and things are lost, you will have to contact the search service at the terminal. There is a possibility that they were mixed up upon receipt and are already waiting for the owners from the employees of this service.

Where to go

Usually this counter is called "Lost & Found" or "Luggage Search" in Russian. If necessary, any of the airport employees will show where it is. There may be a situation where such a stand is absent. Then the place to call could be:

  • representative office of the air carrier whose crew performed the flight;
  • representative office of the national air carrier of the country of arrival;
  • if neither is available, contact the airport authority.

Before applying, check the availability of the documents required to complete the application:

  • identification;
  • ticket;
  • detachable luggage tag.

Office staff should help the passenger at the time of the request, regardless of the time of day. The victim draws up Required documents in the form of a statement of loss addressed to the carrier, fills out a Investigation Act or Property Irregularity Report (in the abbreviation the name is written as PIR).

How to fill out an act

Claims must be filed as soon as the loss is discovered. Before filling out, you will need to present a tear-off coupon, which is usually attached to the ticket. The Act must indicate:

  • flight number;
  • series and number of the passport;
  • color, weight and size characteristics of the suitcase;
  • special signs (stickers, external defects, bright details, trademarks, name tags, etc.);
  • contact details and the address to which you need to deliver the lost suitcase, bag or backpack.

An example of a completed act (click to enlarge):

The claim is drawn up in two copies. One of them remains with the applicant, and the second goes to the management of the airline, which must organize the search. If it was not possible to detect the loss within five days, the application shall be accompanied by detailed list things that were inside the baggage.

Search algorithm

Regardless of the reasons for the loss, the search for baggage is the responsibility of the air carrier. If the flight was operated by Aeroflot, its employees will be engaged in the search. The search must begin immediately upon receipt of the written application.

The carrier sends requests:

  • at the airports of departure and arrival for the presence of things;
  • to airports where things could be sent by mistake;
  • when they are detected, a request is sent for delivery to the destination.

The found loss is delivered to the address indicated by the owner in the act. Delivery does not require additional payment and is carried out at the expense of the airline. Upon receipt of things, you must present a passport, coupon and act, which must be kept until the end of the search.

How to track a search

Usually the loss is found quickly, but there is also a protracted search. In this case, the contact details of the airline employees will be required. Take care of this when filling out the PIR. Telephone numbers are listed at the service counter, which you must write down in advance. If you have internet access you can use the unified World Tracer database, through which the owner can track the search.

After receiving a statement of loss, all data is entered into the database. To access information in the request form, you must specify personal data and the code obtained when compiling the Search Act. On the website of Sheremetyevo Airport, you can see a list of airlines that are tracked in this database.

How to get compensation

Since the carrier is responsible for the cargo, the airline will compensate for the loss. Claims for damages can only be made after three weeks have elapsed. If during this period the search for the wanted baggage was not successful, it is considered lost.

Compensation must be paid on the basis of a written claim, which must be sent before the expiration of 6 months, if problems arose on domestic flights, and up to 18 for international flights.

Attached to the application:

  • air ticket;
  • tear-off coupon;
  • insurance documents, if the items were insured;
  • checks confirming the value of the contents of the suitcase or bag.

The airline management is obliged to consider the claim within 30 days and pay the amount prescribed by law or refuse in writing.

Payout amount

Compensation payments for losses international flights established by international agreements. If things were lost during an international or transit flight when one landing was outside the country - 20 dollars or 19 euros are paid for one kilogram of cargo. On domestic flights, the amount is 600 rubles per kilogram.

If the exact weight is unknown, then the calculations are based on the average, which is 35 kg per person. In cases where the value of the property was declared by the passenger in advance, the payment is made in the declared amount. The amount will be higher if the items were insured.

In addition to the above compensation, you can apply for:

  • Compensation for other damages. When a passenger had to miss a connecting flight or train departure, the company must refund the ticket price.
  • Payments for moral damage. If there is no way to confirm health problems, their size will be small.
  • If the carrier did not satisfy the claims on a voluntary basis, and the compensation had to be beaten out through the court, an additional payment of a fine in the amount of 50% of the amount paid to the passenger is possible.

Such payments, most likely, will have to be sought through the courts, therefore, after receiving the found things, you should not sign the documents with a statement of the absence of claims.

Other payments

In cases where baggage is lost and the passenger is deprived of essentials, some companies may offer reimbursement for the purchase of them. This is not the responsibility of the carrier, but most of them provide such assistance for reputational purposes. The amounts are usually small, paid after receipt of receipts confirming expenses. When buying clothes, half the cost is paid.

If these costs were not paid by the company, they can be included in the list of legal claims.

In addition to the loss of bags and suitcases, passengers have to deal with other troubles. Usually this:

  • theft of things;
  • property damage;
  • jumbled suitcases.

In the first two cases, you will also have to contact the carrier to draw up a claim. On its basis, the issue of compensation is being considered. This may be full or partial cost, depending on the decision of the commission. In case of damage to the suitcase, repair compensation is possible.

The latter situation requires the prompt return of things to the office of the carrier company or to the airport.

How to avoid problems

Most often, things are lost when flying with connecting flights when the loosely attached tag comes loose. In this case, things can either fly away in an arbitrary direction, or stay in place. In order to prevent such situations, speed up the detection of the loss, and reduce material losses, it is necessary to:

  • if possible, avoid routes with transfers;
  • make sure that the tag is present and the strength of its fastening;
  • remove previous tags left over from previous flights;
  • do not carry particularly valuable items;
  • insure the cargo;
  • wrap the bag or suitcase with plastic, which will reduce the risk of damage and theft;
  • when choosing a carrier, read the reliability ratings and take them into account when buying tickets.

Be sure to include your last name with initials, contact details, destination, and flight on the name tag. Let this partly duplicate the information from the coupon, but the process of detecting luggage if it is lost will be so much faster. If you had to face trouble - do not despair, more than 90% of losses are found within the first two days.

You may also be interested

Loss of luggage, although a rare case, you should be prepared for such a turn of events in advance. In this article, we will tell you in detail what to do if your luggage is lost at the airport.

If you did not find your luggage on the tape upon arrival, remember if your luggage was registered as oversized? Oversized baggage often includes sports equipment, baby strollers, overweight suitcases, suitcases with fragile items, etc. In this case, you need to look for it not on the tape, but in the oversized baggage claim department.

If your baggage is not oversized and it is not on the belt, then contact the counter Lost & Found. It is available at almost every airport (except for very small, regional ones) and, as a rule, is located in the baggage claim hall or right next to the exit from it.

If this service is not available at the airport, then contact the representative of the airline you were flying with or the airport administration. This must be done before you leave the terminal or airport.

You will be asked to fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) form, which includes your passenger contact details and flight details, details appearance baggage: color, size, special features, etc. In addition to this, you must present the baggage receipt (tag) that you stuck on your boarding pass (passport) at check-in. After that, you will receive an act indicating the registration number.

After filling out the act, Lost & Found employees enter this data into the World Tracer international baggage search system. Information enters a single database, and from there it is sent to all airports that use this system (there are about 1960 of them), where it automatically compares information about unclaimed baggage, which is entered into the database by airlines from around the world. If the data of the lost and found luggage match, it is sent to the owner.

How to track the search for lost luggage?

You can track baggage searches on the World Tracer website.

To do this, you need to enter your last name and identification number in the form AAABBNNNNN, where AAA is the airport code, BB is the airline code and NNNNN is the 5-digit tracking number. For example ATLXS13166. You will receive this number after completing the act in the Lost & Found service.

The system will track your luggage for 100 days, after this period you can consider it lost without compensation. Unclaimed items are usually destroyed, but for example in the USA you have a chance to find them in the Unclaimed baggage store.

Now some terminology...

Luggage counts detainees, if it has not been delivered to you within 21 days after arrival. After this period, it is considered lost and can claim compensation, to do this, you must submit a written application, provide a boarding pass, baggage tag and Property Irregularity Report, as well as a statement containing a list, the approximate date of purchase and the value of the lost items.

Compensation for Lost Baggage

If the airline did not find your luggage within the established time frame, then it is obliged to pay compensation. The amount of compensation depends on which convention the airline that lost the luggage has ratified, there are only two of them:

Warsaw convention(since 1929) - the most popular, according to which passengers receive about $ 20 for each kilogram of baggage weight.

Montreal Convention(since 1999) - according to it, the airline, in case of loss, delay or damage to baggage, is obliged to pay up to 1000 special drawing rights *

* Special Drawing Rights (SDR) - an artificial reserve and means of payment issued by the IMF. The SDR rate is published daily and is based on the dollar value of a basket of four major currencies: US dollar, euro, yen and pound sterling. On this moment, 1 SDR = 1.5$.

If you have receipts for things lost along with your luggage, then there is a chance to receive full compensation for their value, however, it is very difficult to prove that they were in the suitcase.

Another way to recover your expenses is to check in your luggage with a declaration of value. In this case, in case of loss of things, you will receive their full value back. However, insured baggage will be charged additional fee, its size is set by the airline.

If you did not find your luggage upon arrival at the resort, you can demand money from the carrier to buy essentials. The amount depends on the airline and is usually around $50, but some carriers give much higher amounts. If you are out of the proposed budget, then be sure to keep the receipts, it is likely that you will be reimbursed for the costs. This compensation is not regulated by any official documents and depends on the policy of the airline, if it values ​​its reputation and customers, then compensation will be paid without problems.

16 Feb 2012 Anna Lump Tags:

You do not notice your own suitcase on the baggage claim? Don't panic. You have everything if you file a loss report and report all necessary information airline representatives. Read below to learn how to do it right.

So, your luggage is not on the tape. To help you - the Lost & Found counter ("Luggage Search"). Employees who stand behind the counter are required to advise passengers in case of damage or loss of bags and suitcases. If you do not see such a counter, you should look for your airline representative or an on-duty service agent who works in the baggage claim hall all the time.

Basically, the reason for the loss of luggage is simple: the label that was stuck to it during check-in came off. If this happened during transportation, then most likely your luggage was left at the airport of departure. In this case, finding it is easy. Worse, if there is a failure in the computer systems of registration or loading. In this case, baggage may be incorrectly registered and sent very far. But at airports where luggage systems are not automated (especially in Asia and the Middle East), your luggage may end up in another country due to a simple mistake of the loader.

It is important to understand that the airline that last operated your flight is responsible for baggage in case you are flying in transit. According to statistics, every 90 seconds, airlines lose passengers' baggage. This usually happens on connecting flights. In order to return the baggage, you need to file a written claim. You will need a tear-off baggage tag that is affixed to your boarding pass, and a passport.

In the act, it is necessary to describe in detail the special features of the suitcase: what color, size, shape it is, what material it is made of, whether it has additional parts, wheels, handles, tags, patch stickers ... It is also better to indicate the manufacturer, if you remember . In general, it is always better to play it safe and attach a name tag to your bag in advance, this will greatly simplify the search process.

The act of loss is drawn up in two copies, so that one of them remains with you. In the act, write down the application number, your coordinates and passport data. Write down the telephone number of the baggage tracing service or the airline representative. The procedure is over and you no longer need to sit at the airport "on pins and needles" - it's better to go home or to a hotel.

Note that the airline is not obliged to provide essential items to passengers whose luggage is lost. But some large foreign (!) carriers meet the needs of their customers and sometimes give out a set consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, razor and shaving foam, and a T-shirt.

The status of your baggage can be tracked using the Internet. True, not all Russian air carriers have this service (only if your airline is part of the World Tracer system - find out right away. Transaero and S7, for example, are here). On the carrier's website, you enter the identification number assigned to you when filling out the act of loss, and your last name.

Thus, the Domodedovo airport has been connected to it since 2001. By the way, this hub processes about 14 million luggage places per year, and the luggage loss rate here is the lowest in the world: 0.6-1.2 per 1000 pieces of luggage in winter and summer, respectively.

The found luggage will be brought to your home (you will indicate the address in the act). Delivery within the city of flight and suburbs is free. If you need to carry it further, your luggage will remain at the airport (or airline office) until your arrival, but only for a year. Before returning the "prodigal baggage" you should call and warn about the arrival of the courier.

Luggage should be found within 24 hours. But, sometimes, it happens otherwise. If the suitcase has not been returned within 5 days, you should contact the air carrier and make a list of things that are inside the luggage (the list will be added to the additional search parameters). In this case, luggage will almost certainly be found (at least that's what the airlines say).

The maximum search period for a suitcase is 21 days. If time has passed, but "Herman is still gone" - write - "gone" ... Either the luggage was stolen, or lost forever. The airline is obligated to pay you for the damage. According to the Warsaw Convention on Air Transport and Article 119 Air Code Russia, for lost baggage, the airline pays compensation at the rate of 600 rubles per kilogram. Even if there were very expensive things in your suitcase. Weight is calculated by weight. If it suddenly turns out that the bag was not weighed, then its weight is estimated at 35 kilograms. In principle, if you still have checks for things packed in your suitcase, you can demand additional compensation, but even in this case, if you are lucky, you will be reimbursed only 50% of the cost of the goods.

You can reduce the risk of losing luggage. Firstly, before the flight, do not forget to remove all the extra stickers left over from previous flights from the suitcase (the tags can simply be mixed up at airports).

If you are a transit passenger, namely on connecting flights, luggage is lost most often, check that the tag indicates final destination destination where you will be given your luggage. Purchase tickets so that there is at least an hour and a half between two connecting flights. Otherwise, luggage simply may not have time to be reloaded from one aircraft to another.

You can also insure your suitcase. However, the insurance service does not cover flights within Russia. Leading domestic insurance companies "Ingosstrakh", "Renaissance" and "Uralsib" against loss of luggage on domestic airlines are not insured. Comfort yourself with the hope that, according to statistics, Russian air carriers lose luggage less often than international ones. It's just that we have fewer "dangerous for luggage" connecting flights in our country.

If you have lost hand luggage please contact the flight attendants. Perhaps the bag was left in the cabin. If you have already passed the control zone and there is no way back, go to the same Lost & Found counter. Everything is arranged according to the already described scheme. Airport staff will contact the departure staff. Regardless of weight, carry-on baggage is always valued at $400, the amount that the airline has to pay. In case of loss of documents, jewelry and equipment, nothing will be reimbursed to you. But you can claim compensation for moral damage through the court. Of course, you need to soberly assess the situation and understand under what circumstances your bag was lost: it was stolen or you yourself forgot it somewhere.

1. You arrived at the airport at the last minute.Employees no longer have time to load luggage onto the plane, and it can be sent on the next flight.

2. The airline suddenly changed flights.The essence is the same - the staff did not have enough time to check in luggage for a new flight.

3. You are flying with transfers, and more different airlines, or there is no direct transfer between flights of the same airline at the airport. In such cases, you need to collect your baggage between flights and check it in again. To avoid this, buy one ticket per route - then your luggage will be transferred automatically.

4. There are too many tags on the suitcase.This is the most common reason for lost luggage, by the way. It's great that you fly so much. But if you leave all the luggage stickers on your suitcase, then one day it may be sent along the old route. Many employees at the baggage check-in counter remark to passengers whose suitcases are decorated with old stickers.

5. The receptionist made a mistake: poorly pasted or not pasted a tag at all. Airport and airline employees may make a mistake, incorrectly indicate your name or destination. It is impossible to insure against this. all lost suitcases in 2017 they disappeared due to the lack of tags.

What to do if luggage is lost

Step 1. Go to the Lost & Found counter at the airport

Usually the rack is located next to the dispensing tape. If there is no counter, then you need to look for an airline representative.

Step 2. Fill out an application with a request to return the baggage

If you are abroad, you will have to write in English. You will be given a form or asked to complete a free-form application. You will receive a PIR act (Property Irregularity Report) in your hands. Don't lose it - you might need it to compensate.

Don't worry if you don't know English: the form can be filled out by an airport employee.

How to fill out a baggage search application

At the Lost & Found counter, you will be given a completed form. Enter your details and describe the suitcase in as much detail as possible. What to write:

  • full name of the passenger;
  • contact details - phone, email, address (the one where you need to bring the luggage);
  • flight number and route;
  • data from the baggage tag;
  • color, size, shape of the suitcase;
  • in an additional line - noticeable distinctive features of the suitcase;
  • description of things - not just "3 t-shirts and 4 skirts", but several unique items that will help distinguish it from the rest.

The application is filled in two copies. At the end, you will be given an identification number of the application, according to which you can track the fate of your suitcase on the airline's website or through a global search worldtracer.

Step 3. Wait for a response

Usually the host country (airport) looks for a suitcase from two to five days. After that, the airline takes over. She sends a request to the places of baggage, and the search is carried out at all airports. Wait for a call. If they find a suitcase that looks like yours, they'll let you know.

To speed up the actions of the airline, you can use several communication channels at once. Write about your problem by mail, call hotline For Lost Baggage Tracing, tag the airline in your Facebook post and contact us in person. The likelihood that the staff will not wait, but immediately begin to search for your cargo, will increase.

Step 4. Get things

Only , all the rest are returned to their owners. You will have to wait 21 days - all this time the luggage is considered delayed, but not lost. When the suitcase is found, you will be called. Delivering luggage to the owner is the responsibility of the airline. Therefore, wait for the employee, show him your passport and take your things.

If you still received your suitcase, but it is damaged, then you are entitled to compensation for repairing the bag or buying a new one. Send the airline a request, checks and your number bank card- the carrier is obliged to reimburse the costs.

How to get money for small expenses if you are left without things abroad

What if you arrived on vacation, but your suitcase is not yet? Good news: they won't leave you without a toothbrush and a clean T-shirt. You have the right to reimburse the cost of the essentials.

The airline is responsible for lost baggage. She also sets the rules - what to compensate and in what volume. Therefore, check this question with an AK representative (for example, on the websites of Air France, Turkish Airlines, FlyDubai, etc.)

Depending on the rules of a particular airline, you can demand:

  • a set of toiletries;
  • reimbursement of expenses for linen, swimsuit (if you arrived on vacation at sea);
  • funds for medicines;
  • warm clothes, raincoats;
  • payment for a transfer from the airport (to the hotel, another station).

Most often, airlines refund costs in exchange for checks in the range of 70-100 € within 21 days after baggage delivery. Even at the airport you can be given a set of toiletries, linen, a clean T-shirt. The longer you wait for luggage, the wider the list of necessary things and the higher the compensation.

How to search for missing suitcases

When an ownerless suitcase is found on the baggage belt, it is taken to the airport warehouse. Luggage detectives are in charge there. If there is a tag on the suitcase, then the detectives find the owner's contacts and inform him about the find. If there is no tag, then the detectives create an electronic statement about the find and post it on the website of the international search service World Tracer . If after 10 days the owner is not announced, the suitcase is opened and the statement is supplemented with a description of the things.

The suitcase has been waiting for its owner in the warehouse for three months. If after that the owner does not appear, the luggage is sold at auction.

Sometimes the suitcase is found after you have been compensated. In this case, it is not necessary to return it to the airline - consider this compensation for moral harm.

How to claim compensation if your luggage is not found

1. Make a claim for payment of compensation and give it to the air carrier in writing.

You are required to write a free form document. You will need two copies for English language. On the website of some AKs there is an online form for filling out a claim. For example, in Air France and UIA.

If you have receipts for things that were left in the suitcase (new or bought specifically for the trip), attach them to the claim. Always indicate the maximum amount of compensation in the document - companies usually pay less.

You can submit a document in case of loss of baggage on domestic flights within 6 months after the end of the delivery period (Art. 126 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation ). For international flights - within 18 months after arrival (Art. 127 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation ).

2. Attach documents: baggage receipt, airline tickets, baggage search report (PIR), checks for things from the suitcase, Bank details, a copy of the passport.

3. Submit your claim to the airline office personally, by registered mail or send a scanned copy by email. If you go to the office, then take your copy with the signature of the AK representative.

The claim must be considered within 30 days. If the airline refuses to accept it, go to court. This can be done at the place of residence in a court of general jurisdiction. Draw up a statement of claim, attach all the documents that you have: the PIR act, travel tickets, a copy of the claim, checks for things in the suitcase. You can claim full compensation for lost baggage under the convention, non-pecuniary damage and legal costs.

How much compensation can you expect

The amount of compensation depends on the country in which the airline is registered.

All countries are guided by the rules of one of the two conventions - Warsaw (1929) or Montreal (1999), which regulate the issues of lost baggage. The second convention provides for higher payments. In 2017, Russia joined the Montreal Convention.

It is very difficult to get more than the established amount for baggage. Even if there are checks for more expensive things in the suitcase. Expensive baggage must be checked in separately, then a special tag is pasted on it.

1. Always peel off old tags so that airport employees do not look for up-to-date information.

2. If you are flying with connections, remind about it at the check-in desk. Specify to which point the baggage is checked in. Sometimes you have to pick up and drop off your suitcase in the middle of the route. Do not forget about it.

3. Check in for your flight on time and check in your luggage.

4. Attach a tag with your contacts to your suitcase. Enter your name, phone number, hotel address, email.

5. Decorate your suitcase with a bright element - it will become an identification mark if you suddenly have to fill out paperwork to search for luggage.

6. If you are carrying expensive items, use insurance or register your suitcase as valuable cargo. You will have to pay extra for this at the airline’s rates, but luggage will be monitored more diligently.

Just in case, take everything you need in your hand luggage: charger for your phone, money, documents, medicines. This will help if luggage is delayed or lost. And try to keep receipts for items purchased for the trip (suitcase, expensive shoes and clothes, equipment) - with their help you can prove the value of the lost cargo and get the maximum compensation.

Checklist: what to do in case of lost luggage

1. Go to the Lost & Found counter and fill out an application there. Get a PIR. Wait to be called within 21 days.

2. Left without a suitcase in a foreign city - demand compensation for priority expenses. Keep receipts for purchases and submit them to the airline office. You can be reimbursed from 70 to 100 euros.

3. Apply for compensation for lost baggage if, within three weeks things were not found. Fill out the form at the airline office, attach checks and the PIR act. Specify the maximum possible amount of compensation.

4. Go to court if the airline refuses to accept the application. You can claim compensation for the cost of luggage, legal costs and non-pecuniary damage.

5. When your damaged baggage is returned to you, you have the right to reimburse the cost of repairing or buying a new suitcase. The airlines received checks and a free-form application.

Those agonizing moments of waiting. Everyone has already dispersed, and you are standing and peering into the blackness. Into the blackness of the rubber bands from which your luggage should appear. The thought flashes through my head: “Loss of luggage at the airport. How to live with it? But half an hour has already passed and it seems that even if you are just here for ages, nothing will change. What to do if luggage is lost and where to run if you are the owner of that very lost luggage?

How to check in luggage correctly

You have 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 a large electronic scoreboard at the airport. When you get to the counter, you can check in your luggage. On all flights, baggage weight is regulated general rules. There are exceptions, so it is best to check with the airline for baggage allowance.

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

Also, initially try to buy a suitcase of an unusual color in order to immediately recognize it on the issuance belt and so that there is no loss of luggage at the airport. Or you can attach a ribbon or some recognizable detail to the suitcase. It is possible to provide a suitcase with a card with your personal data. If your luggage is lost at the airport, it will be easier to find it. After registering at the counter, the suitcase will float far away, and you will meet it only upon receipt.

Flights with transfers

Proper check-in of baggage is very important when flying with transfers. If connecting flights is not an independent matter, but simply tickets were bought for a route with transfers, then there is nothing to worry about. At the check-in desk, simply remind the airport staff that your flight has multiple connections and that you are worried about the loss of your luggage by the airline. Baggage in this case is transferred automatically.

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

  1. 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.
  2. There is no agreement between partner airlines. You will be warned about this at the check-in desk and at the docking point you will have to check in and receive your luggage again.
  3. If there is an agreement between the countries of travel on the declaration of prohibited items. Baggage is received 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.

Loss of luggage at the airport can happen if you have two different tickets for different flights. You will collect your luggage at the airport of arrival and will recheck it in and check it in for your next flight. Please do not forget to do this, otherwise you yourself will become the cause of the loss of baggage by the airline.

Baggage collection at the airport

You will pick up your luggage at the baggage carousel. The tape number lights up on a special board, just like your flight number before the flight. Go to her and calmly wait until he leaves 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? For starters, don't panic. Airline baggage loss is not the end of the world. Calmly go to the counter with the inscription “Lost & Found” and draw up a report on the loss of luggage. The application will need to indicate passport data, which airline lost the luggage, data from the luggage tag (it is attached to your ticket) and describe the suitcase. How to find lost luggage if you don’t see such a rack around? Contact the representative of the airport or the employees of the air carrier and write a claim that the airline has lost luggage. Based on your application, a luggage search will be organized.

How to find lost luggage will be prompted by the data of the international World Tracer system. Your belongings will be searched by tag numbers and among luggage that has not been picked up at other airports.

If they can't find it that way, they will look for it according to your description. Search will be 21 days. When it is found, it will be sent to the nearest airport to you. Some air carriers are ready to deliver luggage to your address, but for this you need to write a letter with a request. Until then, the baggage will be with the carrier.

Lost luggage compensation

All the tears have been shed, and yet the airline has lost luggage. And 21 days have passed, and the letter with the request to the airline has gone. It's time to claim compensation for lost luggage.

Usually the loss of baggage by the airline is the fault of the sorters at the airport. Each kilogram of baggage is paid in the amount of 600 rubles in the territory of the Russian Federation. In the west, in case of lost baggage, 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 just expensive things, then it is better to declare them and pay a fee. In this case, if the baggage is lost, then at least with the help of compensation for the lost baggage you will return all the money to yourself.

By the way, some airlines offer compensation for lost baggage and compensation for waiting for cargo. What should I do if my luggage is lost and there are no things at all? Check with the airline if they don't give out small sets of luggageless passengers: socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor, soap.

Sometimes, if the airline has lost luggage, the purchase of essentials is paid. But not more than $250. You can file a complaint against the airline for lost baggage within 18 months from the date of loss. If the airline does not respond in any way and does not want to pay compensation for the lost baggage, then you have the right to go to court. A claim that baggage is lost 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 are entitled to a refund, itinerary receipt, baggage receipt, tag and other documents that may expedite the processing of your claim.

  • To prevent your baggage from being lost, do not leave tags from previous flights on it.
  • The chance that your luggage will be lost increases if you make several flights on the same day.
  • If you transfer passenger, remind about this when checking in for the second flight and show the baggage tags issued to you.

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