The Airline Lost My Luggage, What Do I Do?

That the airline loses our suitcase or bag is one of the greatest fears of travelers, and although there are several precautions that we can take to minimize the chances of this happening, the truth is that it can happen to anyone.

This post is part of our series of guides and resources for travelers .

What to do if our luggage is lost

Well, the first thing to do is assume that you are lost. It sounds obvious, but the reality is that when we are in that situation we are three hours next to the tape with the hope that our suitcase appears. And in these cases it is important to act as soon as possible.

While it is something that can always happen, we must be more attentive and be cautious on international flights and connections.

In (almost) all the airports, in the baggage area, there is an airline counter that is in charge of processing the baggage claim. It is essential to immediately make the claim or complaint for the loss of luggage.

In that counter they give you the PIR (Part of Irregularity of Luggage-Property Irregularity Report) , where the claim code appears . This paper is the proof of your claim, keep it well and, just in case, take a picture .

Now is the time to call travel insurance, in case you have hired one. They will ask you for the PIR .

It is important to know that although each airline has its protocol, you always have a compensation if you are in a foreign country for the days that you do not have the bag .

Some give you money in advance and others reimburse you by presenting the corresponding tickets. Usually you have to complain many times until you get it. Patience no longer works.

Once the claim is made, there is no other option than to wait. Most likely, you will arrive at our address or at the airport to be able to pick it up.

Although most of the time it appears, and before 72 hours, the second case and less likely is that the days go by and it does not appear. There the suitcase is declared lost and the corresponding claim begins to receive compensation for the loss of our belongings.

Additional Tips

• Carry an extra change of clothes and all things of value in your carry-on luggage . So, if you lose your luggage, you will have what is essential for the first day.
• Every time you reach your destination take off the stickers that the airline puts on your suitcase , and all previous labels. These labels have the information of where each bag has to go, and can contribute to ending up in the wrong plane if we leave other trips or areolines.
• Always keep the luggage ticket (it is essential to make the claim for loss).
• Customize your luggage . That your suitcase is not one more. Try not to be smooth black, and if it is, look for the return to easily recognize it. Put colored ribbons, labels, covers, whatever you can think of. This way we minimize the chances of someone taking it by mistake .
• Take a picture before shipping it . It will be very useful if you get lost on the way
• Include your data in sight (surname and email, for example, but not the address or passport number).
• Arrive in time to the airport : if you arrive very fair, there are more chances that the bag does not make time to go through all the security controls and not board the same plane as you.
• If possible, avoid very fair flight connections , so your luggage has plenty of time to move from one warehouse to another.