As these things sometimes happen, my little bag made it from Auckland to Sydney, but not from Sydney to LA. Luckily for me this happened at the end of the trip, and not the start, but the actions to take for delays/lost luggage are the same whatever side of the trip you find yourself.
1. Always have identification on AND in your bag. For privacy concerns, I recommend your first initial, last name and an email address on the luggage tag and on an index card easily see on the interior of the bag.
2. Never pack anything valuable in your suitcase (medicine, electronics, jewelry you want to keep, sentimental treasures). If you can't/don't want to carry it on the plane, ship it home.
3. Take a photo of your bag. This is a huge time saver if you have to file a claim. I go one step further and create a graphic of everything in the bag and the bag itself. It is helps id the bag and provides an instant list of items in the event the bag is truly lost and you need to claim for recompense.
4. After you've waited at the luggage carousel long enough, check the over-sized/odd sized holding pen, you just never know.
5. Know what airline is actually responsible for assisting you. Domestic flights from point A to point B are straightforward but internationally or multi-leg trips get trickier as more than one carrier is involved in getting you and your bag to and from. In my situation, it was on a Qantas flight but American Airlines was the carrier through which I booked and who flew me to my final destination, so I filed with them.
6. File your report immediately. Each airline has different policies but all recommend immediate action. Do NOT leave the airport without filing a claim! You will be asked for the type of bag (style), any identifying features, your name, contact information, and address where you will be when they deliver it. Once you've provided that information, ask them what you need to do should the bag not be recovered within the specified timeframe (usually five days). This helps with the 'expect the best, prepare for the worst' mantra I live by when traveling. In many instances, the airline will provide a small stipend allowing you to buy toiletries. United Airlines gave me a toiletry kit when my bag failed to arrive in Mexico. Southwest gave my $35 when my bag got lost from PHX to JAX, enough for toiletries, undies, and a drugstore t-shirt to sleep in. Check this policy online for your carrier before you go, as it can alleviate stress in the heat of the moment. 6a. To expedite the filing, keep checked bag tags and boarding passes for each segment of the trip. Having flight numbers helps the representative do what they do.
7. Relax. Your bag will get to you eventually and if you've followed actions one, two, and three everything else can be replaced. This is easy to write and hard to do, I know. After 30 hours in transit, I admit I had a tiny meltdown when my bag didn't arrive in LA for me to take through Customs but it was short and I knew if it was truly lost all I had to was buy new clothes and a camera battery charger. A small price to pay in the grand scheme of things, right?
My bag arrived 44 hours after it should have, but was all intact with nothing damaged or missing, so this time the story ended well but the "rush" tag did make me chuckle. What other advice would you add to this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Peace, love, and travel!
M
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