Lost Luggage – You Can Reduce The Risk On A Vacation Air Flight
Whether you have taken air flights for business, or vacations and holidays, you may have lost luggage or know someone that has. Here are a few travel tips that can help you reduce this risk.
It is estimated that more than a million bags are lost by commercial airlines each year in the United States alone. How much luggage that get lost in the whole world is anybody’s guess. Here are some tips that may help you recover your bags if they are ever lost.
Attach two or three tags with your name, home address, and phone number to the handle and the zipper-pulls of each bag that you are checking. There is less of a chance that all of the tags could get torn off during transit. You should make sure that you have removed any old airline tags that are still attached to the luggage you’re checking as they could confuse the baggage handlers.
Be sure to place the same contact information, including a copy of your itinerary and your destination address inside each piece luggage. That way, if they do get lost and are found in time, they could be forwarded to your hotel.
If you can, pick luggage with preferably a bright or odd color that will stand out from all of the black and brown bags. Know the brand name of the luggage that you own and attach a colorful scarf or ribbon to the handle to make identification easier. Stick a few decals or a contrasting colored tape to all of the sides of the bags so they can be easier to see as it goes around the carousel. Remember these details, or even better, take a digital picture of your luggage just before you leave and bring it with you. This will also help the lost luggage airport staff in finding your bags if they become lost in transit and turn up at their office. It will also help if you have to make a claim.
It will help if you make a list of what you are carrying in your luggage and put that list in you carry-on bag. The chance of your luggage going astray in transit increases when you are on connecting, or delayed flights. You should pack all of your valuables, including your laptop, Blackberry, travel documents, prescriptions, etc., in your carry-on bag. It is best to pack only the things you can afford to lose in your checked baggage. Many analysts believe that the airline industry’s problem of lost luggage is not going to be resolved anytime soon.
What can you do your luggage gets lost?
Go right away to the baggage claim office and file a claim. Many airlines have a twenty-four hour window of time that starts from when your flight arrives to file and be eligible for compensation. You will get a claim receipt to check the tracking of your luggage with your airline by phone, or on the airline’s website. Make sure you keep your flight documents until the lost luggage mix up has been resolved.
How can you guarantee that the airlines won’t lose your luggage?
There are some companies like FedEx, UPS or DHL, that can send your luggage in the U.S. directly to your hotel or street address for a very reasonable cost. If you’re staying at a hotel, your luggage will be taken to your room by a bellboy. When you consider that in the United States alone, over a million bags are lost by the airlines each year, this service is well worth considering. If you are planning to travel by air throughout Europe, FirstLuggage.com, provides a similar service.
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