The luggage was left at the airport. What to do if your luggage is lost or damaged. How to avoid lost luggage situations

These agonizing minutes of waiting. Everyone has already left, and you stand and peer into the blackness. Into the blackness of rubber bands from which your luggage should appear. The thought flashes through my head: “Lost luggage at the airport. How to live with this? But half an hour has passed and it seems that even if you’ve been here for an eternity, nothing will change. What to do if your luggage is lost and where to go if you are the owner of that same lost luggage?

How to check in luggage correctly

You've 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 the big electronic scoreboard in an Aeroport. When you get to the counter, you can check your luggage. On any flight, the weight of baggage is regulated by general rules. There are exceptions, so it is best to check your baggage allowance with the airline.

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

Also, initially try to buy a suitcase of an unusual color so that you can immediately recognize it on the delivery belt and so that your luggage does not get lost at the airport. Or you can attach a ribbon or some recognizable detail to the suitcase. You can provide your suitcase with a card with your personal information. If your luggage is lost at the airport, it will be easier to find it. After registering at the counter, the suitcase will float off into the distance, and you will only meet it upon receipt.

Flights with transfers

Proper baggage check-in is very important when flying with transfers. If connecting flights is not an independent matter, but you just bought tickets for a route with transfers, then there is nothing to worry about. At the check-in counter, simply remind the airport employee that your flight has several connections and you are worried about the airline losing your luggage. In this case, your luggage will be 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 connecting 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 collected 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.

Losing your luggage at the airport can happen if you have two different tickets for different flights. You will collect your luggage at your arrival airport and check it in again and check it in for your next flight. Please remember to do this, otherwise you yourself will cause the airline to lose your luggage.

Receiving baggage at the airport

You will collect your luggage from the baggage collection area. The tape number lights up on a special display, just like your flight number before the flight. Go to her and calmly wait for him to come 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? First of all, don't panic. Losing your luggage by an airline is not the end of the world. Calmly go to the counter with the inscription “Lost&Found” and fill out a report of lost luggage. In the application you will need to indicate your passport information, which airline lost your luggage, information from the luggage tag (it is attached to your air ticket) and a description of the suitcase. How to find lost luggage if you don’t see such a rack around? Contact an airport representative or air carrier employees and file a claim that the airline has lost your luggage. Based on your application, a luggage search will be organized.

Data from the international World Tracer system will tell you how to find lost luggage. They will search for your items by tag numbers and among baggage that was not collected at other airports.

If they can’t find him this way, they will look for him using your description. They will search for 21 days. Once found, it will be sent to your nearest airport. Some air carriers are willing to deliver luggage to your address, but to do this you need to write a letter with a request. Until this moment, the luggage will be with the carrier.

Compensation for lost luggage

All the tears were shed, and yet the airline lost the luggage. And 21 days passed, and the letter with the request to the airline was sent. It's time to claim compensation for lost luggage.

Typically, airline baggage loss occurs due to the fault of sorters at the airport. Each kilogram of luggage is paid in the amount of 600 rubles on the territory of the Russian Federation. In the West, in case of loss of luggage, 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 simply expensive things, then it is better to declare them and pay a fee. In this case, if your luggage is lost, then at least with the help of compensation for lost luggage you will get all your money back.

By the way, some airlines offer compensation for lost luggage and compensation for waiting for cargo. What to do if your luggage is lost and there are no things at all? Check with the airline to see if they provide small bags for baggage-free passengers: socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor, soap.

Sometimes, if the airline has lost your luggage, it will pay for the purchase of essential items. But not more than 250 US dollars. You can file a complaint against the airline for lost luggage within 18 months from the date of loss. If the airline does not respond and does not want to pay compensation for the lost luggage, then you have the right to go to court. A claim for lost luggage 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 have rights to compensation, an itinerary receipt, a baggage payment receipt, a tag and other documents that can expedite the consideration of your claim.

• To prevent your luggage from being lost, do not leave tags on it from previous flights.
• The likelihood of your luggage being lost increases if you take multiple flights in one day.
• If you are a transfer passenger, please remind us of this when checking in for your second flight and show the baggage tags issued to you.

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

You are standing at the baggage carousel waiting for your luggage. Time passes, everyone has received their luggage, but you still don’t see yours. What to do in this case? If your luggage was just delayed during a short transfer to another plane, don't panic. Airlines have smart enough technology to find your luggage, and in most cases, your luggage will find you. They will tell you when to come to the airport to pick it up, or they will send it to where you are. Be sure to make sure that you fill out the necessary paperwork right at the airport of the company you were flying with so that your luggage is delivered to you or you are notified when your luggage will be returned to your arrival airport. Many airlines will even give you a refund for incidental expenses related to baggage delays. Be sure to keep your receipts for expenses so you can provide them to the airline for compensation for losses associated with delayed baggage.

If the airline has lost your luggage, you must fill out a special document right at the airport at the airline counter. You can send this document by mail, but it is always better to do it directly at the airport after you have discovered that your luggage did not arrive with you.

There is a maximum amount of compensation that an airline will refund you for lost luggage. Depending on the airline and country, this amount can reach up to $3,400 per passenger, according to the Warsaw Convention or Montreal Convention adopted by many countries. You can review the rules for compensation for lost baggage on the website of the airline you were traveling with.

Airlines usually have a long list of items for which they are not responsible. As a rule, these are jewelry, money, etc. You must carry such items in your hand luggage.

If your baggage ended up on the carousel (usually airlines scan every baggage when it gets on the carousel), but was accidentally or intentionally stolen by someone or taken by another person, then this already requires contacting the police, not the airline. To minimize the negative effect of such cases, we recommend purchasing travel insurance, which, as a rule, returns money and compensates for the cost of missing luggage. You can find insurance on the website: //biletyplus.ru/ru/strahovka?aid=201502

How to prevent luggage loss:

1. Be sure to attach a tag with your name, address and contact number to the luggage you check in at check-in
2. The most common factors for delayed or lost luggage are late check-in or short connections. Try to avoid both. The minimum transfer time that we recommend should be at least one and a half hours.
3. Pack all your most valuable items in hand luggage
4. Make a list of what you packed in your luggage. Or keep it in your head, but better write it down.
5. Make sure the baggage handler at check-in attaches a tag to each bag and gives you a copy.
6. Pack some necessary items in your carry-on luggage that you can use if necessary if your luggage is delayed.
7. Travel insurance is the best guarantee that you will not have financial losses in case of delay, loss or theft of luggage.

IN Lately they began to produce “smart” luggage, which has the ability to send signals to an application that you need to download to your smartphone and you yourself will be able to “monitor” your luggage during the entire trip.

Compensation to air travelers for loss of baggage on domestic flights is provided primarily by the Air Code of the Russian Federation, and on international flights by international agreements. The airline will be responsible for the loss of luggage to any passenger - both to the one who bought the ticket directly from the carrier (airline), and to the one who bought the ticket on chartered flight(for example, from a tour operator).

According to current legislation, the carrier is responsible for baggage from the moment the baggage is accepted for transportation until the moment it is released to the consignee (the passenger himself or another person specified by him). In this case, the carrier is released from liability for loss or damage to baggage only if he proves that he took all measures to prevent harm or such measures were in principle impossible to take. This is very good for the passenger, since he will not have to prove the reasons for the loss of his luggage.

The airline is responsible for the safety of not only those things that are checked in as luggage, but also for the safety of personal luggage - things that are carried by the passenger in the cabin. The carrier is released from liability if he can prove that the baggage was lost or damaged as a result of the intent of the passenger himself, or due to circumstances beyond the carrier’s control that he could not prevent and eliminate.

1. What a passenger should think about before departure.

• do not put passports, other important documents, money, payment cards, or things that could be damaged during the flight (cameras, laptops, etc.) in your luggage;
• Study the baggage rules on the airline and airport websites. Figure out what you can take with you into the cabin and what you will have to check in as luggage. Pay special attention to the list of things that cannot be carried on the plane;
• If you are carrying particularly valuable items in your luggage, you should think about insured transportation. An additional fee is charged for such transportation. But in case of loss of luggage, you will be reimbursed for the entire declared value;
• When checking in for a flight and checking in your luggage, be sure to take and save your luggage receipts, tags, and boarding passes.

2. The first actions of a passenger upon detection of missing luggage.

Contact the special airport service that deals with lost luggage. You will need your passport, airline ticket, boarding passes, luggage tags and receipts. Fill in special application for luggage search. Based on this statement, the carrier will be obliged to begin an immediate search for your luggage. The search includes sending requests to the airport of departure and other airports where the baggage may have been mistakenly found, as well as a request to resend the baggage if it can be found. The airline must find your luggage within 21 days. Delivery of baggage to your address is carried out at the expense of the airline.

So at this stage you need to get:

• report of non-arrival of baggage / statement of search for baggage;
• certificate of flight delay (in case the plane is late);
• also keep documents confirming your losses associated with resolving this situation.

3. If your luggage has not been found within 21 days, write a formal complaint to the air carrier.

The claim must be made in writing and sent to the airline by registered mail or a valuable letter with a list of the contents and acknowledgment of receipt. A claim can be filed within 6 months - for loss of baggage on a domestic flight, within 18 months - for baggage lost on international flight. The period for consideration of a claim is 30 days. Please attach copies of supporting documents to your claim, including:

• air ticket;
• baggage receipt;
• luggage tags;
• details for transferring compensation for lost luggage;
• confirmation of the value of lost items (receipts, contracts, purchase invoices or certificates of average cost);
• documents confirming the delay in delivery of baggage or a passenger (airport certificate, invoice of the courier service that delivered the baggage, etc.).

What you can ask the airline if your luggage is lost or damaged:

1) Compensation for lost luggage.

A) If baggage was carried for an additional fee with a declared value, compensation is paid in the amount of the declared value (both on domestic and international flights).

b) If baggage without a declared value is lost on a domestic flight, compensation is paid in the amount of the cost of lost, damaged, missing items, up to a maximum of 600 rubles per kilogram of baggage. If you can’t prove in any way what specific things were damaged, then ask for 600 rubles for each kilogram lost.

The cost of lost luggage or item is determined on the basis of the seller's invoice or agreement for the purchase of the item. If there are no such documents, you need to get a certificate about the average cost of the item on the day when the luggage was supposed to be issued.

V) If you lose your personal luggage on a domestic flight, you have the right to receive compensation in the amount of the cost of lost, damaged items, or up to 11 thousand rubles if the cost cannot be determined;

G) Compensation for loss or damage to special mobility aids for disabled people (including wheelchairs) is paid in the amount of their value.

e) Compensation for loss of baggage without declared value on international flights.

Flights on which the destination and departure points are located on the territory of different states are considered international. Or flights where the destination and departure points are located on the territory of the Russian Federation, but there was at least one landing point on the territory of another state.

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Losing your favorite things at the airport will undoubtedly ruin the most memorable experience of any trip. Unfortunately, from lost luggage no one is immune. Both a novice and an experienced air passenger can encounter such a nuisance.

At the same time, many begin to panic, not knowing what to do and who to contact. And will it be possible to find the things and receive compensation from the carrier for the inconvenience caused? Every airline passenger has certain rights that they should be aware of. First of all, you need to go to the bulky baggage counter, where your suitcase could have mistakenly ended up. If there is nothing there, then most likely the airline has lost it. In this case, you should contact the Lost & Found service, which is available in every international airport, or to the airline representative office.

You will need to fill out a report on irregularities during the transportation of baggage, the international name of which is P.I.R from the English property irregularity report. In the appropriate fields you will indicate:

• contact information: phone number, email, residential address;
• flight number along with the route you took;
• air ticket number;
• description of the missing suitcase. You just need to select the appropriate picture from the proposed options;
• description of its contents. Be sure to include items that will make your luggage easy to identify. Agree that light green shoes or a Chinese dictionary are unlikely to be found in every second suitcase.

Please be aware that the airline may refuse to process claims if you do not complete a P.I.R. at baggage claim. The act is completed in two copies: for the passenger and the airline. Then you are given an individual application number, with which you can independently track its status on the airline’s website or using the World Tracer system. luggage search). You just have to wait for the results.

Air carrier assistance and baggage search

If your suitcase is lost abroad in another country in which you do not live, the airline is obliged to provide money for the purchase of essential items or provide a ready-made package. The rules of different carriers may vary. However, you have the right:

• get a set of hygiene items
• demand reimbursement of expenses for their purchase within the amount of 70-100 €. You just need to provide receipts.
• demand a daily fixed payment for a specified period.

In most cases, a suitcase lost within the airport is found within 2-3 days, which the airline representatives will inform the passenger about. Found luggage may be delivered to the specified address, or you will have to go to the airport to pick it up. In this case, the air carrier is obliged to reimburse all transportation costs; you just need to provide the appropriate receipts.

Luggage is searched for 21 days from the moment of loss. If the suitcase is not found within this time, it is considered irretrievably lost or stolen. In such a situation, you have the right to demand compensation for material damage from the air carrier. The amount of compensation for damage to baggage, delay or loss is governed by the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions and the private rules of the air carrier. Each situation is considered individually. The approximate amount you can count on is $20 per kilogram of items, but not more than $1,500. You won’t be able to get more, even if there were diamonds or wads of money in your luggage. That’s why it’s so important to carry valuables in hand luggage.

How to get compensation

You need to make a written claim for damage (delay, loss) of luggage, to which a copy of the defect report is attached. Then describe the contents of the suitcase, indicating its approximate cost. If there are extracts from credit card or store receipts, it is advisable to provide them. The following must also be attached to the claim:

• copy of passport;
• baggage receipt;
• boarding pass;
• Bank details;
• checks for the forced purchase of necessary things;
• receipts confirming the costs of repairing the suitcase or a specialist’s conclusion that the luggage cannot be repaired.

To ensure that the air carrier does not refuse to consider the claim, it is important to comply with the deadlines for filing it. If the damaged suitcase was released at the airport building, the claim must be submitted no later than seven days from the date of its receipt. In the event that damaged luggage is delivered directly to your home, the application must be submitted no later than 21 days from the delivery period. If the suitcase is lost, you have the right to file a claim within 18 months. It happens that the airline refuses to pay compensation. Then feel free to go to court. In most cases, passengers win their lawsuits.

How to prevent luggage loss

Suitcases get lost for various reasons. For example, the check-in counter at the airport mixed up the stickers, and your luggage flew to Thailand instead of Turkey. The tag was poorly glued to the suitcase or it was torn off during loading, so your items did not end up on the plane, but rather at the Lost & Found service. The suitcase may get lost at the connecting airport when flying on a transit flight. Another passenger may take your luggage and confuse it with theirs. To prevent luggage loss, you need to:

• buy a suitcase in a non-standard color, even purple with yellow polka dots. It's hard to confuse this one. You can add a distinctive detail: a large sticker, a bright ribbon;
• remove tags from previous trips from your suitcase. Otherwise, the scanner may read the information incorrectly and send the luggage to the wrong place;
• attach a tag with your name and phone number;
• arrive early for registration so as not to lose your things in a hurry;
• during check-in, make sure that the tag with your flight number is properly attached to the suitcase;
• when flying with transfers, check whether you need to pick up your luggage at the connecting airport and check it in again;
• It is advisable to wrap the suitcase with polyethylene, this will help protect it from some damage.

By observing these simple rules, you will reduce the risk of losing your luggage and will be able to enjoy the vivid impressions of your trip, rather than spoil your nerves looking for your suitcase.

Olga Stepanova

Reading time: 11 minutes

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Your luggage is lost at the airport - an unpleasant end to your trip! You arrive home from vacation, go to the baggage claim area - and after 5-10 minutes, you realize that your suitcase (and with it all your belongings, a camera with colorful vacation photos, souvenirs and favorite slippers) has disappeared in an unknown direction.

What to do, where to run, where to look for a suitcase and who to ask? Let’s sort out one of the most “popular” aviation problems without panic and depression!

Why do suitcases get lost?

According to statistics, out of 1000 passengers, 13 usually have their suitcases lost.

Moreover, 85% of them are lucky - their things are found literally in the first two days.

As for the rest, not everyone is lucky. Some have to seek compensation for damages.

Why do suitcases get lost?

Among the main reasons:

1. Airport staff made a mistake.
2. Passengers are looking in the wrong places. It is quite possible that the suitcase ended up in the large size department.
3. The tag was lost.
4. Someone took your suitcase by mistake.
5. Your suitcase was taken with malicious intent.
6. Your suitcase cannot keep up with you because the time period for the transfer is too short.
7. There was a tag left on the suitcase from another trip and there was a scanning error.

Video: Lost luggage at the airport - what should you do?

Where do lost suitcases go?

More than 10,000 unclaimed items are found at domestic airports every year. One suitcase is not taken away because the cargo was prohibited, another because it is even more expensive to return for it, a third because the passenger does not know where to look for it, etc.

Where do forgotten things go?

• First, they are sent to the unclaimed baggage area - the one designed for suitcases left behind on international flights, or the one where items from domestic flights are stored.
• After 30 days, in the absence of a request from the owner, the suitcase “goes” to the storage room for another six months.
• If the owner never shows up, the item is disposed of. New items (if they have a label) are sold in a consignment store.

Where do you actually need to pick up your suitcase after landing?

Not everyone knows where to get their luggage after the plane lands.

1. Go through passport control.
2. Next - to the baggage claim line. Keep an eye on the board - it should indicate the flight number (it is on your boarding pass) and the tape number.
3. If there is no suitcase, make sure you are standing at the correct belt.
4. Still no suitcase? Check the “final point” where items forgotten on the belt are unloaded.
5. Check to see if your fragile or large-sized cargo is delivered elsewhere.

Video: Lost luggage at the airport - what to do?

Lost your suitcase at the airport - what to do?

Has your favorite suitcase gotten lost? Follow the instructions!

1. First, stay calm. You are far from the first person with a similar problem, and the mechanism for solving it has long been debugged and in most cases works well. If you remain within the law, then the law in this case is on your side. Therefore, resist the urge to attack the staff if your luggage is valuable to you. The more calm and confident you are, the more respectable you look in the eyes of the staff, the faster they will help you.
2. Have you pulled yourself together? Now go to the Lost & Found counter. It is usually located next to the baggage collection area.
3. If you couldn’t find this service, then there is a direct path for you - to the representative office (right here at the airport!) of the airline that managed to lose your suitcase. The carrier that checked and loaded your items onto the plane is responsible for your baggage.
4. Your task is to report the missing suitcase and file a claim. This can be done at the Lost & Found counter or at the airline representative.
5. We make a claim in writing and in free form (or on the form provided) , describing your luggage and all data as accurately as possible (flight number, number of missing suitcases, their signs, presence of tags or cellophane on bags/suitcases, short description content). Make a claim in 2 copies (one remains with the airport staff, and they certify and give the second to you) and do not forget to indicate your data in it - full name, passport, contact details, residential address within the city.
6. Documents for submitting an application: passport, tear-off coupon of your luggage tag, 2 acts of your claim with the date and time of its preparation, as well as with the number for checking your luggage through World Tracer.
7. Now all that's left to do is wait and periodically call the Lost&Found search department (don’t forget to get their contact number).

How to find lost suitcases at the airport?

Almost all major airports in the world operate with a single international search system. All data from the claim is entered into the database, and a search for a match with available information about unclaimed items immediately begins.

If a match is found, the search service staff will immediately find out where the suitcase is and notify the “lost” person. If the suitcase is stuck in another country, it will be sent on the next flight and the applicant will be contacted immediately upon arrival of the suitcase at the airport.

Important:

• They may not call you. It is better to check the search status in World Tracer and call Lost&Found employees.
• If an item is lost by a Russian airline, you can monitor the search on its website.
• Some airlines do not deliver lost suitcases without a special letter from the applicant with a corresponding request. Check with the search service in advance whether such a letter is needed.
• The search for the suitcase usually takes 21 days. After this period, the item is considered irretrievably lost and compensation can be demanded.

How to get compensation for a lost suitcase?

An application for compensation should be submitted to the airline that caused the loss of luggage.

You can make such a demand within 2 years from the moment you register your loss.

How much will they pay for a lost suitcase?

1. 17 dollars for each kg (approx. - according to the Warsaw Agreement). $35 for a suitcase that was not weighed.
2. 1200-1300 euros for 1 piece of luggage (approx. – according to the Montreal Convention, according to the airline’s rate).

If the value of the items exceeds the amount of compensation offered to you, you can go to court.

If there is evidence, of course.

For damage to the suitcase, shortage of items or loss, the carrier is obliged to pay the following compensation:

• For things that were with the passenger - according to their value. If the price is not determined, then it will be set at no more than 11,000 rubles.
• For things with a declared value - according to the specified amount.
• For items without a declared value - no more than 600 rubles per 1 kg.

We are not satisfied with the compensation – we go to court!

According to Article 118 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the injured passenger files a claim directly against the airline.

The following documents will be needed:

1. Your statement.
2. Passport.
3. Baggage tag.
4. Your boarding pass (original!).
5. No. of the act on the search for your suitcase.
6. Details (your bank account) for transferring compensation.

Important!

• If you have unexpected expenses due to the loss of your suitcase, then if you have receipts and evidence that the purchase was necessary (for example, you have an important business meeting, and the only suit was in your suitcase), you can request a refund of 50% of these expenses, or give the purchased item to the company and return 100% of the money.
• Remember that you can demand compensation not only for the loss of a suitcase, but also for damage to things, for theft, for a broken or damaged suitcase, as well as for inconvenience caused to you due to the incompetence of the carrier. Therefore, be sure to save all receipts so that you have something to present later.
• Before filing a claim, you should serve a statement on the carrier immediately after discovery of violations in order to try to resolve the dispute out of court.

Don't forget about compensation for moral damage!

You have the right to demand such compensation in accordance with the consumer protection law. You will need to prove not the fact that this harm was caused to you, but the fact that your consumer rights were violated.

There is no point in counting on millions maximum amount – 15,000 rubles , but it will not be superfluous if the case comes to court.

Important: The legal costs in the claim are borne by the defendant.

How to protect your suitcase from loss?

We reduce the risk of loss by following simple rules:

1. We save all receipts! Both for the things in the suitcase and for the suitcase itself.
2. We remove all stickers and tags from the suitcase after arrival, so that after scanning the old sticker the baggage does not go to another place.
3. We attach to the suitcase our own personal (in addition to the traditional luggage) strong tag with exact contact information (in Russian and English) - full name, phone numbers, your residential address, date of travel, etc.
4. When flying with a transfer, we clarify at which airport the baggage was checked in. Perhaps at the dock you need to get and check your suitcase again.
5. We provide the suitcase with brightness and visibility. First, choose a memorable one bright suitcase; secondly, we use all possible identification marks (bows, ribbons, badges, etc.).
6. We insure luggage if there are expensive items in the suitcase. the carrier will cost a pretty penny, so it’s better to choose a tour/insurance that will also cover your luggage.
7. We pack the suitcase in film.