Lost, delayed and damaged baggage

It's annoying if your bags go astray - whether it's on the way home or on the outward journey. Here's a look at what you can do or expect to be entitled to. As with flight delays and cancellations, laws will vary according to where you are and which airline you are travelling with. We are United Kingdom based so will look at this primarily from a UK perspective. The framework will be very similar in most countries.

Preparation

There are some things you can consider to mitigate any loss.

• tags on the outside (we would NOT recommend anything that identifies that your address is unoccupied)

• name and address details on the inside (allows you to put more details and also less likely to be lost)

• use a tracking tag (ensure it is legally compliant and safe)

• keep essentials (ID, meds, spare clothes) in your hand luggage

Lost, delayed and damaged baggage

The airline is responsible for your bags from check-in to carousel. Whilst not exclusively so, the likeliest time you will have a loss or delay is when you have transferred flights on one ticket - if this is with two airlines then the second one normally takes on the responsibility, although you can claim from either.

How much?

There are no rules fixing compensation and it will depend on the value of your losses. The maximum is £1000 although it is very rare for anyone to receive that much.

Delayed

You can generally expect to be reimbursed for essential purchases - toiletries, underwear, laundry costs and similar. The key word is "essential". Some airlines offer a daily rate and most would not pay if you were travelling home - after all you would then have access to all your own things so shouldn't need to buy replacement items.

It then sits with the airline to get your bag to you once it is found - normally this will be by taxi or courier.

Damage

This needs to be reported at the airport - the longer you leave it, the more of a case that can be made to say the damage happened elsewhere.

How to claim

There should be a baggage desk in the arrivals hall and in most airports it is close to the carousels. There you can fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). You then need to send a claim to the airline within seven days (for lost or stolen items) or twenty-one days (for delayed baggage).

Do expect to have to prove that the items lost or damaged are worth what you say. Airlines do not have to provide new for old, so will take into account the age of any items at the time of loss.

Consequential Losses

An airline will not normally reimburse you for any subsequent losses, unless ordered to by a court. For example, if you missed a start of a cruise because your bags were lost on the flight. Insurance

Airlines are businesses - they will resist any claims. It is very advisable to make sure your baggage is covered by your insurance policy. Do remember that most policies will have an excess charge, and will also have time limits for making a claim.

Despite the occasional big headlines, bag losses are not as common as you might think - millions of bags do get delayed, but the context is that there are several billion passengers moving around. But (having been on the wrong end twice) the loss of a bag can be disruptive, irritating and frustrating.

Most bags do turn up and come back to the owner. Heading to the baggage desk at the outset is key, and then filling in all the relevant paperwork. It doesn't take long to fill out and will require your details, flight details and a description of the bag. I keep a picture of my bag with its details (colour, dimensions, make) on my phone, just in case.