Traveling for business, family reasons or for pleasure is usually a pleasant experience, however, something that can ruin the moment is the lose suitcases. Even, it is not uncommon to see travelers somewhat tense until they see their suitcases pass by the airport conveyor belt. If you find yourself in front of a luggage loss situation, you must do the following:

  • The first thing to do is reassure yourself, anger or frustration can limit your ability to react to the situation. The second thing is to check that you keep all the travel documentation that will be necessary at the time of claiming: plane ticket, baggage check-in label, boarding pass.
  • If you suffer a lost luggageIt is the airline that is responsible and who must be held responsible for total or partial theft, damage or delay in the delivery of your bags.
  • Every user who suffers a lost luggage You can request compensation from the airline and, in addition, you can complete the Baggage Irregularity Report (PIR) - claim that allows you to request the recovery of your luggage and that must be delivered at the counters of the Association of European Airlines in English as AEA) -. To submit this claim, you have a period of 10 days (domestic flights) or 21 days (international flights). If what we want to claim are damage to suitcases or partial theftIt is advisable to make the claim immediately, although there is a deadline of seven days.
    • Lost luggage
  • It is important to know that all claims for compensation they prescribe after six months and we only have 24 months to start any type of legal process. To avoid legal process, most of the airlines They make reimbursements for clothing purchased by the passenger or make payments for each day of delay of the suitcase because the regulations indicate that they must cover the incidents that passengers face when they do not have their suitcase or travel bags.
  • Compensation has a maximum amount either for loss of luggage or deterioration of the same: 19 euros per kilo billed on domestic flights (568 euros maximum) and 28,4 euros per kilo billed on international flights (1,136 euros maximum). In the case of having checked in all the luggage, the airline must cover the total value of it.

    • To decrease the chances of suffering a lost luggage, we recommend the following:

  • Choose an unusual color for your suitcase, that way you can better visualize it on the conveyor belt or it will be easier for you to describe it.
    • Checked baggage
  • Complete the luggage labels with your personal data in a visible way (inside and outside the suitcase), you can even put a color mark that makes it visible inside so many suitcases.
  • Put in your hand luggage everything essential and valuable that you take on the trip, for example: documentation, money, medicines, contact phones, cameras, camcorders, mobile phones, chargers, computers and others.
  • If you are traveling accompanied, it is best not to carry all the luggage in a single suitcase, better to distribute it in several, so if one is lost you will not be very harmed and you can be well during the claim process.
  • Inform you about the coverage -in loss of luggage- of the airline you have chosen to travel. If you travel with valuables, it is best to take out additional insurance.
    • By: María Sánchez Montes
    Updated on 02/11/2010

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