Have you ever waited for your bags for hours at an airport, only to know that the bag has been lost and you have to wait for a few days before you receive your bag. The fact that occasionally your bags do not reach the destination with you is one of the realities of air travel.
When you are flying in a hopping pattern, this is more likely to occur. Your bags may therefore be left behind as you exit one plane and board another.
Losing your baggage during a trip or after a trip may lead to a lot of inconvenience and even anger, but there are several things you can do to make the situation less stressful.
Here are a few things you need to do if your bags go missing at the airport:
File a report
For starters, as soon as you discover that your bags are missing, do not leave the airport without making a report. File a passenger irregularity report (PIR) at the airline's desk available at the airport, along with a detailed description of the luggage, the local address and contact information. Don't forget to get your claim number and a copy of the missing baggage report.
Try using baggage tracing systems
The Ministry of Aviation has launched the Air Sewa app through which passengers can voice their grievances and register their complaints against airliners.
Each airline has its own WorldTracer Baggage Tracing System to trace their lost baggage, passengers can use the sites after filing the report.
In today's time, social media is a huge tool for the passengers. Reach out to the airlines on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Wait for the airline to deliver the luggage
The airline is supposed to trace your luggage after they receive a report. Once it arrives, the airlines will deliver your luggage to the nearby address listed in the report. If the airline cannot find your luggage within 21 days, it is considered as a lost item.
Submit a new claim after 24hrs
Most airlines let you qualify for compensation after your bags are lost for more than 24 hours. In such cases, a passenger has to make a new claim. The airline’s baggage claim form will ask for the value of lost contents and their prices along with the purchase dates.
Most that an airline can compensate a passenger is $3800 per bag, whereas flights with an international leg fall under different rules, yet the most a passenger can get is around $1800.
On Air India, if a lost bag cannot be found within 24 hours of a flyer reaching an international destination, then the airline gives a one-time interim expense of 50 British pounds, or equivalent in local currency. In India, this amount is Rs 3,000. On domestic flights, if the baggage is delivered the following day or later, the maximum amount that the airline reimburses is Rs 2,000.
While SpiceJet's liability for loss or damage to baggage is limited to Rs 200 per kg; with a maximum of Rs 3,000. Further, the airline does not assume any liability for fragile or perishable articles.
