Delayed, lost baggage takes away travel joy

An unfortunate reality of checking in luggage on your flight is that it may not always show up at your destination airport when you do. This causes a lot of pain to travellers, writes WOLE SHADARE

Stark reality

As the baggage carousel slows to a stop, and the last bag comes out, your stomach drops to the floor. A dozen black suitcases have rolled by, but they all had colourful ribbons attached to them announcing they were most definitely not your bag. And it’s slowly beginning to dawn on you: The airline has lost or delayed to bring your luggage. While the vast majority of airline passengers’ checked bags arrive at their destination on time and in the condition received, a passenger’s bag may occasionally become damaged, delayed, or lost in transit. The most annoying aspect of air travel is when you arrive at your destination. You proceed to the baggage reclaim area to retrieve your luggage. You stand waiting for hours and your fears are confirmed when your luggage fails to arrive with you.

The ordeal

Even for frequent travellers, which is as rich in horror stories as lost luggage, Omogiafo James Omogiafo’s ordeal stands out. Omogiafo arrived Nigeria through Heathrow Airport aboard Royal Air Maroc but his luggage did not arrive with him. He went to the airline’s office in Lagos to lodge complaints about his undelivered luggage and on the three occasions, nothing tangible came out of it. Inside the luggage are routine drugs for him and his mother. He had spent money since his arrival to replace the drugs that are held up in Casablanca by the airline. Aside that, the carrier is not ready to speak about compensation in line with global practice any time a situation like this arises.

Compensation right

International rule governing air travel states that passengers have the legal right to claim compensation from the airline if your checked-in luggage is delayed, lost or damaged. You only have the right to claim for a problem with cabin baggage if it’s the airline’s fault. You’re more likely to get compensation if you act quickly. There are many who are in worst terrible situation especially when they travel to attend conferences outside the shores of where they reside. It is bad enough for people without their luggage to have to buy clothes, but it is even worse when they can’t.

Experts’ views

A travel expert told New Telegraph that that was the fate of 15 passengers who arrived on an airline from East Africa some years ago going to Gaborone, Botswana for African Aviation Summit. Deprived of their luggage, they were unable to buy new clothes when they arrived because it was Sunday and shops were closed. ‘At this point, my staff and I began swapping clothes with the participants to make them as comfortable as possible. All guests without luggage went and bought new clothes the next day. The luggage did not show up until the last day of the summit.’’ What are frequent fliers to do to prepare for the worst? It helps to pack a change of clothing in a carry-on bag, to include identification inside of luggage in case the luggage tag falls off, and, if checked bags fail to arrive at the airport, to file a claim immediately with the airline’s baggage services agent. Passengers can collect up to $2,500 for each lost, stolen or damaged bag on domestic flights, but only a flat $9.07 a pound for lost goods on international routes. To reduce the rate of lost luggage, the airline industry is turning to technology, like tiny radio transmitter chips with unique identifying numbers on luggage tags that allow bags to be tracked continuously. Once burned, twice shy. After Wanle Jones’ luggage was delayed for a day on a KLM flight, he got only an overnight kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver and mouthwash from the airline. So the next time his luggage was delayed – for two days after flying from Munich, Germany -he was prepared. ‘Now I always pack a change of underwear, fresh shirt and a sport coat in a carry-on,’’ said Jones, an aviation service provider.

Airlines improve processes

Though airlines have gotten markedly better at getting your bags to you, delayed luggage does happen on occasion. Sometimes it’s a minor inconvenience and at times, destabilises you. It is pathetic when you’ve got a black tie wedding to attend, and nothing to wear but the sweatpants you flew in—a situation not easily helped by the $50 the airline threw you for “essentials.” So what can you do? Airlines owe you more than they will tell you. Back in 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation mandated that all domestic airlines must reimburse you for any “reasonable expenses” related to delayed luggage, up to $3,300, that increased to $3, 400 in 2013. That doesn’t mean the airline owes you for the full value of whatever’s in your suitcase; it only owes you for anything you have to buy that you would not otherwise. For example, if you were travelling to race in a triathlon and your bag wasn’t to you by race day, you’d need to go out and buy all new swimming, biking, and running gear. Keep the receipts for all of it and the airlines must pay you back. The key word in all of these is “reasonable.” If you had a so-so suit you’d packed for a big business meeting, this isn’t your chance to score some Dolce and Gabbana on the airline’s dime. If you can get a suit cheaply, your reimbursement process will go much more smoothly. That said, if you’re staying in a hotel and the only place to buy a suit happens to be a Gucci store, you can’t be expected to shop all over town to find the best deal. Airlines have this information in their contracts of carriage, which most of us read about as often as the back of a tax form. Most airlines will offer you a “stipend” of around $50 a day for fun stuff like toothbrushes and underwear. And though that stipend can be applied against the $3,400, it’s not a limit on what you can spend.

Last line

Whether it’s a domestic or international flight, always claim your bag as missing before you leave the airport, as waiting to do this can sometimes nullify your rights to reimbursement. And make sure to keep your receipts. If you can manage all of that, the feeling in the pit of your stomach when your bag doesn’t come out may change to a rush of excitement.