The airline lost my luggage, what should I do?
According to studies conducted by the Society for International Aeronautical Telecommunications (SITA), approximately 4 out of 1,000 checked bags at airports worldwide are delayed or lost. As insignificant as this figure may seem, if you are reading this text, it is probably because it has happened to you or someone you know. So, whether you are about to leave or return from this long-awaited trip, even though it is a major inconvenience to suddenly find yourself without your luggage, the most important thing is that you know how to proceed to make a claim and succeed in the process.
Organization and serenity, the keys to good management
Minutes pass, and you see everyone retrieving their luggage, but yours is nowhere to be found, just when you were eager to arrive and leave the airport. The first thing to do, even if nerves take over your body, is to stay calm and composed. Make sure you are at the correct baggage carousel for your flight, and if after confirming that your luggage is lost, we explain the steps to follow.
The first step is to file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) inside the airport at the nearest customer service counter of the airline you flew with. If you had different connecting flights with different airlines, you can do this at any counter of those airlines you flew with.
To complete this process at the counter, you will need to present your baggage receipt, the tag attached to your ticket during check-in, as well as your identification card or passport, and inform them that your baggage did not arrive with those of other passengers on the same flight. If you are traveling with companions and you are not the only one this happened to, it is important to note that a claim must be filed per person.
In addition to filing the PIR, you will also need to contact the airline by phone to inform them of the situation. This step does not need to be done immediately, but you must adhere to the deadlines established by the Montreal Convention, which regulates all baggage incidents, whether traveling with a European airline, departing from a European country, or with a non-European carrier that took off outside the region.
The deadlines for resolving your baggage issues are as follows:
Up to 21 days in case of baggage delay.
There is no time limit in case of baggage loss, but it is recommended not to exceed 21 days, as this is the deadline beyond which airports consider it a baggage loss rather than a simple delay. Our recommendation: do not accept any initial compensation, except for the “overnight kit” including essential hygiene products. We advise against accepting financial compensation or promotions from the airline, as in many cases, this is tied to waiving any further recourse.
In many cases, airlines will try to offer you amounts lower than what you are entitled to, but do you know exactly what compensation you can claim in case of baggage loss? The regulation focuses on the number of days your luggage was lost. If the bag is returned within the following days, what is called a baggage delay, the maximum compensation you are entitled to is €67.33 per day. This amount remains valid until cases exceeding 21 days, at which point it is considered a total loss, and compensation can amount up to €1,400.
Whether your case is a baggage delay or a total loss, it is essential to keep all documentation related to the flight, as well as receipts for purchases you had to make due to the loss of your luggage, such as clothing, essential items, or hygiene products. All of this will help you obtain appropriate compensation for the inconvenience caused. Finally, in a situation like this, where it is easy to make mistakes or forget one of the necessary documents in the process, we always recommend seeking assistance from a team of professionals to handle the claims, such as the one formed by Lexority, which will provide you with free advice and has handled over 50,000 claims.
What to do if British Airways has lost your luggage ?
Here’s an example of how British Airways lost a luggage for one of our clients. They were traveling from Paris to Barcelona. Upon disembarking and going to the baggage claim area, the suitcase was missing. They waited for an hour, but it didn’t show up. So, they went to the corresponding counter to file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). The suitcase arrived 15 days later. They tried to claim compensation from the airline several times but received no response, so they contacted us. They were entitled to claim €67.33 per day for luggage loss plus expenses incurred due to its absence. At Lexority, we obtained compensation for them.
If you find yourself in a similar situation and want to claim against British Airways for lost luggage or another airline for any other incident, you can contact our flight claim experts. Simply fill out the form, and they will analyze your case for free and advise you on whether you can claim.
